The Beauty Guide

Ardell Wispies | eBay Cheap False Eyelashes | Dramatic, Comfortable, Easy To Apply False Lashes

2013-05-22T13:08:00.001-07:00

As you can see me and the brightness settings on my DSLR don't really get on very well. I tried to take a decent photo in various lights using various settings (and apparently various try-hard poses) before my anniversary dinner at Duck And Waffle last Friday night but none really came out true-to-life (I don't glow like that photo on the left -sadly - and I really, really, really hope I wasn't as orange as I look in the ones on the right...) BUT what you can clearly see is the absolutely fabulous false lashes (and my brilliant bespoke 3D brows Tracie Giles). I picked these bad boys up in a massive eBay haul for only £3.69 and absolutely adore them. They are SO easy to apply as the band is invisible, bendy and light making it super easy to work with and once on they feel completely weightless. I think they look striking and dramatic without being completely over the top....

The eBay seller claims they are genuine Ardell lashes but I am not 100% convinced but I don't really mind because they're great quality, look fantastic and are so cheap! I picked up 9 pairs of lashes in different styles from the seller and the ones pictured above are the 'Wispies'. Apologies again for the lack of decent photos, I took about 400 pretty terrible 'selfies' before giving up and admitting defeat but I do think you can see how beaut the lashes are.

Fave false lashes please everyone - I am OBSESSED WITH FALSIES! Seriously.

STRIP Wax Bar and Boutique | The Ultimate Bikini Wax

2013-05-21T12:06:00.001-07:00

Last Friday I scooted over to the Strip Wax Bar & Boutique and had THE most amazing Brazilian wax in their signature, infamous - and bloody amazing - chocolate room, complete with the Sex And The City film playing in the background (specifically the bit where Miranda and Steve meet on the bridge GAAAAHHHHHHH so emosh!!). 'Is it real chocolate' I asked eagerly, and now I realise, stupidly. No, is the answer, no, they do not actually wax you with melted chocolate (forgive me, it had been a long week...). It is actually chocolate-hazelnut scented essential oil infused, skin hydrating hot wax and it is this combined with the Strip Wax Bar blend of essential oils used pre and post wax and the skill of the Strip therapists which result in a pain-free, fuzz-free, seriously smooth bikini wax. No pain, bumps, redness, soreness or 'plucked chicken' effect (ewww I know - I'm sorry for the mental image - but it really does sum up the aftermath of some bikini waxes!) here. There's no fannying around (get it? get it?) with paper pants here ladies, this is a knickers-off-knees-to-chest-affair so brace yourself for the awkwardness of discussing London housing prices with your lady bits on full display - but oh, it's so worth it...

You can see why I thought it was actually melted chocolate...

As mentioned above this is a knickers off bikini wax. To be honest, if you're opting for a Brazilian/Hollywood style wax where you want as much removed as possible, arsing around with the paper thong really is redundant, it gets in the way and seeing as you have to keep moving it to the side anyway it really doesn't preserve any of your dignity. I will admit that even though I have had the full-frontal-wax on quite a few occasions now, it is awkward. I feel awkward. I don't think this is really surprising but the horrific awkwardness, for me, only lasts for the first few minutes because, as strange as you feel clambering up onto the table fully dressed on your top half but totally, completely naked on the bottom half, legs akimbo, with a woman stood next to you about to slather you in hot wax, the great thing is that the therapists just do not care. They literally do not bat an eyelid - it's their job! - and Jade at Strip was no exception. With the Sex and the City movie on in the background, Jade chatting away and covering me with a towel whenever possible making me feel completely relaxed, that inner dialogue of 'OH MY GOD MY VAGINA IS LITERALLY OUT RIGHT NOW, LIKE LITERALLY IT'S JUST OUT' feeling eventually eased from a constant deafening roar to the occasional whisper.

Ever since I visited my good friend Laura at her home in Cheltenham as baby Exeter Uni Freshers and discovered the revolution that is hot waxing I have never looked back! Once you've tried it you'll never be satisfied with anything else, goodbye strip waxing, veet and god forbid someone suggests shaving (ick-how do people do it!). Hot wax is, well it's pretty hot (thanks Sherlock) and it's spread thickly onto the skin and then allowed to cool and dry slightly before it is gently peeled away. Hot waxing is SO much less painful and the benefits include fewer in-grown hairs, less breakage and therefore longer re-growth periods.

STRIP is unique in that before they begin the waxing they use an essential oil all over the skin which acts as a barrier between the wax and the skin. Therefore, the wax is able to shrink wrap around the hair and will not stick to the skin. Less tugging = less pain! The therapists are also trained in Strip's highly skilled technique to minimise discomfort and I found the Strip hot wax to be much less 'OUCH'-worthy bordering-on-boiling hot than any other place I have been and was genuinely much, much less painful than other places.

The Strip Wax Bar & Boutiques offer different themed rooms and, as you can clearly see, my room was the Chocolate room! Other opulently decorated and themed rooms include The Berry Room, The Olive Room and The MANifico room (for the boys). The purple wax pictured is the Lavender hot wax, great for the really sensitive areas during a Brazilian wax (or on places such as the eyebrows) as it removes short or stubborn hairs as short as 1mm and contains lavender and chamomile essential oils making it ideal for sensitive skin.

You start the waxing by lying on your back, heels towards your bum with your knees out to the side and then for the second part you raise your legs into the air, hugging your knees to your chest (that's when the inner dialogue gave me the second verse of the 'YOUR VAGINA IS LITERALLY IN HER FACE' song) and then the tweezing starts. GAHH. That's probably the most painful part as it definitely makes me wince, but it's to remove the teeniest of hairs that are too short even for the lavender wax ensuring a totally hair-free, smooth finish. The wax was finished with a soothing, hydrating and comforting chocolate-scented oil and a spritz of anti ingrown hair spray.

On their website Strip explain:

'Our wax also eliminates the “freshly plucked chicken” effect that many other waxes cause. Therefore, having to do a brazilian a good 24 hours before the hot date is now a thing of the past! '

If you've ever had a bikini wax of any kind in the past you'll know exactly what the plucked chicken effect is! Pink and bumpy skin usually remains for about a day or two after and I've found areas that have been waxed often feels hot and sore (if you haven't ever had a bikni wax think about how red and angry it looks all around the eyebrow area immediately after waxing..!) and that's really not the look anyone is ever going for down there.

I have to say this was the best Brazilian wax I have ever had as it was pain free and completely non-irritating (I want to add 'and it looked good' but I feel like that's a really, really strange thing to say...but you know what I mean!) so I'd be more than happy in the future to have this done literally moments before stepping onto the beach in a bikini - or the same evening as an important date!

I went to the STRIP Wax Bar & Boutique in the City Of London location but you can also visit branches in Soho, Notting Hill and Essex and concessions in Topshop Oxford Circus and Harvey Nichols Bristol and Liverpool. A Brazilian wax costs £49 (I had 20% off so it cost me £38) and they offer courses on waxing and also many other treatments such as HD Brows, Tanning and of course you can purchase some beautiful lingerie and a wide range of fantastic skincare products in the Boutiques.

Overall a fabulous experience and I am definitely a STRIP convert now! Please let me know your good and bad waxing stories, if you have an awkward inner monologue with yourself whilst your getting waxed, if and why you've never tried a bikini wax and if you've shunned waxing in favour of SHAVING- the horror the horror!

I think it's something that probably doesn't get chatted about on Blogs much but it's a seriously important part of a girls routine and I think it's great to know where is good to go and also what to expect as it can be a bit scary first time!

Contour and Highlight with Kett FIXX Cream Makeup | Recommended by GossMakeupArtist

2013-05-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

Following on from my Date Night Makeup post I thought I'd so a super quick post to show you two fabulous products for contouring and highlighting. After watching Gossmakeupartist's Video 'How to Highlight and Contour your face' and seeing him rave about Kett cream foundations, I immediately logged on to PAM Cosmetics and picked up the exact shades he used in the video (sheep!)...

I picked up the Kett Cream foundation in O1 to highlight and O11 to contour with. These are actually meant as refills for a palette but I've found that as long as I keep them in the plastic packaging they haven't got too damaged (-although as you can see from the photos it's quite easy to accidently dig a nail in!). Wayne (gossmakeupartist) mentions in the video that he often uses the Kett cream foundations on Brides as it blends so well, photographs beautifully and lasts all day.

