Sparklz and Shine

A wander round IMATS London 2012 - Harry Potter at the Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:16:00 +0000

This post is really for my kids, for whom I took these pics. I haven't really taken a lot of notice of the museum area before, but prosthetics from the Harry Potter films I just had to include.

A wander round IMATS London 2012 - Part1 - Part 2 -Part 3

A wander round IMATS London 2012 - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:07:00 +0000

Apologies for taking so long to get these out, been having a lovely half term with Mr Sparklz home too.

Two years ago the stage in the West Hall was tiny and very cramped, this year the Open Forum Stage allowed plenty of room to watch even when already at the seated capacity of 150. Once again David Klasfeld was first speaker of the day when I'm too busy touring the stands - one of these days I'll get to have a listen.

This year, Sleek attended with their giant i-Divine pop-up shop. No Spotlight sign up booth this year as they felt people preferred to shop at IMATS rather than taking the time out to sign up. I did manage a brief hello, the much promised website with Spotlight sign up facilitaties finally in place is due in April......

NYX had some amazing sets - very tempting:

Somerset College, demonstrating wig making and body painting:

There were some good prices to be had at Fero Beauty, but the feel of the brushes really didn't excite me.

Sam Chapman's Real Techniques Brushes on the other hand, were everything I expected them to be. On my pre-show purchase list, it sadly just didn't happen after my non return on Sunday.

Both the Real Techniques stand and the Make up Atelier Paris stand next door, were run by the fabulous @lovemake_up who's now in charge of MAP's UK presence. As a newcomer to the show and the UK last year, I hadn't really taken much notice of MAP. The French assistant who matched me for foundation put me off with a colour I knew wasn't me at all. With Sue in charge this year, the stand had a very different feel. I left my temptation for a turquoise shadow palette and an awesome Gel Liner I was playing with in Azure Blue, to stew overnight.... Bah too many things I wanted to go back for.

Which reminds me, the IMATS discount of 30% off from Make-UpAtelierParis.co.uk has been extended to 20 Februray. Discount code is IMATS

Vincent de Monfreid Chief Makeup Artist for Make-Up AtelierParis

Next up, the Bdellium Tools stand, proving that brushes don't have to be dull, glowed with the Green - Eco friendly and Yellow - Antibacterial, trademark colours of this Californian brush company.

Make up International

I was very taken with the hair jewels on the Miss Adoro stand, unfortunately I don't own any straighteners, having never had the desire for straight hair, so bringing some of these home seemed a bit pointless. I enjoyed wearing the trial set I had in though, to the point that buying straighteners seemed like a good option ;p

Thanks to the anonymous lady who agreed for me to use her pics

They also stocked some seriously bright nail wraps a few of which I may have purchased for a giveaway.

Finally for the middle section of the hall, Dermalogica and Beauty So Clean. The Cosmetic Sanitisers from Beauty So Clean were without a doubt, my best and most used investment form IMATS 2011, well worth checking them out.

A wander round IMATS London 2012 - Part1 - Part 2

A wander round IMATS London 2012 - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:25:00 +0000

Last Saturday morning saw me wandering around the newly enlarged space at IMATS London. Thanks to a move from the West Hall to the Great Hall, the space seemed positively empty during the first hour and a half. Having wandered to the left as I entered the hall, see Part 1, I continued to explore the back part of the hall, moving through the centre before finally arriving at Illamasqua, whose stand proved to be the busyiest I had seen, and continued to be so, all day.

I've split the rest of my IMATS pics into 3 sections corresponding to this progress.

Alexandra Palace Floor Plan

Hakuhodo do make the most beautiful brushes which I had considered to be well out of my price range. However whilst browsing later with Jane, I discovered that they do have some more affordable, if not quite so luscious - still pretty marvellous - lines. Hakuhodo weren't offering any price reductions but the lure of not having to pay import fees is still a big draw.

Opposite Hakuhodo was Lady Burd Private Label Cosmetics who had one of the prettiest displays on offer.

