Why did you start your blog?
I started Beautywowza after falling extremely ill and being diagnosed with a chronic illness. My skin suffered after being put on such harsh medication that my search for more natural skin care began.  I would often advise the models I worked with on what skincare they should use and after being inundated with ‘what should I use’ ‘Whats good for this problem’ emails, I decided to put my favourites, best finds and advise all in one place, a blog.

How long have you been blogging for?
I have been blogging for going on 5 years now. WOW, long time!!

What do you enjoy most about blogging?
I enjoy the freedom of being able to talk about what I love in my space without being dictated too.  I also enjoy the lovely feedback emails I get from my readers who are so supportive, It’s extremely humbling.

What frustrates you most about blogging?
Blogging has become such a wide thing now, and unfortunately there are many individuals who think starting a blog is just a way to get freebies…it’s beyond that!  Starting a blog and building relationships with brands and PR takes time. Another thing that grates on me is samples that end up on eBay. If you’re lucky enough to be sent samples from a brand or PR company, selling them on eBay really isn’t the way to go about getting your blog noticed.

How much time a week do you spend on your blog/reading other people’s blogs?
I spend as much time as I can and really do love reading other blogs to see what other bloggers are currently talking about and recommending. Having a full-time job means a varied amount of time weekly gets spent nurturing my blog and reading others.

What advice do you have for aspiring bloggers?
Don’t sell PR samples you are given on eBay. It takes time to build up contacts, so be patient and just write your blog for you, before you know it a following will build up.

What other interests do you have?
I am the classic fashionista with a shoe obsession. Looking, buying and wearing shoes is a hobby in itself for me.   I also love photography and eating out. I love food and am always wanting to try out new restaurants and cuisine.

How many bottles of nail varnish do you own?
Oh God, have a lot, nearing 100+.  I am extremely good and try have clear-outs on a regular basis but any beauty blogger will tell you it’s extremely hard to sort through such pretty things, being ruthless is in my nature but not when it comes to my precious beauty products.

Do you set yourself a shopping budget, or do you purchase on an as-and-when basis?
I am extremely lucky enough to get sent a lot of samples which keeps my blogging fingers busy, however if there is something I want I feel no way to go and get it, I don’t set myself a budget as I see it as an investment for myself and readers.

What is your favourite make-up brand, and why?
This is an extremely hard question as I love quite a few brands. I tend to use products that suit my skin so I don’t particularly stick to one brand. At the moment I absolutely love Estee Lauder’s BB cream, Laura Mercier’s new Baked Bronze Blush and Barry M’s new Lash Vegas mascara. All staples in my make-up bag at the moment.

Do you ever leave the house without wearing make-up?
Yes, all the time, I am very much a lover of skin and taking care of your skin. I can happily walk out of the house without any make-up on and feel confident. I think looking after your skin is so important; your canvas needs to be perfect before painting a masterpiece. Women should not rely on make-up to fix their skin, it should be used to enhance what you already have.

What is your favourite beauty product and why?
My all time favourite is thermal cleansing balm by Omorovicza. It’s the perfect skin fix – melts off make-up, cleanses the skin like no other cleanser I have tried and you can honestly see the difference once you have used it. I often use it as a treatment cleanser when my skin is having a paddy and needs a little TLC. I couldn’t recommend it enough.  Who’s tried it?

What is your favourite nail varnish of all time? (yep, only one!)
YSL La Laque Couture – Beige Leger.  It’s the perfect nude nail!!!

Tell us about the best holiday you’ve ever been on.
My parents always encouraged us to travel and took us on such lovely holidays when I was little so I don’t have one favourite holiday, I have many.  Visiting my mum and dad’s home towns (in India and Africa) was amazing. My girly holidays are always amazing too. I love travel in general and learning about different cultures.

What would be your ideal day off?
I am the ultimate diva and I’m sure you all know this, so my ideal day off would consist of a spa day with some kind of man slave to be their at my every whim, fetching me a glass of champs (red wine…champs just sounds better), cooking me dinner and doing anything else I wish. LOL!

What is your favourite TV show?
Criminal Minds…I just LOVE starring at Shemar Moore.

What music do you enjoy listening to?
I enjoy a mixture of music, all depends on my mood and situation at the time. I’m definitely an easy-listening kind of girl.

What is your favourite food?
For a food lover this questions is just awful, I like pretty much all food but if I had to choose I would say Thai and Mexican are my all time faves.

Where would you most like to visit in the world? (money no object)
Fiji, it’s the dream.

Tell us a secret
I see dead people!

Thank you, Priya. How amazing does she look in red lippy? I am responsible for that, you know. Don’t forget to visit Priya’s blogs and you can also follow her on Twitter at @priya_sonn.

Swag – I can’t cope!

By now you will have got sucked into the hype of Bourjois’s four new cream blushers – a first for the Parisian beauty brand. Is it worth the fuss? Hell, yes!

The pretty little round pot powder blusher epitomises everything that is Bourjois, and these cream blushers are rightfully something to get excited about. It’s amazing to believe Bourjois is celebrating it’s 150th anniversary this year.

Creamy in texture, they set to a soft, velvet finish and are packaged in Bourjois’s unique rounded pots. I also love the fact they are lightweight, sleek and easy to slip into a little make-up bag for on the go, which is why I took one for my travels.

My favourite is the darkest shade of the range, 04 – Sweet Cherry as it suits my skin tone beautifully. Number 3 Healthy Glow is another gorgeous one. I don’t pack on too much, just enough to give a soft and subtle flush to the cheeks as you can see.

The cream blushers cost slightly more than their powder version at £7.49 but the quality and results speak for themselves. I know Superdrug has a 3 for 2 offer on at the moment so this is a golden chance to reap the benefits of these blushers.

By the way, here’s a snap of Leanne of Do Not Refreeze and myself sunning ourselves on the French Riviera in celebration of Bourjois’s new launch. (This may or may not be a photo backdrop behind us as we shiver the cold, English weather.)

*PR samples

That was the question put to me by Sheenie recently, to which I replied without skipping a beat, “Make-up, obviously!”

I am in no way shape or form a fashionista, and frankly the clothes in Topshop are either not my style or out of my budget. Their colour cosmetics range on the other hand, is absolutely chock full of gems at surprisingly affordable prices.

Having bought a fair few Topshop make-up bits before, I knew you could get fair bang for your buck. But when Sheenie surprised me by actually giving me aforementioned £50 voucher* (knows how to treat a woman, that one!), I was still quite surprised by the amount of things I managed to add to my basket. Check ‘em out:

Eye Palette in Game On (£12.50)
One of my absolute favourite make-up items is cream eyeshadow – it’s so versatile and a real staple in my arsenal to use as a base for powder eyeshadows. Along with classic silver and gold, there are also two quite unusual shades in here in the form of a denim blue and a rosy mauve. The texture isn’t dissimilar to Topshop’s revered Cream Blush – soft and creamy on application, drying down to a smudge-proof, unbudgeable finish.

Cream Blush in Morning Dew, Afternoon Tea and Head Over Heels (£6 each)
Speaking of the Cream Blushes, I couldn’t resist adding three more to my blush stash. I am a big fan of these, for the easy-to-work-with formula mentioned above along with the cute polkadot packaging, handy mirror for on-the-go touch ups and most of all, their ridiculously purse friendly price. I mean £6, really? It would be rude not to. Morning Dew, the peach shade, is the perfect colour for my pale skin to see me easily through Spring and Summer.

Lip Liner in Ceramic (£5)
For someone who owns an obscene amount of lipsticks, I definitely don’t own enough lip liners to pair with them. This nude shade is very close to my natural lip colour, perhaps a shade darker, which makes it an ideal base for nude lip colours to prolong their wear and prevent any feathering. If you don’t own a lip liner whose colour falls into the ‘my lips but better’ category, you definitely need one and if you’re fair like me, this might be a good bet.

Lip Bullet in Heartbeat (£8)
I think these twist-up Lip Bullets are quite a new addition to the Topshop range, and this gorgeous hybrid of coral, orange and a hint of red is my favourite of the shades available. Leaning neither too cool or too warm, this should suit most skintones and is as long-lasting as it is easy to apply, not to mention it packs a serious punch in the pigmentation stakes.

Sugar Skull Mini Wipes (£1.25 each)
More of a basket-filler than anything else, I think I underestimated how useful these would be for me. I am the sort of person who can’t walk past Boots without wandering in for a swatching session, so keeping some wipes in my bag at all times is infinitely handy and I don’t know why I didn’t do it before. These cute little packets are the perfect handbag size (who wants to lug a bulky pack of Johnsons baby wipes around every day?) and let’s be honest, the sugar skull design is pretty much a dealmaker.

That brought my basket total up to £46 – add on £4 for standard delivery and bam, that’s my £50 Topshop make-up splurge!

So, I’ll finish where I started: what would you buy with a £50 Topshop voucher?

Leanne Do Not Refreeze

Well, this can become a reality as there is a £50 gift voucher up for grabs from the lovely folks at Appliances Online for one lucky person to spend on whatever they choose. It can be Topshop, Boots, Feelunique.com or ASOS – it’s entirely up to you if you win.

Just tell us what would you spend £50 on and why, and post your answer in the comments box below with your email address. The best answer will win a £50 e-gift voucher to spend on their wish-list. Sounds good? Get cracking then!

Appliances Online also has a fabulous lifestyle blog you might want to check out for ideas and inspirations.

*£50 Topshop voucher courtesy of Appliances Online

Competition rules:

• This competition is open to UK residents only – sorry!
• Multiple entries will not be accepted.
• Closing date is Sunday 2nd June 2013.
• No alternative product or cash alternative will be offered.
• Winner will be given 48 hours to respond, after which another winner will be selected.
• Email addresses supplied will NOT be used for marketing or mail-out purposes by Just Nice Things and Appliances Online.

I’m all packed, checked in and ready for Marrakech and while I intend to indulge in a much needed hammam over there, I do want to make sure I’m moderately prepped for maximum sun exposure for a healthy looking tan.

Timing couldn’t have been more perfect when I was sent SAI-SEI’s Mineral Invigorate Body Scrub to buff away dead skin ahead of my holiday. I’m only picky about one thing when it comes to scrubs and that is anything that leaves an oily or sticky residue after is not one I would return to using. Thankfully this isn’t the case with this offering from SAI-SEI. It’s not perfumed but it’s packed with water bamboo and sasa veitchii extracts for a gentle yet effective scrub, and it really is a lovely one to use.

A little on the indulgence side with its price tag so approach if you’re a serious spa queen. Exclusive to Space NK, SAI-SEI’s Mineral Invigorate Body Scrub costs £28 for 200ml.

*PR sample

La Collection De Grasse is the name of L’Occitane’s luxurious set of new fragrances. It’s the fruits of their new in-house perfumer, Karine Dubreuil who is no strange to L’Occitane having worked on fragrances for them previously.

Dubreuil has a portfolio to be proud of with the likes of Thierry Mugler’s Womanity, L’Artisan’s Mûre et Musc Extreme and L’Eau D’Ambre, Gucci’s Envy Me and for Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria range, Pivione Magnifica and Grosellina under her belt.

And Grasse? Well it’s the town where Dubreuil grew up in, and it is also considered the world’s capital of perfume.

There are four choice scents housed in elegant bottles and distinguishable by the spring colours yellow, orange, purple and green. Let’s take a closer look at them, shall we?

Jasmin & Bergamote has top notes of mandarin orange and bergamot; a heart of jasmine and lemon leaves; and base notes of sandalwood and cedar. It is a very fresh and citrusy scent, and would be perfect to spritz on during the daytime.

Magnolia & Mûre features notes of bergamot, blackberry, magnolia, rose, patchouli and moss. Quite a sensual and sophisticated scent, I would say.

Vanille & Narcisse features notes of blackcurrant and bergamot in the top; heart of narcissus and gardenia; the base includes vanilla and tonka bean.

Finally Thé Vert & Bigarade is a unisex fragrance, containing notes of orange, bitter orange, green tea, yerba mate, cedar, thyme and musk. It’s the lightest fragrance out of the four.

I couldn’t tear myself away from Jasmin & Bergamote and Magnolia & Mûre because I adore jasmine and roses, but after much deliberation, I settled for the latter as I have a strong fondness for rose scents like Ghost, Stella and Christian Dior’s Oud Ispahan. Also it struck me as a fragrance I could actually get away with wearing all year round.

These fragrances are available as 75ml Eau de Toilette, 175ml Body Milk, 175ml Shower Gel, 125g Perfumed Soap and as gift sets too. I was given the collection in miniature sized bottles, which is a great way to try them all for £28 and handy for travelling too. Find them at L’Occitane concession counters, L’Occitane’s shops or online.

*PR samples

Shimmer is good. Bronze is even better. When the two get together, it’s sizzling. I’m referring to the Body Shop’s new shade of Shimmering Dry Oil from their Honey Bronze collection. Anything which draws attention to or evokes the feeling of summer is always going to be put me in a good mood as does this beauty.

It is gorgeous just to look at from the bottle alone and should the sun ever make a return to ol’ Blighty, it is the perfect companion to glam up a tan for a night out or a daytime sun-kissed glow.

It’s a lightweight oil that glides onto the skin, doesn’t leave a sticky feeling and has a beautiful golden shimmer with a hint of a honey scent. Do you know the honey flavoured chocolate in Milk Tray? That is exactly what this shimmering oil smells like. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of this on my legs when they welcome their first sun tan in almost 18 months next week (Marrakech, baby!)

I adore the packaging too -it’s solid and is aesthetically pleasing. Available in store and online, the Shimmering Dry Oil costs £16 for a 100ml bottle.

Other products from the range include a lip gloss, a bronzing gel for the face, an illuminating Brilliance Powder, a bronzing powder and a bronze shimmer lip balm (in a cute little ridged pot).

As with all Body Shop products, they are sourced with the Community Fair Trade programme. In this case the honey comes from the Western Ethiopian Highlands and the collaboration the Body Shop has is with the Beza Mar honey producers to support the sustainable use of the forest in its natural state and help provide the beekeepers with a reliable income.

*PR sample

There’s a new cosmetics name on the scene and it’s for brown-faced girls like me. EX1 Cosmetics is the first ever mass market make-up brand in the UK specifically formulated for Asian and exotic skin tones.

The brain behind it is British Asian Farah Naz who came up with the concept to create a line of cosmetics suited for skin tones like hers after becoming fed up of the limited choice on the high street.

I know exactly how that feels. When I first started exploring make-up in my late teens, my first stop was my local Boots store where I was met with a very restricted selection. Clueless and pocketless too, I settled for an apparent match which I later discovered had pink tones and was completely wrong for my yellow/golden undertone. Well, how was I to know?!

To get the right match, I had to move up to the high-end spectrum and pay about 4 times the price. Ah, I remember the day clearly…it was the MAC counter in Selfridges… Ever since I’ve always purchased high-end foundations because as the girl at MAC pointed out, there are only about 5 shades on a high street brand and about 30 with the likes of MAC.

With a background as a biochemist, Farah’s philosophy was simple: to design the highest quality collection of products for exotic-skinned women, using only the best in cosmetic technology and to keep it affordable.

Two years in the making, the results are five foundations, five mineral powder foundations, three powders, three concealers and four blushers formulated to mimic the natural yellow/golden pigments found in Asian skins. By ‘Asian’, I mean Pakistani, Indian, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern skin tones.

I was sent EX1’s ‘Invisiwear’ Liquid Foundations in two shades: F200 and F300. The latter is slap bang in the middle and in fact a pretty accurate match for me, whereas F200 is too light.

The style of packaging is generically identical to some other foundations I’ve used (plastic bottle with a pump). It doesn’t look or feel expensive but for what it costs, I think it serves its purpose more than adequately.

It is priced at the very favourable £10.50 and is a lightweight and luminous liquid base with light diffusers to cover imperfections and provide a natural, soft finish. It’s been clinically and dermatologically tested, and is 100% oil and fragrance-free and non-pore clogging.

The formula is quite thick but very easy to work with. I have been wearing it every day to work and the coverage is remarkable; I’d say it’s medium but easy to build up to full. I have to say one thing though – when I used it over Illamasqua’s Hydra Veil, I noticed a profound difference in the foundation’s appearance. The use of Hydra Veil really enhanced it, giving a far superior finish. Compared to its competitors, EX1 Cosmetics is in a league of its own because I’ve not found any other high-street brand that has made a foundation with these results:

And that was taken with a flash… OK so I’ve got a full face of make-up but without a decent base, your face will look a mess – no matter what fancy products you’ve used.

My one concern is the limited number of shades. With only five currently available, I do wonder those who fall in-between or outside this spectrum will feel left out. By no means is it an easy task to do what Farah has accomplished, and it is positive to see things are moving in the right direction with (here’s hoping) the scope to expand for a skin group that is no longer considered a minority.

EX1 Cosmetics is currently available from Look Fantastic, Beauty Expert and HQ Hair.

For more information, visit their official website EX1 Cosmetics.

*PR sample

Why did you start your blog?
I’ve always loved cosmetics and beauty products, and my lovely friend Sheenie thought it would be a good idea for me to start one…. so I did.

How long have you been blogging for?
Not very long at all, just over a year. But if we were being precise 1 year 5 months (ish).

What do you enjoy most about blogging?
Sharing my thoughts on products and people responding to what I have written and hopefully. It’s nice helping people make decisions based on my thoughts.

What frustrates you most about blogging?
Trying to find time to blog – does that count?

What do your family and friends think of your blog?
They love it! I am always having to apply their make-up and paint their nails. It has even got to the stage they send me links to looks that they want me to try on them.

How frequently do you post?
Not as often as I should… trying to balance a busy work life with blogging can be difficult. Especially as I sit in front of a computer all day.

What’s your day job?
I’m a buyer for a department store. (Seriously Rhian gets paid to shop! – Sheenie)

How many bottles of nail varnish do you own?
100+ That’s easier than having to count them all.

Do you set yourself a budget, or do you buy on an as-and-when basis?
Budget? Ummm no. If I want it, I buy it.

What is your favourite make-up brand, and why?
Ooooo hard question, it’s difficult because I like to pick between a few, but if I were to say what brand I have most of within my collection it would be between MAC and Illamasqua.

Do you ever leave the house without wearing make-up?
Nope, never.

What’s your favourite beauty treatment to indulge in?
I love a deep exfoliating facial.

Tell us about the best holiday you’ve been on. 
That’s a hard one! There has been a couple of memorable ones for a number of reasons, and I loved Florida but I went to Barcelona last year, and it was one of the few places that I’ve been to that before I had even left Barcelona airport I was thinking about when I was going back.

What would be your ideal day off?
A theme park provided it wasn’t raining.

What is your favourite TV show?
Currently I would have to go with The Big Bang Theory, but if we were saying of all time it would be a toss up between The Office and Phoenix Nights.

What music do you enjoy listening to?
Everything and anything… no particular genre, if it sounds good – I like it even if it’s the height of cheesiness.

What is your favourite food?
If I were to pick one thing then probably King Prawns, but if it were a type of food then Chinese.

Where would you most like to go in the world? (money no object)
I have always wanted to go to Barbados so I would have to say there.

Which 3 guests would you invite to dine with you and why?
Ricky Gervais, controversial but I love him. Britney Spears because I grew up loving Britney and even through the questionable times I would still say she is pretty iconic to me and finally my best friend Bethan because it wouldn’t be the same without her.

Tell us a secret…
I have a crush on The Rock and I’ve had that crush for the last 13 years. *cringe*

Oh dear. Well thank you for telling us a bit about yourself, Rhian. Don’t forget to drop in on Pretty Green Eyes here.

The danger of going to Superdrug for painkillers is loading the basket with make-up often not paramount. It doesn’t help that they are positioned just at the entrance and if your branch is anything like my local, half of the huge store is a labyrinth of cosmetics.

One of the items that contributed to my £30 spend in under 5 minutes was Maybelline’s latest mascara, Volum’ Express The Rocket. Normally I don’t flutter my lashes at Maybelline’s mascaras because they’ve never impressed me but I had to try this one after seeing the dramatic results on other blogs.

Maybelline promises “explosive volume in rocket time” and clump-free lashes. The special patented wand has short bristles spaced out to ensure application glides through. I did find some of my lashes stuck together with the wet formula but using the wand to separate them gave me ample time before they dried to a dramatic finish.

It is proper jet black which is how I like my mascaras.  As for how it performs? Epic! It makes my lashes appear even longer and thicker particularly after two coats. If I am going to wear mascara, I like it to show since my natural lashes are black any way.

(Apologies for the slight clumping in the pictures, I was lazy in tidying them up!)

I really like this and for £7.99 it’s brilliant value (and you know, I don’t mind spending £20+ on a mascara that performs) – definitely one of my favourite products of the year.

Maybelline’s The Rocket Volum’ Express Mascara in Black usually costs £7.99 but it’s currently on offer for £5.99 in Superdrug. Also available in water-proof.

Red Velvet cupcakes is one of my baking specialities. Crimson red sponge topped with cream cheese frosting. Get Lippie loves them so much that she requested they be made for her wedding.

Red Velvet is also the name of Lime Crime’s liquid lipstick or to be exact, Velvetine Lip Colour. Are there other shades available? I don’t know. I bought this at UMAe last month and I think I paid £10 with the discount on offer that weekend (normally priced at £11.50).

I’ve never tried anything by Lime Crime. It’s a cult brand I’ve glossed over and to be fair, don’t really know a lot about it but I *do* know of it. One of those US brands that is difficult to get hold of here unless you buy at a trade make-up fair or online.

Vegan and cruelty-free, the Red Velvet Velvetine is a long-lasting, waterproof liquid lipstick that goes on with the ease of gloss and dries completely matte almost instantly. It is a rich, poppy red – dramatically vampish and sexy. The writing on the packaging is very Christmas-like, isn’t it? Was this originally a Christmas release? Anyone know?

I’ve tried other red matte liquid lipsticks like Sephora’s lip stain and Stila’s  Stay All Day™ Liquid Lipstick in Fiery. Lime Crime’s effort comes out top. It is unbelievably weightless – you forget it’s on your lips unlike Sephora and Stila which give you that uncomfortable film coating feeling. Those two also start to flake and peel over a short period of time, which Lime Crime’s Red Velvet Velvetine does not. At all. Nope. Not even the slightest crack.

It’s an absolutely beautiful and sizzling red that I’m thrilled to have in my collection. What do you think? Proper Rocky Horror Picture Show lips!