It's a waterproof foundation that goes on sheer and can be easily built up to a full coverage. One negative is that I have found them slightly drying and they can cause microexfoliation (when the foundation shows up any dry skin and goes a bit flaky) so use a good exfoliator & moisturiser! I apply the highlighter in a triangle/'V' shape underneath my eyes, right into the inner corners and the contour onto my temples and my cheekbones. This is bog-standard-basic contouring and of course you can experiment and highlight and contour different areas of your face like the nose etc - watch Wayne's Video for professional tips on using the Kett cream foundations for some SERIOUS highlighting and contouring!

The absolute key to wearing these is BLEND BLEND BLEND with a good brush - buff it in until your arm hurts and then a little bit more - I use the MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush. I know the contour colour looks shockingly dark on application but when blended properly it gives the most gorgeous, defined cheekbones in a cool, natural brown shade with no hint of orange and the highlight blends to a natural finish with no awful 'panda eyes' flash back.

The Kett Cream foundation refills cost £11.50 each and come in numerous shades.

Let me know your favourite highlight and contouring products!

Date Night Makeup

2013-05-15T11:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was mine and the boy's two year anniversary (yay!) and he surprised me with tickets to see the absolutely hilarious and wonderfully acted 'The 39 Steps' at the magnificent Victorian style Criterion Theatre in Picadilly Circus (highly recommend by the way) and this is the makeup I used to create a fresh, radiant evening look...

Skin:

Dr Lewinn's Skin Perfect Anti-Aging Primer

Chanel Perfection Lumiere (42 Beige Rose)

MAC Studio Fix Fluid (NC 25 - dotted on nose and chin for more coverage)

FIXX Creme Makeup refill (shades 01 highlight)

FIXX Creme Makeup refill (shade 011 contour)

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

MAC Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

Cheeks:

Nars Bronzing Powder (Laguna)

MAC Dame Edna Highlight Powder (Spectacle!)

MUA Shimmer Kisses Bronzer (*)(Bronze)

Eyes:

MAC eye shadow (Shroom)

MUA Shimmer Kisses Bronzer (*) (Bronze)

Lord & Berry Mascara (*)

Ardell Lashes (122)

Lips:

MAC Tinted Lip Glass (Saint Germain)

Want to be on TV? | Have you had a permanent beauty treatment that you are seriously considering getting removed? Channel 4 needs YOU for a new series called 'Beauty Regrets'

2013-05-15T02:27:00.001-07:00

Have you made beauty decisions you now regret? A good friend of mine works in the world of TV and has informed me that Channel 4 is looking for women and men who want to reverse beauty treatments they wish they'd never had to take part in an exciting new series called 'Beauty Regrets' that explores the reasons and motivations behind doing, and undoing, beauty decisions...

Are you considering getting rid of tattoos, having piercings taken out, erasing permanent make up, having breast implants removed or made smaller? Do you worry you’ve seriously damaged your hair after having extensions? Perhaps bad bonds and glue have left you with bald patches?

If you've had a permanent treatment and are seriously considering getting the work undone, we are interested in speaking to you.

I thought this may very well appeal/apply to some of my readers or their friends and family, so if you would like more information please email for an application form at beautyregrets@endemoluk.com or call on 0333 577 7741*. Visit the Channel 4 Website for more details.

Dr Lewinn's Line Smoothing Complex High Potency Treatment Mask 6 Disposable Hydrogel Masks | Review

2013-05-13T12:22:00.001-07:00

Terrifying, non? Sheet face masks may not be the prettiest - but they're effective. With so much buzz surrounding them I decided to take the plunge and took advantage of a recent online sale at Dr Lewinns and picked up the High Potency Hydrogel Treatment Mask, to see for myself if these sheet masks really are all they're cracked up to be...

The sheet mask actually comes in two separate pieces, so you remove the backing layer and apply the sheet mask in two parts, the forehead part and then rest of the face part, smoothing out any creases as you go , ensuring as much of the mask as possible is in contact with your skin. The feel of the mask reminded me of those Kool 'n' Soothe Kids Strips (from the 'I'll Survive' advert!) as it's actually a hydrogel formula (enabling better absorption of active ingredients deep into the skin for more effective results, apparently) so is incredibly cooling to the touch but not wet or slimy. The only other sheet masks I have used previously were the Olay Total Effects Cloth Masks which were good, but were so heavily saturated they dripped everywhere the entire time. I much preferred this as my skin felt cooled, soothed, nourished and hydrated but there was no mess or fuss when it came to application, wearing or removal.

The mask looked really strange - as you can see! I had family genuinely double taking as they caught glimpse of me (it elicited an 'AH JAYZUS from the Irish grandparents!) so obviously be prepared for that and the fact you can't really talk/eat/do much whilst wearing it as facial movement is pretty limited, it's definitely a lie-down-and-chillax type face mask. It says to wear for 15-20 minutes but I didn't want to take it off! It honestly just felt so delightful I think I wore it for about 30 minutes before I finally caved and peeled it off.

After removing you don't need to wash your face as there is no residue left and my skin looked fresh and glowing and felt so smooth to the touch with zero redness which was a happy surprise as my skin is very sensitive to face masks and I often go a lovely shade of pink immediately after, so I would definitely give this two thumbs up for us sensitive/red-skinned gals as the green tea leaf extract definitely calms and soothes the skin.

One downside I did find was that it was nigh on impossible to get the mask to stick properly around the nose area - it's pretty clear in the photos it's peeling away at the sides of my nose - which was an annoyance as it a) felt strange and b) I suffer from dryness/dullness around that area. Also - what's with the little triangular holes in the cheek area? Seriously? Anyone care to venture a guess?! Odd.

Overall I am really impressed by these masks and will be using them as a Sunday pamper skin booster treat, or before a big event and I will definitely be bringing one or two along on my holiday at the end of the month to soothe my sore, sun drenched skin and might even try and get the boy in one too!

Dr Lewinn's Line Smoothing Complex High Potency Treatment Mask 6 Disposable Hydrogel Masks cost £46 for 6 masks but I picked them up in the 40% off sale last month for £27.60 - so do keep your eye on the Dr Lewinn's site for future sales and offers.

Ingredients:

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (Argireline ®) reduces the appearance of expression lines.

Green Tea Leaf Extract calms and soothes with Anti-oxidant protection.

Sodium Hyaluronate intensely hydrates the skin.

Panax Ginseng Root Extract Revitalises, tones and tightens the skin.

The Cream Dream Team | My Favourite Cream Blushers

2013-05-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

After ditching the heavy duty foundations in favour of sheer tints and creams I decided my updated my blush routine needed a good old mix-up and update too. Lately I've been swapping powders for creams and adoring the resulting lit from within glow they give. I just love the natural, illuminating effect cream blushers provide - plus the buildable coverage and fool-proof application. These are the beauties I have been reaching for the most: The Cream Dream Team...

Urban Decay Cream Highlight in Moonshine, Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Sob, Topshop Blush in Flush,

MAC's cremeblend blush in So Sweet So Easy, Borjouis Cream Blush in Nude Velvet (*),

& Bourjois Cream Blush in Rose Tender(*).

To dot on cheekbones as a delectable highlighter adding luminescence plus a hint of pink shimmer I opt for the Urban Decay Cream Highlight in Moonshine. For true baby-doll-proper-baby-pink cheeks I'll either whip out the Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Sob - (a staple blusher for me for over a year now which has oh so sadly been discontinued - WHY Illamasqua WHY!?) or the similarly cool-toned, candy pink MAC's Cremeblend blush in So Sweet So Easy. Topshop Blush in Flush and Bourjois Cream Blush in Rose Tender (see full review here) are slightly darker, bolder pink shades which both boast a cream-powder formulation and provide a gorgeous dewy, radiant finish and finally, the odd-one-out of the bunch but a definite favourite nonetheless, is the gorgeous matte peach Borjouis Cream Blush in Nude Velvet.

So there you have it, The Cream Dream Team - my current cream blush arsenal. Let me know your cream blusher recommendations.

Pro Volume Extension Professional Hair Extensions by Louise Bailey at FOUR London | Before and After Photos and Review

2013-05-09T12:32:00.002-07:00

I've been debating hair extensions for months now, but after dabbling with them about five years ago (with disastrous results) and dreading ending up with wig-like-locks, I've been biding my time, waiting, researching, hoping to find the best of the best. My quest for the best ultimately led me to London's hair extension guru Louise Bailey and her brand Extension Professional. In awe of the before and after photos and the rave reviews I set my heart upon seeing Louise and yesterday I excitedly made my way to FOUR London in the heart of Mayfair for a set of Pro Volume Extension Professional hair extensions and, as you can see, the results are phenomenal. Louise really understood my desire for natural, healthy expensive-looking hair as it's the exact 'look' she specialises in ('Sloaney' not 'TOWIE' style!) and she is the genius behind Caroline Flack's (who I actually ended up sat next to at the Salon as Louise put the finishing touches on her new extensions before starting mine!) Ellie Goulding's and Yasmin Le Bon's hair. The pro volume extensions are so subtle and expertly applied it's achieved a breath-taking (I was literally open-mouthed when we first put together and looked at the before/after photos) yet totally undetectable, flawless transformation. I cannot stop staring at my hair, it looks like I've had a million dollar celebrity red carpet blow dry and I'm officially in love....

I had two rows of extensions, about 50 individual bonds, for thickness and volume. Application took about two hours from start to finish (this includes a hair wash, application, blow dry, having the extensions cut and blended into your natural hair and then styled!) and was completely painless. I spent the time just chatting all things beauty, blogging and hair with Louise who is so friendly and down-to-earth so the time flew by. We both agreed that the celebrity-style of all-one-length, stringy, arse length extensions looks cheap, tacky and quite frankly just plain bad. Extensions shouldn't look like extensions and that is the aim for Louise with all of her clients - you would never guess they had hair extensions and that is the whole ethos of Louise and Extension Professional. Louise is an absolute perfectionist and the amount of time, effort and energy (and skill and talent) put into achieving the best possible results for me (and all her clients) was so refreshing and it's obvious she loves what she does. Louise painstakingly trimmed and checked every single section of my hair once the extensions were applied, to ensure a completely flawless result that both she and I were happy with and it definitely paid off (just look at my face in the after pictures - look at that GRIN - I was a very happy bunny!).

The Extension Professional system uses Ultra Sonic technology. The pincer (the device used to apply each bond) is cool to the touch and uses only just enough heat to activate the keratin, so there's none of that horrendous smoking, burning smell you get with older, outdated systems and unlike other systems which actually mix the bond into the hair (eep!), the extension professional keratin bonds only sticks to itself, the pincer allows the keratin to be manipulated around the hair, forming the unique Extension Professional sleeve for the natural hair to fit meaning no damage to the natural hair. Louise pointed out that she has an incredibly loyal client base (the sign of a good extensionist is when the clients keep coming back) and the only time she loses a client is when their natural hair has become so healthy that they no longer need hair extensions! The hair used for the extensions is Indian temple hair and is unbelievably soft and tangle free and the bonds are completely undetectable in my hair (my mum spent a good ten minutes last night examining my hair from every angle imaginable and just repeating 'You'd just never know...... you'd never, ever know! You really cannot tell! They look amazing - you would just never, ever know!).

Extension Professional Volume Pro Extensions start from £550 (*) and for length can vary in price (around £800-£1000) and last between ten and twelve weeks..For more information check out Extensional Professional online or call FOUR London on 0207 279 9600 to arrange a consultation with Louise and a quote.

Louise bailey is definitey London's hair extension guru and Extension Professional is now offering accredited hair extensions training courses. Louise is incredibly protective of her brand and wants to maintain and continue the first rate reputation so she ensures that only professional hair dressers can train on her intensive course and only the very best will pass it - so you know that anyone offering Extension Professional extensions really knows what they are doing and are guaranteed amazing hair.

I LOVE THEM!

My little black (pink) book |

2013-05-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

My personal recommendations for all your beauty needs. Where to go, who to see and what to get - welcome to my little black (pink) book....

Hair

Extensions - FOUR London (Louise Bailey)

Colour, Cut, Blowdry - Lisa Shepherd London (Jason Cocking)

Colour - Smiths Salon Soho (Gemma)

Colour, Blowdry - Headmasters Mayfair Salon

Cut - Toni & Guy Leatherhead (Jenny)

Colour - The Academy Cobham - (Katka)

Beauty

Facial (Hydrafacial) - Jill Zander Esher (Tara)

Facial (Venus Freeze) - Neville Hair & Beauty Belgravia (Clare-Marie)

Facial (Triple Oxygen) & Spa Treatments - Bliss Spa London

Facial (Omniluxe, Peels) - CourtHouse Clinics

Facial (dermaroller) - Skin Health Spa Marylebone (Tatiana)

Cosmetic Enhancements

Veneers - Harley Street Smile Clinic (Dr Maurice Johannes)

Botox - Harley Street Skin Clinic (Dr Tee, Dr Khan)

Bespoke Semi Permenant Makeup- Tracie Giles

Breast Augmentation - Alex Karidis

Bank Holiday Weekend Adventures | Things to do in Surrey

2013-05-07T11:02:00.001-07:00

Drinks at The Prince Of Wales, Relaxing at Riverside, Head To Toe in Topshop (Dress and Jacket) & Roland Mourett Sunglasses, Mint Choc Chip at Nonsuch Mansion and Sunny Sunday walks through Nonsuch Park

The boy and I took full advantage of the glorious Bank Holiday Weekend, beetling around with the windows down as we decided to sample a variety of the delights that Surrey in the Sunshine has to offer. First on our agenda was a sleepy Sunday spent idly wandering up and down the riverbanks of Kingston whilst demolishing out 99 Flake Ice Creams topped off by my very first -and certainly not my last - visit to Byron Burger (I opted for the Byron Burger and it was ah-may-zing, the boy had a skinny Roquefort and had the sense to chose the home made skin-on chips which were infinitely more delicious than mine so naturally I ended up eating half of his!).

Monday's festivities started with a stroll through the beautiful Nonsuch Park in search of home made mint chocolate chip ice cream....

(One of everything, please.)

We successfully located the mint chocolate chip ice cream...

...and enjoyed the frozen treat as we meandered our way through the park, with the occasional halt from me as I spied countless cute puppies and proceeded to coo and cuddle them...

...We smiled at heartwarming sight of elderly couples (who were seemingly oblivious to the blazing sunshine...) holding hands and strolling along

The next stop was the beautiful Riverside bar & brasserie near Hampton Court Palace (breathtaking views, excellent drinks menu but not the best food menu)...

...Hungry tummies meant we soon skidaddled and made our way over to The Prince Of Wales Pub where copious plates of thick-cut chips, BBQ Burgers, Prosecco and Bulmers (for the non-drivers!) were ordered and devoured...

'Anyone up for Couples Crazy Golf?' A resounding 'yes!' meant we hopped back into our cars and scooted along the A3 to the 'Jurasic Encounter Adventure Golf Course' where 18 holes of highly, highly competitive mini golf was played (feet were stamped and clubs were thrown)....

...and numerous impressions of dinosaurs were made

...The boys were oh-so-pleased with themselves after a successful game (side note - how much hair gel do we reckon they're wearing between them?)

...& the non-adventurous highlight of my weekend had to be when I saw the boy had made us a cosy little den, complete with floor-bed, a roaring fire, two glasses of wine and a DVD (Bridesmaids - I laughed a lot, he laughed approximately twice then fell asleep.)

What did you get up to this Bank Holiday? Are there any other places in Surrey or London that I simply MUST visit!? Let me know!

Wam Bam Show and Supper Club at Café de Paris | Hen Party

2013-05-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Earlier this Month I had the absolute honour of attending one of my best friends (and my very first ever!) Hen Do's at the oh-so-decadent Café de Paris, where we enjoyed the 'Wam Bam' show and Supper Club - a divine three course champagne meal accompanied by the the most fabulous, over the top, decadent and exciting Burlesque Show I've ever seen - and I've been to The Moulin Rouge! Once the delicious food and god-knows-how-much Champagne and wine had been polished off, the supper tables were whisked away, revealing a dance floor for us to dance the night away on (oh and we did, we really, really did- and then I went to McDonalds and had twenty chicken nuggets, chips and a cheeseburger - keeping it classy as always). I would highly, highly recommend Wam Bam for a Hen Do or Birthday as it's completely unique and a great evening of entertainment. I opted for my new favourite party dress, the TFNC Fit & Flare Plunge V Neck Dress (£40 - yes you can wear a bra underneath - the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless £26 is your friend) MAC 36 Lashes (£10 night-time only lashes ladies-they are HUGE) and Lord&Berry Jumbo lipstick pencil in Mandarin (£8* such a vibrant, long-lasting, creamy lip colour - I need one in every shade!).

Nails - Rococo 'Sandrine' (*) (as mentioned in my April Favourites) and bronzed-ness due to a mixture of Lauren's Way Dancing Glow & Xen Tan Moroccan Tan on my body and Model Co Tan In A Can on my face (as mentioned in my March Favourites), Lush Hair Extensions and I used a variety of face masks the night before as mentioned in my 'Preparing For A Big Event - The Night Before' post.

Oo I say.

Yes, that is me up on the stage - is anyone surprised? I'm not exactly the shy and retiring type. Wallflower, I.am.not.

Cheers to The Maid Of Honour Georgina for organising the most fantastic night, to all the other Bridesmaids and gorgeous girls who came to celebrate Ally's special night and most of all cheers to one of my closest friends in the whole entire world, I couldn't possibly be happier for the of you so here's to you, Ally (and to Ryan, another of my closest friends in the world) and to the wedding of the year!

(P.S We're all doing our own makeup on the big day in June so please, please, please leave your top Bridal and Bridesmaid wedding makeup tips in the comments!)

Hair Haul | Dry, Damaged, Over-processed Hair - Project Healthy Hair

2013-05-02T12:17:00.003-07:00

My poor tresses are crying out for some TLC so recently I've found myself perusing the hair-care section and finding myself drawn towards anything promising to help me with Project Healthy Hair. Here are a few of the products I've picked up to aid me in my quest...

The Redken All Sofy Heavy Cream (£16.60) is a repurchase, I love this for both a quick-fix and as an overnight intensive treatment as it immediately leaves the hair feeling super soft and looking sleek and shiny but also contains avocado oil, amino acids and proteins. The Redken All Soft Argan Oil (£20.80) is a new purchase as I'm a little bit (slash totally and utterly) obsessed with hair oils as you can use them as a pre-shampoo treatment, pre-blow-dry shield, post-blow dry smoother and softener and as an intensive overnight treatment (other faves include Clynol Glow Precious Oil and Kérastase Elixir Ultime - as mentioned in my March Favourites) and this one caught my eye as it contains omega-6 enriched Argan oil plus keratin. The Redken Extreme CAT Protein Treatment (£13.48) has been a staple of mine for about five years and I actually reviewed it way back in 2009 and it's basically a saviour for repairing over-processed hair - it wont leave it feeling silky and smooth, in fact you need to follow this with a heavy duty moisturing treatment and don't even attempt to comb your hair while this stuff is working it's magic, but it really gets to the heart of actually repairing the damaged hair. The Redken Time Reset Corrective Defense (£14.20) is another new purchase and I'm intending to use this each time I wash my hair as it promises to 'revitalise hair providing internal support with intra-cylane; replenish moisture, softness and shine with camellia oil; protect with anti-oxidant green tea; repair the surface of the cuticle with peptides and ceramide and prevent further damage with anti-ageing UV filters.'. The Philip Kinsgely Elastxicer Extreme (£44.30) is a repurchase and is just an absolute godsend, it's aimed at 'very dry, porous and thirsty hair' which sums mine up perfectly! The advice I got back in the summer of 2010 from the Philip Kingsley PR's was to use it before each shampoo (you wet your hair before shampooing and apply to mid-lengths and ends, whack on the included shower cap and leave for 20-60 minutes, rinse thoroughly et voila) until the condition improves so this is what I plan on doing. Finally two bits from Moroccan oil, both repurchases, the Original Morrocan Oil Treatment (£12.85) which I used a few years ago -didn't fall in love with but really want to - mainly due to to the fact that it's constantly recommended to me and everyone raves about how its 'transformed' their hair (so transform mine please!) and the Morrocan Oil Restorative Hair Mask (£30.45) which is an extremely thick, balm-like mask (you need to scoop out a bit and warm betwen your palms before applying) which is just great for both repairing and moisturising the hair and I always use overnight as an intensive treatment (be sure to rinse thoroughly or it can leave hair a bit greasy).

After I apply any hair mask (except the Redken Extreme CAT Protein one) I'll use a hairdryer on a medium heat setting and gently blowdry my hair whilst combing the product through, then wrap my hair up into my Soap & Glory Turban then gently heat the turban itself as well with the hairdryer - take serious note of the *GENTLY* as I did end up with a scorch mark and alarming burning smell when I attempted this on full-heat - and leave for at least an hour. I try as often as possible to leave masks on overnight to get the best results.

Please, please pleaaasseee let me know your favourite hair masks and treatments!

April Favourites

2013-05-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

Doesn't it feel like 2013 is just flying by?! I honestly can't quite believe we're now into May and hurtling full force towards the Summer. April saw a plethora of products grace my dressing table but these select few are the ones I've reached for the most...

Starting with skincare, I finally got my mitts on the cult classic Bioderma Micelle Solution (£9.99) and have been loving removing my makeup with it as it removes absolutely all traces (including waterproof mascara - and I wear A LOT - and stubborn lipstick) but leaves behind absolutely no residue and is gentle enough to use daily on my sensitive skin. It really is exactly like water that removes makeup and I've also used on no makeup days in place of using a cleanser&water - I will definitely be repurchasing Next up is the beautiful limited edition version of the best selling (one sold every minute!) Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (£99*), it feels so light and whipped and just gorgeous on application and leaves the skin feeling so incredibly soft and smooth it has just been an absolute delight to use - and the super cute packaging is an added bonus. The AestheticCare 0.5% Retinol Retriderm (£40 - only available in Salons/MediSpas) was recommended to me by my wonderful facialist Tara at the fantastic Jill Zander salon for improving my skin tone (retinol is brilliant for sun damage, fine lines, enlarged pores and acne scars/marks) and I started by using it every third night and after two weeks now use it every other night - I've really seen a difference in my skin and have not had any of the negative reactions you usually find with such strong skincare (A story I told the girls at the salon is when I started using the Jan Marini bioclear glycolic products aged about 15 my face became so red, sore and flaky that a boy at school literally recoiled in horror at the sight of me one morning and asked me why my face was falling off). Skinetica (£9.99*) is billed as an alternative spot/blemish treatment which is kind to skin and has no side effects, as mentioned in the 'skin falling off' story, harsh spot busting products tend to practically burn my face so I've stepped away from them recently and Skinetica has been a great addition as it applies basically like water (you apply it using a cotton pad after washing your face, before any other creams, and wait a minute or two for it to air dry) has been really effective at calming any breakouts and there are 110% NO side effects - no redness,dryness or flakiness and it's the only blemish fighting product I have ever been able to use under foundation. Finally another product to add to my dry-skin-busting arsenal is the Lush Dream Cream (£10.95) which is just absolutely positively wonderful at combating dry patches. Originally bought for my boyfriend after seeing so any Bloggers raving about it on Twitter, it was left languishing unused in his bedroom so I demanded it back and am so happy that I did. I'm not surprised at all that it is the number one selling product at Lush, it's brilliant and I highly, highly recommend it.

Makeup-wise I have been continuing my love affair with a more natural, sheer coverage and have been reaching for my Jouer Matte Moisture Tint (£29) and DiorSkin Nude BB Cream (£30) every single day without fail. These two beauties have been living in my makeup bag and I flit between using them on their own or mixed together - I cannot find fault with either of these two fabulous products. I have incredibly oily skin on my T-zone so will use powder without fail after applying my foundation and use it throughout the day for touch-ups, my current go-to products are the Maybelline Fit Me Powder in shade 125 (£5.99 - I also have the shade 225 for when I'm slightly less pale!) and a repurchase of a product I originally picked up in Sephora in Florida and absolutely adored during my 'Gap Yah' travels, The Balm 'Sexy Mama' (£13), an anti shine translucent powder that I am once again adoring as it's cute, it works, did I mention it was cute and its tiny enough to fit inside practically any handbag. I picked up Sexy Mama from the & Other Stories store in Regent Street (you know, the one that every Blogger and their pet cat has been raving about recently) and I haven't yet seen it for sale anywhere else in the UK so big thumbs up to & Other Stories for stocking it and the store is definitely worth a peruse as it contains some hidden gems, another of which is the Bronzer Brush (£10) I purchased on a whim after having a little play with it in store, as it's super soft and the perfect size for fuss free and flawless bronzer application, the one downside is that it will shed if you are applying it onto slightly tacky skin (e.g if you've just applied your foundation) so a quick glance in the mirror wouldn't go amiss after using. Last but certainly not least is the most divine nail polish from Rococo in the shade 'Sandrine' (£12 *), it's a proper 'grown up' cool Parisian blue, is a dream to apply and lasts forever - I must have worn it at least five times last month - photo here!

Finished - Phew!

Favourite Facial Oils

2013-04-30T13:11:00.001-07:00

The idea of slathering my oily, blemish prone skin with yet more oil used to terrify me to the core and for many, many years I scoffed at the mere idea, shaking my head at these crazy oil-wielding fools as I continued to douse my face with a series of harsher and harsher products aimed at oily skin in a manic attempt to strip away every last ounce of oil from my poor face (bad, bad idea. - don't do it - dehydrated skin produces more oil.) Since trialing a few different oils and updating my skincare-know-how I've finally realised that using oils can actually help balance your skin's natural oil production, as well as keeping it radiant, comforted and hydrated and will not cause blemishes! I am now a full blown beauty oil convert and have these delights currently on rotation...

Hurling myself onto my bed after another long day at work my first thought is 'GET THIS MAKEUP OFF MY FACE RIGHT THIS INSTANT' so I tend to swoosh a Bioderma-laden cotton pad over my face and then, as it's far too early to do the 'proper bedtime cleanse' (and all I want to do is lie on my bed, watch E4 and scroll mindlessly through Twitter and Instagram on my iPhone for the next three hours at least), I treat my tired face to a little treat in the form of a good dose of either the Willow Organic Liquid Gold Facial Oil (£42*) (which contains organic rose oil, manuka honey, argan oil, vitamins and antioxidants) or the balance Me radiance face oil (£15) (packed with conditioning and softening Amazonian buruti, moringa and camellia oils plus soothing Roman chamomile, yarrow and benzoin) massaged into my skin and left to absorb and do it's job for the next few hours. Whizz through a few episodes of How I met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and New Girl and it's time for the 'proper bedtime cleanse'.

First up for the nighttime oils is the Nude Progenius Treatment (£58). A yellowish oil that smells a bit like garden (in a nice way though, honest) it's rich in omega 3, 6, 7 & 9 and claims to 'provides a precisely balanced diet for the skin.' I'll reach for this if I don't want to 'rock the boat' - meaning my skin is actually behaving for once and I want to keep it that way - this has never, ever broken me out and is fantastic at ridding any odd little dry patches. If my skin is feeling slightly on the dry side (as it has been this week due to a rotten cold!) or I want a serious moisture and radiance boost I'll opt for the luxurious and sumptuous Aurelia skincare products, Firstly the Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil (£45- I only have a sample size of this - it's the unmarked brown bottle) (containing Kalahari oil, Mongongo oil, Kigelia, Omega 3, 6 & 9 and the antioxidant properties of Hibiscus) followed by the technically-not-actually-an-oil-but-a-serum (in my books a wonderful serum/oil/mosturising hybrid as I'd never use a serum without a moisturiser afterwards, but you can do with this) Aurelia Revitalise & Glow Serum (£47*) (which deposits probiotics, peptides and antioxidants, Omega 3, 6 & 9, Kigelia Africana and Hibiscus combined with a powerful dose of vitamin E.)

The wonderful thing about facial oils is that they are so versatile so you can completely switch up your routine and use them in a multitude of skin-friendly ways. I've used the Willow Organic Oil as part of my pre-pampering session before a recent Hen Party and also used it as radiance boosting, hydrating overnight treatment, the Nude Progenius was featured in my 'feeling balmy facial post' along with Clarins Lotus Oil (which has run out, boo!) and I have since used the Aurelia products in it's place - versatility! I'm so so glad I took the plunge and included facial oils into my skincare routine and my skin is definitely thanking me for it.

My Week In Photos | This week I...

2013-04-28T13:02:00.003-07:00

-Tussled with Tallulah our little Bichon Frise houseguest (owner of the yappiest bark known to man!)

-Quenched my thirst and my skin at the wonderful Jill Zander with a hydrafacial

-Dressed like a proper grown up business lady in my Mango tailored trousers and H&M shirt

-Fed my serious addiction to Malteesers Teesers aka the best chocolate in the entire world ever.

-Munched on some heavenly Polenta Chips at Pizza Express

-Attempted some Nail Art with the Barry M nail art pens

-Drooled over my Padana Leggera Pizza during date night - (25% off mains during the week #win)

-Slathered on the Image Skincare Total Resurfacing Mask for my Friday Facemask

-Admired my boyfriend do his man-thing and whip up a delicious BBQ in the (fleeting) summer sun

-Whipped my hurr back and forth after an amazing blowdry and treatment at Lisa Shepherd London

A natural, bronzed look with Borjouis Delice and Proto-col - (and no fake tan in sight!)

2013-04-27T07:33:00.003-07:00

The (albeit fleeting) appearance of the summer sun this week caught me completely off guard and with a face sporting a whiter shade of white than Casper the Ghosts - and no time to fake tan - I decided to attempt a sun kissed look with just makeup. Enter stage right two fantastic new bronzing offerings from Borjouis, add a subtle shimmering sensation from Protocol and voila a natural, bronzed look.

I squeezed a small amount of the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint (£29 - review here) onto my hand followed by a small amount of Bourjois Delice BB Cream (*£9.99) and mixed the two together to form a slightly darker foundation which I then applied with a brush. After blending I decide to use the Borjouis Delice BB Cream as a contour and dotted the product along my temples, cheekbones and jawline and used a buffing brush to blend/buff the product into my skin. The Bobbi Brown Blush Brush (£35) was used to sweep the Bourjois Delice Maxi Bronzing Powder (*£8.99) over the same areas (temples, cheekbone, jawline) and a sheer dusting of the Proto-col baked mineral shimmer (*£27.95 - shade apricot swirl) was applied to my apples and blended out up towards my cheekbones. My trusty Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder (£5.99 shade 125) was used to set the look.

I applied a mixture of the Proto-col baked shimmer and the Borjouis Delice Maxi Bronzing Powder over my eyelids and blended outwards for a softer finish and finally, finished the look with a slick of Mac Hue.

Garnier 5 Sec Pefect Blur | Review | Before & After

2013-04-26T12:48:00.001-07:00

A little while ago I skipped along to the fabulous Walford Hilton Hotel for the launch of Garnier's latest offering Perfect Blur - a product promising to 'Blur the signs of ageing in seconds' - needles to say, I was intrigued and myself and the fellow Beauty Bloggers at the event raced over to see for ourselves the effect of this potential miracle in a tube. Bowled over after just one use I decided to continue testing it out over time including using this on it's own, under makeup and over makeup, and became so enamoured with it I picked up a full size tube from my local Boots yesterday (£12.99) and snapped a few before and after photos...

I think the photos really speak for themselves. The quickest of glances shows a massive difference between the left (before Perfect Blur) and right (after Perfect Blur).

The product contains never-seen before skin retouching technology from the Garnier labs in Paris. It's s a highly concentrated formula of light reflectors to create the optical effect of blurring the skin's surface making it appear younger, whilst absorbent silica reduces shine and tightens pores.

Garnier 5 Sec Perfect Blur promises to:

-Reduce Shine

-Hide Blemishes

-Blur Wrinkles

-Diminish Open Pores

I think you can clearly see it really does do all of the above (perhaps not the 'hide blemishes' as, surprisingly, I don't have any at the moment - knocks repeatedly on wood, throws salt over shoulder and clutches a rabbits foot!) and it does it bloody well. Another big thumbs up from me is the feel of the product on the skin, the velvety, slightly whipped-mousse-like texture of the product is instantly absorbed, feels divine and leaves the sumptuously smooth to the touch.

I adore this as both a primer used under makeup to conceal my pesky pores, shine and increase the staying powder of my foundation. and also to dot on over makeup for touch ups to decrease my shininess throughout the day. I'm definitely going to be throwing this in my suitcase for when I jet off on my holidays next month as I just know it will be perfect for those 'no-make-up-but-I-actually-kind-of-need-a-little-help-here-because-I'm-not-a-super model' days on the beach or lounging around the pool.

