Quick Review: Guerlain Cupidon Lip Pencil

I used Guerlain's Cupidon pencil for the first time in a little while this morning and thought I'd do a quick post on it. I actually ordered the pearly, pink pencil by mistake around a year ago, thinking it was a regular lip pencil. Why I was even looking for a such a pale lip liner, I have no idea, but what I actually ended up with is a highlighting pencil designed to be used on the cupids bow.

Guerlain Cupidon Lip pencil

Cupidon is supposed to be applied to the skin just above the upper lip and the idea is that it gives the illusion of fuller looking lips. I can't say I notice a huge difference in fullness when I apply it, but the pinky, beige pencil definitely helps to enhance and gives an overall pretty effect. It leaves a very delicate sheen after it's been blended and creates a slight highlight which enhances and defines the shape of lips.

Guerlain Cupidon 00

I've seen Cupidon described as a creamy beige shade, but I'd describe it as a pale, almost frosty, pinky-beige. I've applied quite a lot of the colour to my arm in the swatch - it actually looks a lot more subtle when it's been applied with a light hand. The pencil itself is really excellent quality, it's creamy, draws well and doesn't budge after it's been applied.

Geurlain Cupidon Swatches

All in all, Cupidon is a great little product which does do what it promises, it's just something I don't find myself reaching for often. I'd describe it as more of a pretty, finishing touch product, than an essential one, and for that reason, I probably wouldn't re-purchase. I've found a tiny bit of NARS Copacabana applied just above the lip creates a similar result and I'm sure the same effect could be achieved with other highlighters too. 

Have you tried Cupidon or a similar lip highlighting product?

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Giveaway!

Liz Earle have very kindly offered to give you lovely readers the chance to win a Cleanse & Polish Starter Kit, which contains a 100ml bottle of their award winning Hot Cloth Cleanser and two muslin cloths!

If you'd like to enter, please make sure you're following via Google Friend Connect and please leave a comment below with your e-mail address, so I can contact you if you win. You can gain an extra entry by either posting about the giveaway on your blog, or tweeting about it. (Please let me know if do either),

The giveaway is international so everyone's welcome to enter and the winner will be chosen using random.org on the 30th of September.

Good luck!

Clinique Black Honey Lipgloss/Lipstick Duo

Black Honey Lipstick and Lip gloss duo is one of the limited edition products from Clinique's 2011 Fall collection, which consists of berry and violet shades inspired by the cult favourite lip colour.

The dual ended lip product contains two different versions of the iconic shade, an almost lipstick and a long last glosswear. 

Clinique Black Honey Lipgloss/Lipstick Duo

The lipstick looks a little bit scary in the tube, but the dark brown/eggplant becomes more of a subtle, sheer, berry shade once it's applied. On my lips, it just adds a hint of colour which enhances my natural lip tone. The Almost Lipstick formula feels soft, light weight and balm like, perfect for those who don't like the feel or texture of lipstick or gloss. I've found lasting power to be pretty good and I find the formula to be quite hydrating too. It wears well and leaves my lips feeling comfortable.

Clinique Black Honey Lipstick

The complementary gloss shade is slightly more pigmented than the lipstick, but is still sheer and leaves lips with a pretty, glossy version of the berry shade. It almost looks like a shiny stain and creates a "just-bitten" look. The formula is quite thick and feels a little bit tacky on lips, but it's comfortable and fairly long lasting for a gloss. Applied over the Almost Lipstick version, it enhances the intensity slightly and creates a slighter deeper, glossy version of the berry shade.

Clinique Black Honey Gloss

Below are swatches of the two products. The lipstick is on the left and the gloss on the right.

Clnique Black Honey Duo

And here's what the products look like applied. Just the lipstick in the first photo and both the lipstick and gloss in the second.

Clinique Black Honey Lipstick

Clinique Black Honey Gloss

I must have been about sixteen or seventeen when I first tried Clnique's Black Honey and at the time, the shade didn't really wow me. I was more of a fan of soft, pinky nudes, and Black Honey was a little bit too dark for my taste. After giving the colour another go almost ten years later, I have to say, I've completely changed my mind. I'm not sure if Clinique have changed the colour slightly, or if I just remember the shade being darker than it actually is, but the berry shade works well at enhancing my natural lip colour and is perfect for days when I'm going for a 'no make up look' and want a subtle, barely there lip colour. 

Available now from the Clinique site, counters and department stores where it costs £17.50.

(PR Sample)

Chanel Nail Colour: 18 Rouge Noir

Chanel Rouge Noir 18

Taking another break from summer brights today and decided to paint my nails in one of my favourite classic, vampy shades, Rouge Noir.

Chanel Rouge Noir

Rouge Noir is a gorgeous dark red/chocolate shade in the bottle. The colour you get on nails depends on how many coats are applied. The shade looks like a glossy burgundy with the first coat, but becomes more of a deep, blackened red with a second or third. I really do like how the shade looks with just the one coat, but rarely wear it without adding at least a second because I find the finish to be a bit uneven and sheer. A second coat evens out the colour nicely, and a third turns it into a completely opaque, almost black (depending on lighting) colour.

As with most other Chanel nail colours I've tried, Rouge Noir applies really well. The colour does initially apply slightly unevenly, but becomes smooth and opaque with a second coat. The finish is glossy and lasting power is average. The photo below shows how the shade looks with three, thin coats. I had planned to apply just the two, but messed up horribly and needed a third.