I loved all the colours, but these prettys weren't for playing with unless you're up for starting your own private line. Lady Burs do seem to be making this a fairly pretty easy thing to do however as I seem to recall they were suggesting that stock could be purchased with a minimum value of only $150.

Sadly I didn't get back to the Wolfe Face Art & FX stand after taking this early pic, to say hello to the lovely people from Team Pixie. They're a must visit if face and body painting is your thing.

Pro Chart

This was my third year at IMATS and once again I managed to miss the judging for the student competition, which this year had the themes Animal Kingdom on Saturday and Men in Black Aliens for Sunday. Here are some of the students in action earlier in the day and a close up of that gorgeous blue creation I managed to catch later in the day just as the model was set to head off home I think.

Embryolisse, is a company that have been part of the IMATS hype since my first visit 2 years ago. Every year I intend to indulge and every year I don't. Despite being a very well thought of product, I guess my mind is more on make-up than base products and when it comes to it, it's always that bit too costly want to allocate part of my budget too. This year I was further put off by the worst IMATS talk I've been to yet. Kevin James Bennett's Prep for Success was nothing but a glorified sales pitch - with jokes that really didn't translate to the British audience. Well that's how I found it anyway...I wanted to leg it from very early on. The talks I've attended in previous years, Eve Pearl and Louise Young, Alex Box in 2011 and Vargas and Alex Box in 2010 have been in a whole different class.

Embryolisse

On stand demos are always a great way to catch peoples attention, although the large pile of Bioderma in the middle of Guru Makeup Emporium was a pretty big draw too. The pile was pretty small by the time I made it back to buy - £12.40 - very pleased to have some at last, it's been on my hit list since using it on my first course at Illamasqua 18 months ago.

Checking out the stands in advance of the show, I noticed that Make up Forever were positioned right next to Guru and wondered how this would work given that Guru usually offer the best MUFE rates at IMATS. The answer of course was that Guru had seized the opportunity afforded by the popularity of their 35% off offer to bring us a whole separate MUFE stand.

IMATS regulars Charles Fox, with Kryolan and Eve Pearl bring to an end my tour of the North end of the Alexandra Palace Great Hall.

Charles H Fox Ltd - Kryolan London

Eve Pearl

Pictures of the Central area of the Great Hall to follow in part 3.

I purchased my non refundable ticket for Saturday though later received a press pass

BIBA Love!

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:49:00 +0000

Who wouldn't love one of these?!

Unfortunately we're 25 years to late - but you can see it in the Museum of London.......

A wander round IMATS London 2012 - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:02:00 +0000

So yesterdays rant aside, I have so many pics to share that spreading them over several posts seems the only way to give you a flavour of the event. Editing the pics has proved the odd down moment of realising I meant to go back and look at this or that. I'm also noticing how my Olympus doesn't always take the best pics at IMATS and a combination with the cheaper camera for speed with less colour accuracy may have been a better option.

The Great Hall - so much more spacious

This was my first IMATS not spent alone, and I had a really lovely time browsing with Modesty Brown. I really felt the difference yesterday in Wood Green. I was acutely aware that I would have been spurred on if I hadn't been alone. Sorry, keep trying to get away from yesterday, but without much success.

I spent the first hour before Jane arrived taking pics whilst the stands were relatively quite and despite my best efforts with a downloaded floor plan the day before I simply set out for a random wander.

Already excited about IMATS on Friday I went into overdrive when I checked out the virtual tour of the Great Hall on the Ally Pally website. Just walking in you knew it was going to be a whole different experience with all the space available. High ceilings and wider aisles. Throughout the day nowhere had the claustrophobic feeling of previous years. Even MAC pro and Illamasqua who remained the most obviously busy all day.

Entering the hall the MUD, Make-Up Designory stand towered above everything in a style more familiar to Pro Beauty than IMATS. I first came across MUD at IMATS 2 years ago when I picked up a couple of Blushes that have received much use in the intervening time. Last year they were absent, so I was keen to take a look when I heard they'd be back. MUD have schools in Los Angeles and New York and it turns out the reason for the big arrival at this years IMATS is because they've just launched a European branch of their school in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Chatting later in the day to one of the guys on the stand, it sounds an idyllic place to study makeup. They had a gorgeous looking pink lipstick on the cover of their promotional Newspaper - sadly not available at IMATS, but I was very taken by a red called Lady-Bug...cos I needed another red...of course.

Next along, was another favourite of mine from previous years, OCC, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.

Two years ago we were all blown away by their Lip Tars and taken by surprise at the demand, many colours sold out by lunchtime. Despite assuming this as a dead cert purchase and having a couple of colours in mind I left with nothing despite several visits during the day. I'm not sure if they had my longed for colours or not, many of the names had rubbed off the testers, but also I'm well aware that I reach for my Sleek Pout Paints, which have less of a bleed factor, than I do for the Lip Tars. If ethical stance is important to you though, I think the ingredient list for the Lip Tars is almost certainly the one your after as OCC are 100% Vegan and Cruelty Free. If I remember rightly Sleeks Pout Paint contain Bees Wax.

I do love the new season blue and orange and if my budget had been as big as previous years I would definitely have indulged. Cocktail Cosmetics and Love Makeup are both great places to pick up OCC in the UK and you can check them out in person at Filthy Gorgeous, Debenhams London and Glasgow.

My pictures of adesign brushes and Paris Berlin, who's stand seemed much smaller than previous years, were sadly lacking.

LA Splash

Although I didn't really check out Mistair and Stage Line Professional's stand in detail they had some impressive body painting going on throughout the day.

Some how I think this wander may take a few posts having taken a large chunk of today to sort and edit the pics. Back soon with more.

IMATS London 2012 - The Good, The Bad and the Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:53:00 +0000

Most of the 'Good' will actually come in the following posts -I have 270 pics to go through - but for this post, suffice to say that the move to the Great Hall made a huge difference to how the show felt. Even at peak times yesterday it didn't have the daunting feel of previous years.

Today sadly for me has been a whole other story. This morning I decided to take the plunge and drive in snow for the first time. I would say that driving to Alexandra Palace is probably the easier option for anybody living in the northern half of Greater London. No traipsing in to the centre and then out again. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy using public transport and would have been this morning. But at the last moment having monitored the tube and roads and twitter I decided to be brave and go the shortest route.

My moment of triumph when I arrived however was to be short lived as I was directed from one carpark to the next. The first attendant turned me away with a cheery exhibitors only, the second said try down the hill. In between of course it dawned on me just how rammed the park of 'The Peoples Palace' was. Everyone had turned out not for IMATS, but to slide down that awesome hill. Briefly I thought how the kids would have enjoyed it, then I reached the lower car park and that was shut too.

Not wanting to leave the park on the side that I came out of and then got lost 2 years ago I managed to manoeuvre a turn in the snowy packed parking area at the bottom of Alexandra Palace Way. Back tracking through the park I stopped yet again to ask a group of attendants one of whom turned out to be a policeman. I couldn't quite believe that all the parking was full and no according to him the car parks had actually been shut for safety reasons. They'd been taken by surprise by just how much snow had been dumped down over night and there was more on the way - not according to any weather forecasters I'm aware of then - so I'd have to find my way to a car park some place in Wood Green and then walk back.

If you've ever driven or got lost in London you'll know there aren't actually very many places to stop and check a map or even programme a Sat Nav for that matter. Too many double yellows and restricted areas, never mind about today's snow mounds to get stuck in. But actually, after another double pass through the park....on the off chance of a space on the side of the road becoming available, I found my way into the centre of Wood Green fairly easily. I had to park, if only because I was desperate for the loo by now.

Finding my way out again I wasn't so sure about and looking at the map a trek of a couple of miles beckoned, but not without a visit to a ladies, some food and a hot drink.