I highly recommend this product and it is available now for £12.99 from Boots.

Schwarzkopf BC Fibre Force Infusion Treatment at Lisa Shepherd London

2013-04-24T15:51:00.003-07:00

After work I dashed off to Central London to visit the hair-genius Jason Cocking at the delectable Lisa Shepherd London Salon on Mortimer Street. My tresses were treated to the Schwarzkopf BC Fibre Force treatment (*) which utilises micronised keratin components which penetrate deeply into the hair architecture to reconstruct gaps in the cell membrane complex, the intercellular bonding cement responsible for strong and resilient hair - sounds rather fancy-dan I know ! Chemical processes and styling tools can stress and damage the hair fibre meaning overprocessed and damaged hair is prone to breakage, Jason compared it to your hair consisting of lots of tiny 'ladders' and bleach/heat damages those ladders, knocking off rung after rung after rung, and the BC fibre force treatment actually helps you to rebuild the ladders! The treatment consists of a shampoo, conditioner and leave-in treatment with a gorgeous blowdry....

I snapped away in the Taxi on the journey home on my iPad and had a little photoshoot when I arrived home to show you just how smooth, glossy and frizz-free my hair looked after the treatment and blowdry- doesn't it look SO healthy!? This was my second visit to the Lisa Shepherd London Salon for a blowdry with Jason and I left the salon swishing my hair to and fro Because I'm worth it Style, followed by a bit of Willow Whipping it back and forth as I was so so pleased with how it looked. I highly recommend Jason and the Lisa Shepherd Salon as a whole, it's an incredibly modern and buzzing salon - iPads to play with, high-tech massaging chairs and a monochrome decor - which retains a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and you know you're going to be leaving with a smile on your face feeling like a celeb.

The entire Schwarzkopf BC collection is available to buy (including the fibre force infusion treatment I received in the salon (*) - currently £28.98 -which comes as a set containing 7 vials of the treatment.)

The rest of the range consists of a Cleanser Shampoo (£11.55), Fortifier Conditioner (£12.75), Fortifier Spray Conditioner (£12.75), and Fortifying Treatment (£14.45).

Summertime Skin | The Tinted Moisturisers, BB Creams and Skin Perfectors

2013-04-23T12:29:00.003-07:00

I am loving the spot of summer sun that we have been experiencing recently and it seems I am not the only one, ambling away down the sunlit streets the past few days I have spotted many tee-shirt clad, sandal sporting, cornetto clutching, sunglasses wearing passers by relishing in the sheer delight of being able to step outside the door without donning snow boots, mittens and a snood. The warmer weather means I've not just ditched my scarves and gloves, but also my heavier foundations, swapping them for a set of sheer creams and tints which promise to even out and enhance the skintone without feeling or looking too heavy.

These are the summertime skin perfecting non-foundations that I currently have on rotation.

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint - Nude - £29

-The Jouer Matte Moisture Tint is the first mattifying product I have ever used that manages to actually deliver a mattifying effect without drying the skin or causing microexfoliation so it gets a huge, huge two thumbs up from me. The coverage sits slap bang in the middle of a foundation and a tinted moisturiser, it's not completely sheer but it's incredibly lightweight, hydrating and comfortable on the skin. It's long-lastingm blends effortlessly and when I wear it results in fewer touch ups throughout the day. The Jouer Matte Moisture Tint is oil free (always a bonus for oily/problem skin) and contains SPF 15 plus Vitamins A, C and E provide continuous moisture and ward off skin-ageing environmental aggressors.

Diorskin Nude BB Creme - 002 - £30

The DiorSkin Nude BB Creme is probably my most reached for product at the moment as it provides the most beautiful, sheer coverage with a completely foolproof application - (seriously, I've applied this whilst sleep-deprived, sat in the back of a bumpy taxi complete with maniac driver and no mirror and it's looked perfect on arrival). Enhanced with mineralized floral water and a blend of antioxidants, it has a fresh pink hue which provides a radiance and glow to the skin whilst evening out the complexion and feels totally weightless once applied, it really is featherlight. Obviously not heavy-duty enough for dark circles or blemishes, but a really brilliant skin perfecting product. Contains SPF 10.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser - Wheat - £57

A cherished Christmas present. I have been reluctant to reach for my Chantecaille Just Skin and ensure I use sparingly due to the eye-watering cost. Just Skin contains a non-toxic mineral SPF 15 suncreen and it's anti-irritant, antioxidant and anti-pollution botanical extracts include honeysuckle, edelweiss and green tea whilst Sodium hyaluronate helps to seal in skin's moisture. It provides a smooth, medium coverage with a semi-matte finish and is slightly thicker than some other products mentioned so be sure to blend well. The shade wheat is slightly too dark for me at the moment so I have been dotting the product onto my cheek bones, temples and jaw line to provide a subtle, natural looking and lightweight feeling contour.

Makeup Forever Face and Body Fluid - Sand 22 - £28.75

- I adore how MUFE Face and Body is so incredibly lightweight it actually feels like applying water to your face. It has a fluid/gel like texture and feels light and fresh on application and just melts and blends into the skin with ease. It evens out the complexion and leaves a thin layer of powder on the skin, for a very smooth, natural semi-matte finish. It's recommended for both mature and problem ski and its long-lasting and water-resistant formula is perfectly suited for the beach (the product itself does not contain an SPF so be sure to apply one underneath)!

Vitage Colour Minerals Natural Daily Perfector - Natural Beige - £25 (*)

The Vitage Colour Minerals Natural Daily Perfector is a 100% natural, hydrating weightless mineral mousse infused with super powerful antioxidant Organic Maté (Brazilian Green Tea), Golden Seaweed extracts, JoJoba Oil and Vitamin E. It provides a sheer, buildable coverage with a matte finish and can be used as both a skin perfecting primer or as a foundation depending on how much coverage is needed (I have been using it on it's own or mixed with other products). Does not contain SPF.

No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser - Medium Fair - £11.50

- The No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser contains hylauronic acid, light diffusing optical blurrers, vitamin A and E, 5 star UVA protection with SPF 15 and a patent-oxidant complex which offers protection from the ageing effects of both the sun and the environment. It's an incredible lightweight, hydrating cream which blends flawlessly and provides sheer-medium coverage.

(L-R: Diorskin Nude BB Cream, Jouer Matte Moisture Tint, Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser,

No7 Tinted Moisturiser, Vitage Colour Minerals Daily Natural Perfector, MUFE Face and Body)

How To Conceal Dark Circles and Shadows | Hero Products

2013-04-22T13:16:00.001-07:00

Alas, I have never been one to be able to nab the recommended proverbial 'fourty winks'. No matter how I hard I try, or how many sheep I count, sleep continues to elude me. Sans-makeup I bare all the hallmarks of a true insomniac - puffy, red eyes complete with purpleish black shadows lurking underneath. Concealing them is a daily battle, but one I have finally found myself winning thanks to these dark-circle diminishing products. Let battle commence....

Bobbi Brown Corrector £18 - Light Bisque

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit £24.00 - Sand & Yellow Powder

I've used both these products every single day since purchasing and absolutely love it. I was colour matched at the Bobbi Brown Counter in Harrods to the Corrector in the shade Light Bisque and to the Creamy Concealer Kit in the shade Sand (concealer) and Yellow (pressed powder) and have found them to be the perfect match for me.

I apply the corrector first and this is actually the creamier and easier to work with so you only need a tiny amount. The pink undertone works to cancel out or neutralise any discolouration - so that pesky blue/purple that are present under the eye area. I apply the corrector by looking up and dotting the product under my eye in a 'V' shape using my ring finger, focusing more and building up more product on the darker areas, and blending using my finger. The corrector works brilliantly to both neutralise and also brighten dark circles and the under eye area and can be used alone.

After blending the corrector, I apply the creamy concealer (slightly deceptive name as this actually feels slightly thicker and is harder to work with, provides great coverage but don;t use too much product and it really needs to be blended in well to avoid creasing or looking too obvious, my advice is to use it little by little in stages so you can build up to the level of coverage you need) in the same way as the corrector - dotting under my eye in a 'V' shape with my ring finger and then blending. I tend to place my ring finger firmly underneath my eye and wiggle from side to side, then lift my finger away and place it slightly further along and repeat this process until the entire eye area is done, this way I'm really working and blending the product into the circles as opposed to rubbing it straight off! I will then use a tapered brush to ensure it is blended and will use the same brush to apply the yellow powder. Again, I use the brush to press the product into the skin all along the eye area to ensure it is setting the concealer and will then go back and sweep away any excess powder and blend. The yellow powder works amazingly to lift and brighten the eye area, in addition to setting the concealer. It's incredibly hydrating, long lasting and non-creasing so long as you make the effort to blend blend blend on the first application!

I use the creamy concealer kit for any touch ups throughout the day and have also been using it to conceal redness on my nose and chin as the shades work really well together to combat both dark circles and redness. The concealer is very thick so a little goes a long way and the powder does has a distinctive yellow tint (great for any discolouration, so on my dark circles and redness, but can look a bit strange and ghostly on skintones it isn't designed for) so it's best to apply a little at a time and build up the coverage as opposed to resembling a Simpson!

(P.S - Sods law dictated that the product smashed the day I wanted to photograph it!)

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder - £18.50

This is my second pot of this stuff and it really is a little miracle for brightening and illuminating. The beautiful and extremely eagle-eyed Amelia from Liana Beauty even spotted this product being used on the supermodels backstage at LFW. Thankfully, you don't have to be Cara Delevigne to use this, but do be careful! Supermodel-or-no-Supermodel, apply this baby all over your face and you could end up rivaling Edward Cullen. Less is definitely more with this.

I use this powder after applying finishing my foundation and concealer and using a tapered brush will pat the product gently to the entire under-eye area (from the inner corner of my eye right up to the cheekbones) and I will leave to 'set' for a few minutes. Before blending and sweeping any excess product away it will look thick, white and shimmery but never fear, once you sweep away the excess you are left with concealer with super staying powder, a brightening effect under the eyes and also as a highlighter as you blend it out onto your cheekbones.

I love using this in a vertical line from between my eye brows right up to my hairline, above my cupids bow, above my eyebrows and (very sparingly) down the centre of my nose to highlight. I have found this to be a really useful product if your foundation looks slightly flat or has started to oxidise throughout the day (gone slightly darker/more orange) and it breathes life back into your skin and can help brighten any darker patches. It claims to 'brighten without adding shimmer' but, whilst it's not the equivalent to shaking a pot of glitter over your head, it does leave behind a slight shimmer so do use with caution, use as you would a highlighter.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Hydrating Concealer - £6.99

This is a great budget-buy for concealing those pesky dark circles. It has a pinky undertone similar to the Bobbi Brown corrector so great for neutralising and brightening. It comes in a clicky/twisty wand and so you turn the bottom for what seems like forever and nothing comes out then suddenly whooooosh - you're greeted with a tidal wave of concealer spilling out of the wand. I either apply the product from the wand onto my finger or dab under my eye. A lot of the product does get wasted thanks to the packaging, but a little goes along long way and it has a comfortable gel-based formula which is easy to work with and lasts all day.

I would say this errs more on the illuminating side as opposed to the concealing side and I would usually use this product over a thicker concealer (such as the Bobbi Brown) to illuminate and lift the area as, for me, it's not quite enough on it's own to conceal dark circles (hopefully in the Summer when I am less deathly pale) but it is a great addition to under eye concealing and can be used elsewhere on the face as a concealer - It's non-comedogenic so can be used on blemishes. Lovely formula - rubbish packaging!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - £5.49

A fab all-rounder concealer, I will often use this on any stubborn dark areas that need an extra helping head as it both conceals and illuminates without any shimmer or glitter. It has a slightly yellow undertone similar to the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. I use the wand to dab onto the area and use my finger to pat into the skin. The Rimmel wake me up concealer is also perfect for concealing blemishes and contains skin-comforting peptides and a vitamin moisturizing complex. It's quite a thick texture so you need to work pretty quickly and blend blend blend.

Real Techiques Pointed Foundation Brush (from the Core Collection - £21.99)

This is the brush I am currently using to blend my under eye makeup and to apply pressed powder. Any brush which is this shape ('tapered' / 'pointed') works really well as it means you can get right into the inner corners and all around the tricky eye area to ensure products are completely blended into the skin ensuring a crease-free finish.

(Vertical swatches: L-R Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer, Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer)

(Horizontal swatches. Top-Bottom: Bobbi Brown Corrector, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer)

-As you can see the maybelline dream lumi touch and bobbi brown corrector are much pinkier compared to the more yellow-toned rimmel wake me up and bobbi brown corrector.

Online Finds | Prints, Cards & Stationary

2013-04-19T12:02:00.005-07:00

Ever since realising you could turn your Instagram snaps into delightful Polaroid-esque prints (Thanks Lily Pebbles) I immediately hurried on over to firebox.com and ordered 24 prints (£14.99). My aim was was to whittle down my various insta-selfies and paint a snapshot of my life over the past year. This invariably led to a variety of shots ranging from pouty poses and drunken ducklips to romantic rendezvous and inspirational images.

As well as my Instagram prints, this week I have been chuckling over hilarious humour cards, collecting cute stationary and doodling in my diary. Allow me to share with you my favourite online finds....

1 set (12 prints) cost £9.99 and 2 sets (24 prints) costs £14.99. Your photos are printed in the Polaroid-esque style which resulted in reminiscing about the first half of nineties, lugging my clunky Spice Girls Polaroid Camera around with me, snapping away and spending half my childhood manically waving around those little white pieces of paper waiting for the image to magically appear in front of my young eyes. I love that these prints also come with a sharpie in every set so you can caption your photos (plus, I mean, free pen!) and doodle as you wish. My plan is to use the prints to replace the current photo-heart which resides above my bed. I also really, really love the Photo Wall that Lily made and may very well steal that idea when I order my next batch of prints.

If you follow me on Instagram you'll know I am absolutely obsessed with things like this. Funny quotes, inspirational quotes, love quotes - I cannot get enough. I've been collecting humorous greeting cards since my first year at University, where I used them to completely cover my wall. I just cannot help but smile when I catch a glimpse of them and they just make me laugh because I find them so relatable and just 'hit the nail on the head' funny. I get such a thrill spotting these type of cards nestled amongst the Happy Birthdays and Best Wishes and when I discovered HalfMoonBay (You can purchase the actual Halfmoonbay cards here) I was in humour heaven and spent endless hours perusing the site, chuckling away to myself.

I hope I'm not the only one who finds these kind of cards just fantastic and if you do the you should definitely be following this Instagram!

An sterling stationary staple this adorable little Archie Grand 'Lovers I had and liked' notebook is the perfect size for popping into my handbag for jotting down ideas throughout the day and I adore the bold red and of course the notebooks cover statement makes me grin. The Archie Grand notebooks come in an array of vibrant shades with different titles, other favourites of mine include 'Bloggers I met and liked', 'Bosses I've had and liked' and 'Lies I told and liked'. The inside is completely blank and it costs £10.00.

The Borjouis Cream Blushers

2013-04-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

I did a little happy dance when I caught sight of the brand spanking new Borjouis cream blushers at the Spring/Summer launch last week. A long time devotee to the original pot powder blushers, I was absolutely over the moon to have the new cream blushers in my clutches, and after some serious testing I am delighted to report that they do not disappoint.

(L-R) - 01 Nude Velvet (matte peach),

- 02 Healthy Glow (pearly apricot pink),

- 03 Rose Tender (soft pink),

- 04 Sweet Cherry (deep matte brown-pink).

Borjouis Cream Blush 03 Rose Tender

The blush melts into the skin feeling comfortable on the skin and leaving a truly healthy glow as it transforms from a cream to a powder on contact with the skin. It lasts all day even on my oily skin - no touch ups required. Plus it's actually dewy not 'shimmery' or even worse 'glittery' which means it doesn't accentuate pores or blemishes and there's no Twilight-esque effect in daylight - they each have a super, super natural finish.

In addition to the beautiful dewy finish and buildable pop of colour, the new Borjois cream blushers have a few skin benefits too! The poppy and apricot extracts work to ensure glowing and comfortable skin, whilst the mango extracts provide softness.

My favourite, unsurprisingly, is 03 Rose Tender - a soft pink with a pearly finish. I cannot wait to see how these look as with a tan (hurry up Summer)!