Chanel Rouge Noir (3 coats)

And a quick photo to show how the colour looks with two coats.

Rouge Noir (2 coats)

Are you a fan of dark, vampy shades? Do you have any favourites?

Myface Foundation Winners....

The winners of the Myface Mymix foundations are Evelyn and Y, I'll be sending you both an e-mail shortly. Congrats to the winners and thank you to everyone who entered.

The Make Up Mavens Weekly Round-up

The Makeup Mavens present makeup you may have missed. This week there's an array of products from Chantecaille, LMDB, La Roche Posay, Armani and Chanel. We've got posts on pretty palettes and blush, and one Maven shares a review on the brush that can do it all.

This week Lipstick Luvvies introduced us to the new palette from luxury brand, Chantecaille. Head on over to read her brilliant review and take a peek at swatches of the gorgeous blush and shadow shades.

  

Finding suitable products for sensitive skins can be a tricky task, but Klara of Mookie on the Bench has discovered an excellent moisturiser from La Roche Posay. If you're looking for a soothing product to calm irritation and redness, check out her review of Toleriane Ultra. 

In an effort to simplify her make up routine, Product Doctor went on a search for a multi purpose brush, and found Le Metier de Beaute's kabuki. Check out her great review and comparison to MAC's 182.

Raspberry Rouge finally gave in to Chanel's Fall nail colors and shared swatches of Graphite. Hop on over and take a look at the beautiful, shimmery shade.

After searching high and low for the perfect nude blush, The Black Panties stumbled upon Armani's Beige Violet. Check out her review and swatches of the pretty, natural shade.

A Few Daily Make up Essentials

Today's post is inspired by yesterday's monthly favourites post. After taking photos of the products I've been reaching for a lot throughout August, I had a little rummage through my make up bag and picked out some of the items I use everyday. Eye shadow, blush and lip colours tend to change on a daily basis, but there are a few different products that always stay the same, and I thought I'd do a quick post on them.

NARS Loose Powder: Eden

NARS Loose Powder -  I have oily skin, so I always use a powder to set my foundation. I've tried quite a lot of different loose powders from different brands, but I always come back to NARS because it's the best I've tried. It's finely milled, buffs beautifully into skin without looking powdery or chalky and it really does help to keep shine at bay. The colour range on offer is also fantastic and the 35g tub lasts forever. It'll probably start breaking me out after I say this, or it'll be discontinued, but it's my holy grail setting powder. (Around £26.00 a tub)

Becca Pressed Bronzing Powder: Flamenco

Becca Pressed Bronzing Powder: Flamenco - I wont go on about this because I've already mentioned it on a number of occasions. I picked mine up in a Salonskincare Summer sale and I've used it almost everyday since. The shade works really well on my NC15/20 ish skin and does a brilliant job at adding a hint of believable, non orange colour. More accurate photos & swatches here. (Around £30.00 for a 10g compact)

Clarins Everlasting Foundation

Clarins Everlasting Foundation -  I've rambled on about this quite a lot already too, so I'll keep this short. Everlasting is one of the best full coverage foundations I've tried because unlike others, it feels nice and light weight when I'm wearing it. It holds up well on my oily skin and hasn't caused any problems with break outs either, which is a bonus. I've also been using a foundation from Myface (mymix) over the last couple of weeks, and that's also nice stuff, but it doesn't beat Everlasting in the coverage department and coverage is something I need at the moment. (£24.00 for a 30ml bottle)

Becca Eye Tint: Vicuna

Becca Eye Tint Vicuna - I use this as a base for all of my shadows because I find it really helps them to stay put. It's a peachy, gold cream shadow which doesn't really add much colour, but it helps to brighten my eye area, evens out lids and stops anything I add over the top from creasing. I was slightly underwhelmed with it when I first tried it, but it's now one of my favourite products and something I reach for everyday. (£19.00 for a 7ml tube)

Chanel Brow Palette

Chanel Le Sourcil De Chanel Brow Palette - I purchased this a couple of years ago and I've almost completely used up the shades. The palette contains three really natural shades of powder which can be used individually or mixed together to create a perfect colour match. I've tried a lot of similar palettes, but Chanel's beats them all because the texture of the powders is great. Others I've used have been too soft and have ended up looking too harsh and heavy, Chanel's shades are easy to apply and give a really subtle, natural looking finish to brows. I haven't opened the palette in the photo because there's barely any product left in the pans, there are some excellent photos and swatches over at Makeup merriment though. (£41.00)

Shu Uemera Brown Pencil: Seal brown

Shu Uemura Brow Pencil: Seal brown - I use this to fill in my brows, then to soften, I use the Chanel brow powder which I mentioned above. It's the most natural looking brow pencil I've tried colour wise, and the texture is great. It's not particularly soft and it's not creamy either, so the lines it draws are incredibly natural and subtle. I've had the one in the photo above for ages now and it's looking a bit old and worn, it still works perfectly though. (Around £17.00)

I suppose none of the products on the list are particularly exciting, but they're all items I use every day and I couldn't really do without any of them, especially the base and brow products.  

I'm really interested to know what your everyday essentials are. Is there anything in your make up bag that you really can't do without?