Emotion has finally given way to anger, that a £40 a day event can be hosted at a place that can't even keep it's car parks open. Hasn't the snow of the last few years taught them anything about what can happen overnight. We knew this snow was coming all day yesterday at least, weather watchers like my husband will tell you that the met office issued a warning as early as Thursday. Perhaps there was more than expected, but a conference venue that can accommodate 10,400 people should have been prepared. If the roads into the venue are passable then so should the car parks be. There were no warnings from them on twitter or on their website not to travel there by car. In fact the only mention I now see is on the IMATS website which helpfully reminds people that the tickets were non refundable.

Strong Sunday Turnout Despite Snow

posted Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012

Saturday night the Alexandra Palace area was hit with several inches of snow, which hampered transportation efforts to get up the hill. Despite this, many excited attendees managed to make their way to Palm Court to check in. As a reminder, tickets are non-refundable, even for difficulties caused by snow.

I bought my ticket for yesterday before I realised I might be eligible for a press pass, today I hoped to check out a few more talks, and chat to a few more brands - My chat with Sleek Makeup a hugely popular post from last years IMATS happened on the generally more relaxed Sunday. I love IMATS. meeting and chatting to new brands taking pics - which is pretty much all I did for the first hour yesterday - knowing I had today for more meeting and chatting and buying.....or so I thought. So today didn't cost me, except in petrol and parking but this post is on behalf of anyone else in my position who did pay and got turned away.

I took a huge emotional leap by driving to get to IMATS today only to end up paying to park in a shopping centre car park. To add insult to injury I went into Costa for a sandwich and hot chocolate, but there was nowhere to sit. I've never seen a coffee shop that looked more reminiscent of an old fashioned Sunday lunch time pub. More than 90% full of men - not a place an already stressed female wants to join someone's table. The mall had nowhere to sit either so I wandered out into the street only for snow melt to drop off the roof into my chocolate. Welcome to Wood Green! And then some youths thought it amusing to pelt me with some snowballs whilst I ate my sandwich as I wandered towards the bus stop. No Oyster card with me of course to keep the travel at a reasonable price because I came by car. Did I want to return to this place in a few hours time with ice setting in, I pondered whilst sitting at the bus stop, or get the hell out to my warm home. I chose the latter, couldn't even face a bit of retail therapy in Boots......

A wander round IMATS London 2012 - Part1 - Part 2

Alexandra Palace is a great resource held in trust for the free use of the people and should stay that way.

A bit of meteorological understanding might help though if you're going to hold major events at a time of year susceptible to frozen precipitation in the form of a six-sided ice crystals.

Actually I did come home with some Fairy washing up liquid and some wrapping foil for sandwiches....not exactly comfort shopping!

A note about disappearing.

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

One day you're celebrating two years of blogging, the next day you're hearing sad family news that puts blogging and all thoughts of cosmetics firmly into second place. There is just so much to be cherished and thankful for.

What with that, and several heavy rounds of homework needing my attention, I've ended up with a bit of writers block. It's always the same, the longer I don't post, the more pressure I heap on myself to get the next post just right....and before you know it 2 weeks have gone by. Hopefully get there soon. x

Carrots Ginger Duracell......in case you were wondering what colour my hair used to be

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:54:00 +0000

I don't have a scanner so I photographed these pics some time last year, for a post about my hair that never happened. I thought as a follow on from my henna stories and to celebrate the Blog's second birthday you might like ~~a giggle~~ to see why I don't do dull when it comes to my hair. Having survived names like Duracell at school, being described as mousy (no offence to mousy people of course) a few years back, well I just wasn't having it!!

oops black and white - that won't help!

Not convinced this is a true representation of the colour either - 70s colour processing...

This one doesn't help either, purely for your amusement....

You could say nothings changed - still covering my face in bizarre ways with slap.

Oh and they tried to give me the boys prize....when my Mum intervened I got my first ever solid perfume, with a peachy pink sunset on the lid I think - probably Avon.

Strange fashion for Holy Communion to be celebrated looking like a bride.

Yes I am cutting a cake.

Seriously loved having curly hair for school the next day where it had been up in a bun all day.

And why I haven't embraced a fringe......

The remains of a Carol Decker Spiral perm gone wrong.
The first time round was fine, the second version, from the towns 'best' hair dresser had it splitting from the roots.

And then it was gone.......the beginning of the fade...

recognise the dress?

Sparklz and Shine 2nd Blog Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:47:00 +0000

It's that time of the year when you feel like your giving your own private awards ceremony speech! Thank you all....

Seriously, I do want to thank you all, every one of you, who have ever read this blog, commented on it, here or on twitter or Facebook and generally supported me along the way. All the lovely people I've met at events, all the brands I've been introduced to via different blogs and PR peeps. Mr Sparklz for being the ever present proof reader......

See told you it was like an award ceremony speech!

Basically

Thank you!

Henna follow up........and blue lips

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Last weeks post about my henna use was somewhat lacking in pics of the finished article. Thank you to Debbie for the dig in the ribs! So here are a few I took this morning:

Today was a day when nothing seems to go right with your makeup - age catching up with me on my lids and brow colour just not making me happy - my response to this frustration was to finish the look with Illamasqua's Disciple - Navy Lipstick and Vilolate - Dark Green Shimmer sheer Lipgloss.

PR Samples = Disciple and Violate

Escentual's Blog of the Week / Year - Who's your favourite?

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:01:00 +0000

Throughout 2011 Escentual.com supported a wide range of Bloggers with their 'Blog of the Week' feature: paying homage to the uniqueness and the knowledge that's out there in the beauty, lifestyle and fragrance blogosphere. With image montages, links to particular posts, Twitter feeds or Facebook pages, the 'Blog of the Week' posts show that the folk at Escentual really engaging with blogs, not just listing them as a bit of lip service to blogging.

This year they have decided to go for a post of the week feature instead: a summary of the latest and greatest news from our blog roll. We’ll be featuring the informative, the funny, the strange and the unique right here every Friday.

So on Friday they announced that, to round the 'Blog of the Week' feature off, all 52 blogs, plus any extra's nominated would be up for the chance to win £250 worth of vouchers:

We've chosen 52 of the many bloggers who have made us laugh, captured our imagination, and kept us duly informed in 2011 - now it's your turn to vote for your favourite!
We're offering you the chance to vote for your favourite out of our 'Blog of the Week' recipients, or nominate your own preferred blogger for Escentual's Blog of the Year. The lucky winner will receive a £250 Escentual gift voucher with which to expand their beauty collection.
The winner will be picked based purely on the amount of votes they receive from you, our customers and visitors. No panels, no favouritism, no 'industry experts' - we want to know which blogs you enjoy the most.

Voting is open until 1st February, and you have just one vote so choose your favourite wisely!

I'm not one to do the vote for me thing:

So I won't, but there are some fab Bloggers on this list so go check them out and maybe vote for one of them:

The above list has been copied directly from Escentual.com - who know how to hyperlink their award nominees ;p

New Year's Pamper Day......for a Busy Mum

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:44:00 +0000

With being ill before Christmas and stitches before that, my roots were badly in need of some attention. finally on New Year's Day I found time to rectify this. Henna, has been my friend on an off for years now since my natural colour started fading when I was about 20. Natural red seems to fade quickly just like dyed red, although the comes 'grey' - total loss of pigment producing white hairs - comes quite late.

Because of the natural inclination of my hair I can use a lot less henna and leave it on for a lot less time than is quoted for people changing their hair colour. I can do 15 minutes to a couple of hours depending what mood I'm in and time available. The colour tends to be richer and less brassy the longer it's on - or so I've read. I've never managed to be scientific enough about it to get a definite on that one.