Bourjois Cream Blushes costs £7.99 and launch exclusively in Selfridges and Selfridges.com on May 8th and will be rolling out nationwide into Boots, Superdrug and Asos.com on the 15th May.

The Glitter Sleeve Jacket

2013-04-16T11:17:00.002-07:00

Missguided Khaki Glitter Sleeve Jacket

Cheap Monday Skinny Jeans

Topshop Studded Slippers

Roland Mouret 'Zeppo' Sunglasses

Preparing for a Big Event | The Night Before

2013-04-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Willow Organic Beauty Liquid Gold Face Oil*, Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream,

Vital C Hydrating Enzyme Masque, Bliss triple oxygen energizing mask

I've suddenly found myself at an age when my School and University friends are doing incredibly grown-up things like buying houses, getting engaged, having actual weddings and making tiny people, and tomorrow I am attending my very first Hen Party for one of my best friends and I am super-bloody-excited. The night before an important event is all about ensuring your skin looks radiant, healthy and glowing.It is definitely NOT the time for deep cleansing facials, extractions, microdermabrasions, dermarollers, blackhead/pore strips, clay masks or anything at all that is even remotely harsh on the skin. The last thing in the world you need is to encourage redness, flakiness or blemishes to rear their pesky heads resulting in greeting you with a cheery good morning wave as you peer into the mirror on the morning of the big day. No, the night before is about soothing, re-hydrating and brightening - and I shall fill you in on my secret weapons.

First things first, I located my glorious Ladurée scented candles because I'm going to a Hen Do which is obviously for a wedding which means people are getting married and that means, apparently, I am at the age of a proper grown up person and proper grown up people have candles in their baths, well they do according to Instagram anyway, and they really do smell heavenly.

I massaged the Willow Organic Beauty Liquid Gold Face Oil* into my skin and left it to sink in and get to work for about 20 minutes, I then added a small amount of the Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream and worked both products into my skin using small circular motions for a further minute or two before rinsing off with warm water and the Emma Hardie buff and polish cleansing cloth, patting my face totally dry and applying a thin layer of the Vital C Hydrating Enzyme Masque for 30 minutes. I then rinsed the mask off with warm water and and patted my face leaving left it slightly wet before applying the final product- a thin layer of the Bliss triple oxygen energizing mask which I massaged into my face for 30 seconds before leaving it for five minutes to form into a thick foam then worked the product into my skin one more time before the final rinse and pat dry.

Willow Organic Beauty Liquid Gold Face Oil* (£42*)

-This oil is perfect to use both as a pre-cleanse and overnight (-as I’m planning on whacking out the olf fake tan later tonight I can’t use an oil on my face!). It contains organic rose oil: famed for its healing and skin balancing properties, manuka honey: world renowned for it's antibacterial and cleansing abilities, and argan oil: the world's most famous skin care oil - regenerating and hydrating. It claims to plump out the skin whilst injecting vitamins and antioxidants into dehydrated depleted skin cells, leaving you with a dewy and radiant complexion – exactly what you want your skin to look like for a big event!

Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream (£25)

-I received this sample as part of a Clarins gift set a few months ago and have been regularly mixing a small amount of this exfoliating cream with Microbeads into my cleansers ever since for super gentle exfoliation. Containing Soothing extracts of Mimosa Tenuiflora and Elderberry it ensures any flaky surface cells are banished leaving smooth and refined skin behind - with absolutely no irritation.

Vital C Hydrating Enzyme Masque (£36)

-This mask gently exfoliates dead skin with enzymes and adds essential anti-oxidants and minerals to improve skin health,hydrates for hours after application and brightens dull skin. It’s incredibly gentle, suitable for all skin types and can be used for 5-30 minutes - so for a quick-fix or a proper intensive treatment à la pre-party-pampering! It really makes a noticeable difference and has an absolutely insane amount of active ingredients including everything Hylauronic acid and L-Ascorbic Acid to Papaya and Pineapple:

Bliss triple oxygen energizing mask £39.90

-This mask is billed as a fast-acting foamy face mask that brightens, tightens and revives dull, sallow skin. The best thing about this mask is definitely the foamy part, it’s ridiculously fun to use as it as it means you can give yourself a Santa’s Beard, if that’s how you roll (-that’s how I roll), and is a face mask even your most reluctant friend, boyfriend , parent or sibling will be itching to try for themselves. ‘Fluid 02 technology’ delivers glow-giving oxygen to skin ad it contains powerful antioxidants and the most active powerful form of Vitamin C available.

This pampering session was followed by the Elemis marine cream moisturiser and shall be followed later tonight with my favourite Model Co Tan In A Can as unfortunately no skincare can disguise my current Casper-the-ghost appearance. The skincare has however ensured my skin feels wonderfully supple, comforted and hydrated and is genuinely currently sporting a healthy glow. Yay
– Please stay that way for tomorrow!

Latest Lip Loves | Lip Balms | Bobbi Brown Lip Balm, Rodial Glam Balm Lip , Eve Lom Kiss Mix

2013-04-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Lip balms are a handbag-must-have and recently I have found myself reaching for these three over the plethora over others in my possession. I've been trying to wean myself off my all time favorite, but ultimately bank-breaking, lip balm - By Terry Baume De Rose (£35) - and these three are serious contenders for the title of new favourite lip balm.

Rodial glam balm lip (£19)

-This is a rose flavoured and scented lip balm contains Rose Wax and Shea Butter to nourish and soothe chapped lip and Vitamin E to protect against environmental damage. It has a pink sheen in the tub but leaves no colour on the lips, just a glossy sheen. The first time I applied this (sat in Wagammas with the boy) I was seriously surprised by the sudden tingling sensation that spread over my lips and immediately whipped out my iPhone to google whether this was normal and thankfully, it was! Fast forward and now the tingling sensation has actually become my favourite aspect of this lovely balm - and actually quite addictive - I've found myself applying it every hour on the hour. The tingling sensation occurs as the balm contains 'filling spheres' designed to inject volume, plump lips, and fill the lip area, while repairing dry and chapped lips and, whilst you definitely wont end up with lips to rival Angelina's, there is definitely a noticable plumping effect and it's great for intensely hydrating my lips. The only negatives I have found is that if you're lips are severely dry and chapped the product will painfully sting as opposed to tingles (but it works so it's worth it) and the balm is not as solid as other tub lip balms so melts rather easily which means it's very easy to end up with too much product on your fingers and lips leaving them feeling overloaded and greasy if you're not paying attention, and it starts to look quite unappealing in the tub I usually use rodial glam balm on it’s own or over other products as I love the tingling sensation so much.

Bobbi Brown Lip Balm SPF 15 (£15)

-I found myself gravitating towards this whenever I passed a Bobbi Brown Counter for the past few months as it always made my lips feel so comfortable and hydrated, without any of that feeling of heaviness or greasiness that you get with products such as Vaseline, so I finally took the plunge and picked it up this week and am immensely happy I did so. I absolutely adore the packaging both for how delightfully sophisticated it looks AND how you can use it as a mirror (double win). Formulated with Wheat Germ and Olive Oil it also has a pink sheen in the tub but leaves no colour on the lips and I have found this product works amazingly well as a base under lipstick to ensure a smooth and long lasting application, over lipstick as it leaves a gorgeous glossy sheen and also on it's own, I don't think it would be the product to choose for severely chapped lips but it's great as a daily-use lip balm.

Eve Lom Kiss Mix (*£16)

-The Eve Lom Kiss Mix is both pretty and practical, the perfect blend between a lip balm that looks lovely on the lips and one that actually gets to work on dry and chapped lips. Billed as ' First aid for sore, chapped lips’ it contains Zinc oxide to comfort dry lips by encouraging healing and by acting as a natural sunscreen (meaning it’s fab to chuck in your bag if you’re off on holiday) and menthol to cool and freshen the lips. I absolutely LOVE the menthol in this balm, absolutely love it, it really does leave you with a cooling sensation which lasts and lasts (not tingly or painful in any way, just incredibly comforting and refreshing) - and it smells fantastic. It is a very solid white coloured balm and leaves behind a super glossy finish and the slightest hint of colour which I love as it just takes down the redness from my lips ever so slightly. Similar to the rodial glam balm, I usually use the Eve Lom Kiss Mix on it’s own or over other products so as to ensure the cooling sensation lasts and lasts.