Lipstick I Love: Rocking Red by Smooch Cosmetics

A girl can never have too many red lipsticks and I'm no exception.
The latest member of my red lippie clan comes in the shape of this pin-up-perfect red from Smooch Cosmetics.

Richly pigmented and vibrant with a glossy finish, *Rocking Red is one of those shades that I think would suit pretty much every skin tone.

After a few hours of wear, the lipstick sort of stains the lips, leaving them looking lovely and 'bitten' but the gloss factor only sticks around for a short while. The formula is quite 'wet' so my only criticism of the lipstick is that it does tend to bleed and feather a little on my lips, though that's not really a deal breaker in my book.

The packaging? Don't even get me started! This lippie is encased in the cutest, most kitschy tube I've seen in a while.

Rocking Red (and 11 other gorgeous shades) are available for £7.50 from Smooch Cosmetics UK.
Smooch Cosmetics are currently offering a free Glowing Bronzer worth £13.95 when you spend £15 or more so why not treat yourself to two lipsticks and get the bronzer free?

Have you tried any products by Smooch Cosmetics?
Thanks for reading :)

Hair Adventures: Practising Pincurls

Being a lazy vintage enthusiast can be tricky, so perfecting something as time consuming (and sometimes as difficult) as pincurls is near impossible for me.
I'm fine when it comes to curling the front of my hair into snail-like swirls but reaching around to do the back hurts my arms and my brain so I enlisted my willing flatmate Anna  to play guinea pig for me.
Luckily, Anna likes having her hair played with so she was happy to sit for half an hour while I twirled her hair into somewhat imperfect little rolls.

The Curl Commandments

• Pincurling towel-dried hair gives the best results as the curl is easier to manipulate and lasts longer than a dry curl once set. Curling wet hair is known as a 'wet set'.
• Use a setting lotion/ mousse/ some kind of flexible hold product to make the curls last
• Try not to twist the hair as you roll - twisting = frizz!
• Wait until the hair is completely dry before taking the pins out
• Use pronged curling clips or flat-edged bobby pins to hold the curl in place. Using ridged bobby pins can leave indentations in the hair.
• If sleeping with the curls in, wrap your head in a satin/ silk scarf to keep everything in place.

The Tools I Used

The Process

• Comb setting lotion or your product of choice through towel-dried hair
• Take a small section of hair (about an inch wide), comb it through, then curl it in on itself in your desired direction. The trick is to curl it like a pinwheel or snails shell - you want a smooth, tight curl rather than a twisted one. There are plenty of video tutorials demonstrating this technique.
• Once you have curled the section all the way to the scalp, lie it flat against the head and secure it with one or two pins/ clips.
• Repeat this all over the head - more advanced pincurlers do this in rows all over the head but I did mine a little more haphazardly. 
• Once all the curls are done, spritz with a little hairspray and wrap the head in a scarf ready for bed!

You can find plenty of pincurling tutorials on YouTube so I didn't bother documenting the entire process when I did the curls on Anna but here's a photo of her lovely little (faux) red head after I'd finished:

And this is what it looked like in the morning after some substantial finger combing:

Anna's hair wasn't brushed out, which is usually the next step with pincurls, but as you can see they still gave her some serious volume!

Have you tried pincurls in your hair? They're time consuming but a lot of fun and I think with a little more practice I can create some pretty cool looks!

Thanks for reading :)

Pin-Up For a Day? Yes Please!

As you may have gathered, I have a growing infatuation with vintage beauty.
When I say vintage, I mean the unrivalled glamour of pin-up sirens and Hollywood darlings from my 3 favourite beauty decades - the 1940's, 50's and 60's.

Think Rita Hayworth with those tumbling curls, Veronica Lake with her sultry stare and the girl-next-door smile of Betty Grable. Gorgeous!

I've previously blogged about the stunning work of vintage make up and styling experts Lipstick & Curls, but today I'm going to tell you about how you can take the experience once step further - with your very own pin-up photoshoot!


In collaboration with leading international pin-up photographer Rocco Rolls, Lipstick & Curls run regular studio sessions so ladies can indulge in vintage fabulousness and discover their inner pin-up cutie!

These ladies are true experts, and photographer Rocco has been featured in magazines including Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, so you're guaranteed a truly wonderful experience with fantastic results.

Just look at this!

The Lipstick & Curls girls provide a complete vintage makeover including the hair and make up that's perfect for your pin-up shoot. It's up to you to decide the kind of pin-up goddess you want to be, whether that's a Mad Men inspired glamazon, a flirty Marilyn-esque vixen or a cheeky bondage beauty a'la Bettie Page, the girls will work their magic to make you the best pin-up Queen you can be. The know-how of the Lipstick & Curls girls, coupled with the expertise of Rocco Rolls means you'll be guaranteed photographs that are unique, professional, and above all, absolutely gorgeous!
The pin-up photography sessions are private and the girls will make sure you feel comfortable and confident as you blossom into the vintage beauty you were always meant to be. Upon booking you are asked to bring along four different outfits, so you will feel at ease in your own lingerie or two piece, but  all props are provided to ensure an authentic vintage vibe and you'll even be given professional posing tips :)

The next Lipstick & Curls pin-up studio session takes place on the 10th of  December, so if you're interested, make sure you get in quick so you don't miss out on securing your place!

So, the big question - how much does this cost?

The whole session, including four prints of your choice (A3 12x16 inches or A3 + 12x18 inches) is priced at £250.

Here's a break down of what you'll receive for the cost:

·  A complete vintage makeover from the Lipstick & Curls experts
·      A photo-shoot with leading international pin-up photographer Rocco Rolls
·      The use of an extensive props collection
·      Direction and advice on posing and getting the look.
·      Four photographs of your choice  A3 12x16inches or A3+ 12x18 inches
*To enquire about group shots, additional prints etc, drop the girls an email and they'll be happy to help.

I think this is a pretty good deal personally as it's one cost up front. A lot of 'makeover and photography' studios lure customers in with an unbelievably low session cost, then charge extortianate amounts for the photographs at the end!
 With this Lipstick & Curls pin-up session, you get a unique and glamorous experience with no hidden costs - and for this, I commend them!

I think I know what I want for Christmas...

To book please email info@lipstickandcurls.co.uk or call Amanda on 0787 907 6449
or Natasha on 0776 5166 460


Hannah Rose xxx

*As always, I'm not affiliated with this company in any way - I just really dig their stuff!

http://www.lipstickandcurls.co.uk/

I have too many...Red Lipsticks

To me, cold weather means it's time to crack out the red lipstick. I feel like make up can be a little heavier in the chillier months, probably because it's less prone to smudging or sliding off my face in a tube induced sweat, so I've been digging out my scarlet lippies, some old, some new and thought I'd give you a little look. Yep, this is my saturday night. Hardcore.

First off the bat (and my current favourite) is the Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 001

This smells kind of like cherries and contains a 'black diamond pigment complex'. I'm not sure what that means, but I really dig this lipstick. It stays put for a long time but doesn't feel like a long wearing product. I got mine from Boots for £5.49


And this pot of loveliness is the Crimson  Rouge by Besame

I wrote about this stuff in a previous post. It's essentially a rouge for the cheeks, but makes a great long lasting lipstick. To apply I just press it onto the lips with my fingers. I got mine from the What Katie Did London Boutique. I've had it for a couple of weeks, use it everyday, and have barely made a dent in it!

This one is New CID i-pout in Scarlet

The i-pout is smooth and creamy and glides on pretty effortlessly. The staying power isn't great, possibly because it's packed with vitamin E, but the built in light and mirror mean you can reapply it anywhere. It feels really hydrating and I love the brightness of the colour. I bought this one from New CID at Debenhams, Oxford St for £15.

Chanel Rouge Allure in Passion

This is the lipstick that started it all! I first purchased Rouge Allure a few years ago. I'd just been offered a job at a magazine so I decided it was time I treat myself to a red lippy and make an impression :)
I bought this from David Jones in Australia, but over here you can get a little Chanel of your own from department stores or larger Boots stores for £24.

Collection 2000 Volume Sensation in Cherry Pop 8

This was one of those impulsive lunch break purchases. Cheap and cheerful, I found this lipstick to be great value at only £2.99 from Boots. The formula is supposed to be moisturising with 40% 'volumising' ingredients. While it definitely is hydrating, I'm not particularly sold on the volumising aspect. This lipstick has an unusual minty/ menthol feeling which I don't personally like too much but minty fans would. I really like the brightness of this one and the pigment is incredibly strong, especially for something so affordable.

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Lipcolor

This was my first venture into the realm of stay-put lipsticks. While I love the colour of this one, I have found that it doesn't stick around for as long as other long wearing lipsticks (Maybelline Superstay is the best I've tried) and it has a rather chemically smell. I've seen a few mixed reviews about this one, and a lot of people really rate it. I don't detest it but I do find it really drying - perhaps this could be remedied by adding my own balm over the top? This liquid lippy is £8.99.

Lastly, the latest edition to my red wardrobe is Sleek MakeUp Pout Paint in Pin Up

I've done a post about this before and it's truly amazing. I can't believe how intensely pigmented it is and I think it's pretty cool that you can mix Pout Paints together to create a custom colour. Pout Paints retail for £4.99 and you can find them at Superdrug.
So there you have it, that was the best of the reds that I own. I'm hoping to get my paws on a tube of MACs Ruby Woo because I've read so many great reviews on it. Could it be the ultimate red? Hopefully I'll find out soon enough ;)

Thanks so much for reading.

Hannah Rose xxx

P.S. sorry about the mildly terrifying self portrait pics :o

LIPSTICK REVIEW: Sleek Pout Paint

As a fairly loyal Boots customer, I rarely set foot in Superdrug stores. This is probably largely due to the fact that I have a Boots card, so therefore I'm more inclined to spend up there where I can earn points to spend on even more products I don't actually need :)

That said, I did visit Superdrug at Charing Cross Road today for a post-work beauty fix and I ended up having a great time rifling through beauty brands I'd never actually played with before (and also realised Superdrug have a loyalty card of their own. Have I been living under a rock?)! One of these brands was Sleek MakeUP. I was blown away by their extensive range (they make 17 shades of foundation!) and had to stop myself from grabbing at least one of everything! I decided to allow myself one treat from the Sleek range, and having heard rave reviews about Pout Paint, snapped up one of these pocket sized wonders.

Pout Paint in Pin Up

I chose 'Pin Up' - a classic rich red.

To put it blatantly, this stuff is awesome and certainly ticks a lot of boxes

• It is seriously highly pigmented
• You only need a tiny amount per application
• The staying power is outstanding
• Dries quickly
• Has a velvet/ matte finish
• You can mix it with other Pout Paints to create your own custom colours - a great touch :)

A tiny dot like this....



Produces this!

This product is really impressive and the fact that it's so highly pigmented means the colour stays true to what you see in the tube and won't transform on your lips.

Pout Paint is available in 11 shades (including blue!) and retails for £4.99. Here in the UK Sleek MakeUP is available at Superdrug.

I'm starting to think there's space in my purse for a Superdrug Beauty Card too...

Edit: 02.17 Pout Paint is now seemingly discontinued!