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Lipcote Product Review

Now I’ll be the first to put my hands up and admit that this time 12 or so months ago, I couldn’t even spell Lipcote, let alone tell you what it was.  Fortunately however, I have been lucky enough to do some work for the company since then and, I must say, after three downright truly awesome days, (that I would feel guilty even calling ‘work’) many an hour spent deciphering the accents of the English and approximately ONE MILLION lipstick and Lipcote applications later, I was SOLD.

Now I hear you all ask, what is Lipcote?  Well guys, it is in fact a lipstick sealer.  Put it on after your lipstick and hey presto, it stays on all day (or up to 8 hours wear).  All of you oldies out there may be saying you remember something of the sort from back in your day; well the brand not long ago celebrated their 50^th birthday with a brand new look and improved design.  Inspired by femininity, with a slight 1950’s burlesque feel, the new packaging is both pretty and charming, thanks to their recent partnership with artist ‘Dora’.

And now, for all the wee lost souls and make-up virgins alike; the techy bit.  Start with clean lips and apply your lip liner all over the lips.  Next apply your first coat of lipstick, blot and apply a second coat.  Blot again for good measure and finally, apply your Lipcote in small strokes evenly over the lips and just outside the lip line.  This will prevent any of that dreaded ‘old lady’ bleeding.  And yes, it will feel like your applying nail varnish to your lips, but folks, believe me, it works.  Lipcote also has an awesome retro matte finish, but if you’re still stuck in the 90s, you can still apply your gloss over the top.

So you all can rest assured than even through cocktail hour and salad lunches, your lipstick will remain where it darn well should.

AND!  If I haven’t already given you all enough reason to go out and buy it, it’s only a few bleeding quid!  Only downside to this product will be trying to find it in the shops and I should know as I’ve spent many a lunch break searching through the rows of countless nail strengtheners, make-up brushes, false lashes and magic wands, but persevere folks, it’s out there. 

So, what are you waiting for!  Get in your hatchbacks and get out and buy it!  It’s a make-up bag must have.    

And so, after years of hair getting stuck in our lip glosses, lipstick is finally making its comeback.  Now, it’s not promising to also whiten your teeth or knock off a few decades, but it does what it says on the tin and so I believe, that in our constant search for cosmetic perfection, Lipcote, you’ve come pretty darn close.

Life and Times of a Make-Up Artist

Here goes, my first ever beauty blog.  I feel like a proper “Carrie Bradshaw” sitting typing on my wee red laptop, although I was never particularly adept at English in school so you can guarantee I won’t be writing in “perfect English”.  My mother would quite often ask if, in fact, I learned anything at school.  Looking back, sadly I would have to agree not much.

 
I guess I should get on to talking about make-up since I imagine no one really wants to know my life story, but here are the cliff notes…

By day, I am a freelance makeup artist (now slash secret blogger) and although my ‘other half’ may beg to differ, it is in fact a proper job.  

My story starts at sixteen; I was a restless child and after having enough of the old school routine, I got up and left and enrolled myself in a beauty course, which after one year proved to be too easy for my brilliant academic mind and I applied for a make-up one instead.  I then did two years of gruelling hard work at college to finally graduate as a qualified make-up artist.

Training as a make-up artist does have its downside however.  Never again can I have a conversation without absentmindedly staring at your eyeshadow crease or foundation line or even be able to sit and watch a film without trying to decipher how they did a particular prosthetic or searching needlessly for the ragged edge of an actor’s bald cap.  We will forever be cursed in this never ceasing world of make-up disasters.

Now you may think life as a make-up artist is massively glamorous and exciting but by specialising in the bridal industry, it opens the door to the world of bridezillas, bossy mothers and tipsy bridesmaids.  At the mention of weddings, everyone starts to ooh and ahh and say what a brilliant job I must have.  Though let me tell you, it’s not all attending scenic venues and grand mansions while applying a bit of blush here and there... 

In reality, it’s sheer blood sweat and tears.  Most of the time, I’m just aimlessly driving around for half an hour trying to find a cul de sac that doesn’t even exist on my sat nav, then to finally get there and have to battle through the hordes of angry pet Chihuahuas and slobbering Bloodhounds.

Then you have the wedding day, the most special day of a person’s life and you have a thousand bridesmaids tripping over dresses and high heels fighting their way through the kitchen as you try and work whilst the bride’s mother is having a panic attack over the flowers because she insists it’s not the ones her daughter picked out.  
 
Yes, I am the lassie standing amongst a mid of hairspray, diamantes and floor length gowns in my old faded jeans and t-shirt, while covered in splatters of face powder and eyelash glue. 

But, hey, it’s jolly good fun.
 
So if you can’t tell your eyebrow pencils from your eyeliners, join me on my journey as I jump on the bandwagon of beauty bloggers out there and through the make-up jargon, needless rambling and bad clichés and you may just pick up a few tricks.