About: Skinetica promises to help quickly clear up acne-prone skin. Unlike many acne treatments, it does not contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or sulfur. I wouldn't call it a toner exactly, because it doesn't have the characteristic burn from a high alcohol content. I would call this more of a treatment, but in liquid form.

Ingredients: Ammonium Chloride compound combined with a Sylyl base, highly purified deionised water, fragrance and ethyl alcohol.

Texture/feel: Skinetica is a colorless liquid with a very slight clean/medicinal scent to it. 

Application: I applied this twice a day to clean skin, once in the morning, and once at night. I allowed it to air dry before applying other products. I tried two methods--using a cotton ball and also just pouring a little onto my hands and wiping it onto my face (I felt like it wasted less product?). It dried quickly and worked well under makeup, because there was no residue.

Efficacy: I was very surprised to find that this really worked! I felt like my skin began to clear up not long after using it. It was gentle on my skin, but it really helped with my breakouts. It didn't eliminate them, but it drastically reduced the amount and severity.

Packaging: Nothing fancy here, but it does the job and doesn't leak!

Value: Since this is coming from the UK, postage makes it a little expensive. However, this is a really unique product and it actually worked for me.

Love it or leave it? Love it. If you have moderate acne, Skinetica is worth a shot, especially if you have sensitive skin that doesn't tolerate traditional acne treatments well.


Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

I had a hankering for ice cream the other night. I'm somewhat lactose intolerant--I can have the real stuff, but it wreaks havoc on my tummy. I decided to peruse the frozen treats section to see if I could find any low/no-lactose goodies to satisfy me.

Click on any of the photos to jump over to my review on We Heart This!

Left to right: MAC eyeshadow in Daydreaming, MAC lipstick in Sounds Like Noise, MAC nail polish in Riot Girl, MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in Lightscapade [photo from We Heart This]

[photos from Marilyn @ Lipgloss+Spandex]

This spring, Hard Candy released 45 brand-spankin'-new shades of nail polish (see them all here). I was very excited to receive a PR sample of Pixie Pink, which is part of the "Candy Sprinkles" collection/formula.

$3.97 for 0.26 fl oz
Walmart and Walmart.com

About the product: Hard Candy is re-establishing their presence as a brand with a wide array of colors and formulas, as demonstrated by their spring 2013 collection, particularly polishes. And this pretty pastel polish is so on trend!

Product description (color/dupes): Pixie Pink is a pastel pink/lavender with pink, silver and teal hex glitter. Pixie Pink and the other Candy Sprinkles polishes from Hard Candy seem to be inspired by the Illamasqua Imperfection/Speckled collection and the Deborah Lippmann Staccato collection. 

Pigmentation/Application: One coat will give you a decent amount of glitter, but a very sheer milky wash of color that's a little streaky. It took about three coats to get it opaque/less streaky.

Texture: It has a slightly gritty feel to it, due to the glitter. A little bit of Gelous and Seche Vite helps to smooth it out.

Length of Wear: Unfortunately, this only lasted one day (less than 24 hours) before it started chipping like crazy.

Packaging: The packaging is pretty basic. Taller than your average polish, but a smaller base.

Value: Four bucks is okay for a smaller than average bottle.

Love it or leave it? The fact that it chips in less than 24 hours makes this polish a real bummer. I tried different base coats and top coats and just didn't have any luck. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it looks, but I'm going to have to say leave it.

Lipgloss+Spandex Rating:

$5.00 for approximately 1.2 g (sifter jars are filled by volume, not weight)

• Poison Berry: shimmery royal navy blue with *lots* of aqua sparkle. 
  A little underwhelming when used dry, but intense and gorgeous when used wet.
• Golightly: pale baby blue tone with color-shifting rainbow shimmer.
  Subtle, a nice highlight or sheer lid color
• Vortex: navy blue with a green iridescence and pink glitz.
  I felt that this was more of a darkened teal than navy color. Really pretty.
• Andraste's Grace: beautiful sky blue with a snowy shimmer.
  A pretty, bright color when used dry or wet.

As with all of Madd Style Cosmetics' loose eyeshadows, the textures of these are smooth and the length of wear is good. The packaging is a small cute sifter jar.

I LOVE these gorgeous blues. Poison Berry and Vortex really showcase how pretty indie loose shadows can be! 



Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

$5.00 for approximately 1.2 g (sifter jars are filled by volume, not weight)

• Desert Punk: a shimmery silver-brown that seems to change its color in the sun.
  A good basic neutral shimmery/frosty shade. Good when you just want to sweep a single shade over your eyes to look more awake!
• Mystery Meat: a shimmery brown with a blue duo-chrome. Is it brown? Is it blue? Is it purple? Yes.
  The duo-chrome makes this a really hard to describe color! It's so pretty/weird!
• Birf'day Suit: a light toned matte nude.
  A great basic matte for lids or browbone, depending on your skintone. Very subtle.

As with all of Madd Style Cosmetics' loose eyeshadows, the textures of these are smooth and the length of wear is good. The packaging is a small cute sifter jar.

Desert Punk and Birf-day Suit are pretty basic shades (they might bore true indie makeup lovers), but they're done well. Mystery Meat is a really fun color to add a little bit of interest to your eye makeup look. It's versatile--you could probably downplay it for work, or go wild for a night out. These Madd Style Cosmetics browns are good stuff.

Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

$5.00 for approximately 1.2 g (sifter jars are filled by volume, not weight)

• Psychobilly Freakout: eye-catching green filled with aqua sparkle.
  Bright with sparkle when used wet, and even better when used wet!
• Misfits & Moonbeams: black base with green and blue overlaying hues & TONS of green glitz.
  Subtle when used dry, but gorgeous metallic darkened teal when used wet.
• Pisces: light aquamarine with a warm gold duo chrome
  It looks seafoam green in the pot, but is a silvery blue with gold shift. Gorgeous.
• Final Fantasy: soft grey with a heavy gold duo chrome that changes from grey to gold to green depending on the light
  A great neutral but better shade.

As with all of Madd Style Cosmetics' loose eyeshadows, the textures of these are smooth and the length of wear is good. The packaging is a small cute sifter jar.

I LOVE Madd Style Cosmetics--they really do indie loose shadows to the MAX. The greenish shades are especially lovely. All of four of these were quite pigmented even when used dry.


Lipgloss+Spandex rating:

Like Situation #1 with the guy at the gym, the Bare Minerals' ad campaign suggests that it is necessary or desirable for women to have male approval regarding their workout and their workout clothes. That's a little degrading, isn't it?




Advertisement #2
One of four print ads from Nike's 2011 campaign. 

These Nike ads celebrate women who are healthy and fit, and tell all of the haters that they can shove it--these strong badass ladies don't need your approval. Like Situation #2, you're being encouraged for your effort, for what you can DO, for going out there and kicking ass (no matter what place you're finishing).




I know that ads are meant to sell product, but that profit shouldn't come at the price of someone's self-esteem. I think it's important to tell companies when they're being out of line, and I feel that Bare Minerals needs to go back to it's core principles.

Readers--what do you think? Was the Bare Minerals campaign cute, or disrespectful?

These days, many people rely on plastic surgery to improve their looks, but it’s amazing what a touch of makeup can do! If lead a busy lifestyle, you might not have hours to spend in front of the mirror, so how can you perfect your appearance in a flash this season? 

Use a tinted moisturizer
With so much to do on a daily basis, it can be easy to slap on a bit of concealer and run out the door. This could leave you with ugly brown streaks and clumpy patches if you’re not careful, so why not invest in some tinted moisturizer instead? There are a variety of products available on the market these days, but the right cream will even out your skin tone and disguise your flaws! It’s quick and easy to apply and can be mixed with your original foundation for a more natural effect.

Make the most of mascara
If you have little ones to wash, feed and dress before leaving the house, you might not have time for a full makeover. Every minute counts in the mornings, so reduce your stress levels by brushing some neutral eye shadow over your lids (lighter colours require slightly less accuracy) and finish with some extra volume mascara (Lipgloss+Spandex loves Urban Decay Naked palettes 1 & 2, and the Naked Basics palette; Essence get BIG! lashes mascara). This will help you look more awake in seconds and ensure your lashes look as good as they can for that business meeting or working lunch. 

Sharpen that eyeliner
A blunt eyeliner pencil is both scratchy and time consuming to apply. The product won’t glide on accurately and you could end up with blotchy, irritated eyes for no reason. To avoid this, make sure the pencil is nice and sharp before gently moving it underneath your waterline (Lipgloss+Spandex loves Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencils). If you prefer liquid liner, dab the applicator onto a bit of tissue to remove excess product and rest your elbow on a table to steady your hand. Keep wet wipes nearby in case you make a mistake and you should be good to go in no time!

Bring your cheeks to life
If you’ve been feeling a little run down over the winter months, a bit of blusher will help bring your face to life. While many makeup artists use two different shades to help slim down the face, a single colour can be just effective if used properly. Always find a product to complement your skin tone and apply in natural light to avoid a makeup faux pas. Suck in your lips to highlight your cheekbones and use a high quality blusher brush for a smooth application (Lipgloss+Spandex recommends It Cosmetics Matte Sweet Apple blush and french boutique blush brush).

Brighten up your lips
If you don’t get round to applying eye shadow or concealer – fear not! It’s amazing what a bit of lipstick can do, so keep your favourite shade nearby and use it to brighten up your lips. Bright reds are ideal for spring 2013, but if you don’t feel comfortable wearing them, stick to more subtle shades. Alternatively, apply a little lip gloss in the mornings to perfect your pout and keep it in your bag to use throughout the day (Lipgloss+Spandex loves MAC Lipglass).

$5.00 for approximately 1.2 g (sifter jars are filled by volume, not weight)

• Pixie: shimmery lilac with sparkles.
  Pretty, but a common color other than the glitter.
• Kitty Wumpous: black with jewel-toned purple and royal blue glitz.
  A little sheer when used dry, but packed with sparkle and pigment when used wet!
• Phantasm: purple with a pink iridescence filled with lots of rainbow glitz and silver holographic glitter.
  This is a really fun shade of purple! It has a nice complexity to it.
• Grape Fizz: dark grape purple with multicolored shimmer.
  A basic shade of purple other than the glitter.

As with all of Madd Style Cosmetics' loose eyeshadows, the textures of these are smooth and the length of wear is good. The packaging is a small cute sifter jar.

These are pretty shades, but compared to the complexity and depth found in their green shadows, the purples are a little underwhelming. They're still great shadows, they're just not MSC's strongest offering.


Lipgloss+Spandex rating: