Did we take a shine to matte lip powder?

Clinique’s newest release promises vibrantv colour and a velvet finish — but does it deliver? By Katie Wright

our and femininity are the keystones to my brand identity.

“My designs are set to empower women, and I take pride in creating garments which allow each of my clients to feel truly special.

“High i mpact, high glamour, my brand identity is based around creating unique designs, which not only are flattering to the wearer, but through my use of hand-printed and custom-made prints are unlike anything currently being produced at the moment.

“I want my garments to be distinctive. If someone wears one I want people to realise it is by me.

“My designs consist of sweeping full-length gowns, distinctive custom-designed prints, laser cutting and designs which always stand out.

“My signature ‘Spitfire’ motif is what I am most widely associated with. It encapsulates the period of the ‘Pin Up’ girl, when women always strived to be glamorous.

“Whether it’s in a simple shift dress or a glamourous gown, my aim is to design pieces that will always create drama and make my clients feel special. Because of my illness I have had to be more selective in the commissions I take on, so most of my work now is by commission.”

As well as enjoying the design side of the fashion business, Lisa is also a regular on the catwalk and just this week modelled for a fashion hair photo shoot in Belfast.

She is proud of the fact that she is one of the few plus-size models making a living in the industry in Northern Ireland.

Struggling i n her midteens with anorexia is not somethingthing s he has s po-poken about be-efore. To enjoy a career as a parttime model with curves is something she says she hopes will setet an example to other youngg peo-people t hat youou don’ t have to be skinnykinny to be hap-happy and successful.

“When I was 15, I had anorexia but I kept it quiet and I dealt with it myself. It was probably bad for about two years and then I grew out of it,” she says.

“I think the older I got the more I realised that it isn’t about how skinny you are but how happy you are and I have always been happier curvy.

“It never fully leaves you. Even today I am conscious of what is in everything I eat — how many calories, how much sugar and fat — but I just have to put it to the back of my mind and focus on Challenging life: : Lisa McCabe modelling and far ar left. Right, at a Pretty ‘n’ Pink charity event and (below) the designer with fiance Stuart Hetherington what is healthy and as long as it is healthy that’s all that matters.

“I am tall at 5ft 9in and when I dropped to a size 10 when I was ill, I was very small for my height. If you’re curvy or a plus size, people think you eat lots of food, but it is about making sure itit is healthy anand good for me and eveverything in moderamoderation.”

LisLisa is lookinging fforward to her wedding in November ww hh i c h she saysays will be a ssmall affair witwith 50 of her closclosest friends and ffamily. WhenWhe it came to the all-all-important dressdress for her bbig day, beinging a designer certacertainly made choosing it a lot easier.

“I got engaged last November and the next day went online and ordered my dress,” she says. “I know what I like and what suits me and I ordered a plain dress and I have altered it myself, adding beads and sleeves and lace to make it my own.

“It is very exciting and also a very busy time as I am also doing all my flowers and table arrangements myself.

“We are going to New York for our honeymoon. I have never been to America before so I am very excited about that.”

Her fiance Stuart knows better than most what Lisa suffers with fibromyalgia. Helping others to understand is now something of a mission for her.

She says: “Finally getting diagnosed three months ago was such a relief because I can talk to others now who have it and also Google it and learn how to control it.

“I’ve found heat helps so I got a bath installed and I have a long, hot soak at night. I have also bought a heated blanket which I use in bed to try and relax my muscles and hopefully stop the pain.

“It’s completely unpredictable. Last weekend, I was so bad I couldn’t make a cup of tea for myself or cook for myself and needed help to get out of a seat.

“I’ve had the condition so long now, it is just part of my life and if I am in pain I try to get up a bit earlier to get myself going so that I can go to work.

“I do keep busy despite it and, as well as working full-time as manager of Sew it Seams, I go home to work on my fashion designs and my blog.

“I also enjoy charity work and I have raised a lot of money for Pretty ‘n’ Pink but now hope to do what I can to raise funds for mental health charities and to raise awareness.

“People don’ t understand mental health but it is a disease like any other which people have to live with even though it is often not obvious to others.”

She adds: “I don’t want to be miserable, so I put a smile on my face and get on with my day but that doesn’t mean I am not in pain.

“I just hope to do what I can to create a better understanding of fibromyalgia and to let people know that it is a very real and very serious condition.”

You can follow Lisa’s lifestyle blog at norlisafashion.blogspot.co.uk and catch her on Facebook — facebook.com/NorLisaFashion/ Twitter — twitter.com/norlisafashion and Instagram — instagram. com/norlisafashiondesigner

Are you a matte lip maven, ever on the hunt for a lipstick that delivers superb colour and erases every llast trace of shine from your ppout?

You are? Well, listen up, beccause Clinique Pop Lip Shadow CCushion Matte Lip Powder just might be your new holy grail make-up find.

Inspired by backstage makeup artists who press powder over lipstick to soak up any shine and give a truly matte finish, the new lippie is out on October 13, but we got our hands on four of the eight shades and decided to put them through their paces to help you decide whether you should give this cream-powder hybrid a go.

How does Clinique Lip Powder compare to matte liquid or bullet lipsticks? Here’s what our testers thought.

Crimson Pop

“I absolutely love this product. The worst thing about lipstick i s when it feels thick or gloopy (and your hair gets stuck in it). But with this, it feels like you have totally bare lips.

“Crimson Pop i s a beautiful, deep red, and because it’s a lip powder, it’s gorgeously matte. The only downside is it lasted for three hours at best, but I love it so much, I don’t care.”

Brown Sugar Pop

“This is a really interesting concept — a powder- cream l i pstick that feels like an eyeshadow, with a sponge applicat or which you dip into the cap to pick up the pigment.

“Initially it offers a light application of colour but you can quickly build up layers for more intensity. Although it has a matte finish, its creamy texture means your lips don’t end up feeling dried out.

“Staying power is average, though, so you will need to re-apply frequently. I love the rich deep pink hue of Brown Sugar Pop, ideal for daytime wear to emphasise your lips while still looking natural.”

Fun Pop

“Clinique’s new powder lipstick, Great colours : Clinique’s lip powder comes in eight shades

impressively, wit hst ood t he coffee test right after application.

“I t does r equire a slow build up of colour rather than one sweep across the lips (the pigment is in the cap so you twist it closed to load the sponge applicator up) but it did have a very matte finish. I didn’t like how dry it felt, however, so I’d probably stick to creamier lip products in the future.”

Blossom Pop

“Tr y i n g this weirdly reminded me of using felt-tip pens back at school. While I didn’ t need much of it for a stunning pop of colour, I had to really concentrate to apply it evenly and not spread it over the edge of my lips, because the applicator is quite squishy — I would recommend using a lip pencil first.

“Overall, my go-to remains a liquid lipstick — this came out more matte and felt quite drying. But the colour did last well through an evening of drinking cocktails (albeit with a straw).”

Clinique Pop Lip Shadow Cushion Matte Lip Powder, £16.50, House of Fraser, will be available from October 13