My introduction to Henna came through the Body Shop who also used to sell a henna conditioner of a similar colour and pungency. At some point that changed to a pale pink synthetic mix and I gave up interest in it. Because of my irregular dyeing habits and not needing to use a whole packet at a time it took me a while to realise that the Body Shop no longer stocked henna. I'm guessing it went out with the L'Oréal takeover..... Gutted I set out on some Internet research and discovered sites like Henna Boy, Handful of Henna, Renaissance Henna and Elaine's experiments at HennaBlog (Apparently I did read a blog before Christmas 2 years ago after all). From then on the experimenting really started. There are so many recipes and suggestions out there but mostly these days I mix it with a splodge of olive oil - too much and the colour is inhibited, and a little sugar - this helps the mixture stick - whether that's really as necessary on hair as it is on skin the jury is out, but it does make a nice consistency. I also add some coffee occasionally for a slightly darker colour. The Body Shop used to carry 2 red versions, red was just henna and red/brown was a henna /coffee mix.

I purchased my first post Body shop Henna from Renaissance Henna - lovely quality stuff. The biggest difference to me initially was the fineness of the powder. The Body Shop Henna was always noticeably finely crushed leaves, from Renaissance I received a smooth even powder that makes for a much nicer past and application. Body Art quality Henna is the way to go. I also never remember being told to leave the mix to stand covered over night to aide the dye release. Just long enough for it to cool after being mixed with hot not quite boiling water. Basically I think the combinations are endless. One additive I would definitely suggest avoiding is lemon juice. It's used to prepare Henna for Skin, and like sugar has crossed over, but it's an irritant you probably don't want to be putting on your scalp.

In the distant past I also bought henna from one of those old fashioned health food shops that have mostly disappeared now. Shelves of contents in jars like a sweet shop. Then more recently from a spice seller on eBay - the colour release on that was so poor it went straight in the bin! For the last year at least though I've been using Ayuuri Natural Mehandi Powder after finding it on sale in my local Tesco. It's sold for body art, but Henna is Henna. Whilst I'm not huge at patch testing, I do patch test every time a new source of henna and generally only do a 15 minute session the first time. I've found it to be a good reliable henna that allows me to keep my hair bright on a budget and allows me to divert more of my money to quality facial products and make up.

This session ended up at around 2 hours with a carrier bag and towel on my head - whilst I pampered my face with the Bee Venom Mask from Heaven and made lunch. I'm really enjoying using this mask as I think you can definitely see the difference. This is another item that needs patch testing, this may sound obvious given the name of the product and it's active ingredient, but I'd kind of like the wording to be a bit more obvious than it is. Whilst confined to the salon the information can be conveyed easily to the client but as it hits a wider market and other companies follow in on the act I think the information needs to be more obvious. Having previously had a young child admitted to hospital with swelling tongue etc after reacting to a source that was never identified I'm all for clear and obvious guidelines. I'm very strict about my kids going near my potions but not everybody is or is able to be. Like yesterday when my youngest sprayed themselves with furniture polish!! School T-shirt only thankfully not the face.

I patch tested on my jaw line where I'm starting to see sag and loss of tone and could definitely see and feel an improvement compared to the other side of my face. The Heaven mask costs £65 and is available from Nuti Beauty who I notice when checking this link have a whole range of items (Not inc the Venom Mask) at up to 40% off in their January sale. The Bee Venom Mask has a hefty reputation which I think it really stands up to. Whether similar products snapping at it's heels can replicate this remains to be seen.

After lunch I jumped in the shower to wash the henna out. A little messy I know but my neck and back don't do the leaning over the sink thing too well and I find I can get more thorough dyeing to wash out that way. I once went with the suggestion to comb it out and sleep with the henna on overnight. The result for me was no better and my scalp didn't appreciate it either - I may still have had lemon juice in the mix at the time!!

Premium Spa is a brand I would love to see on sale in this country, it's a well priced 'No Nasties' brand who's products I fell in love with when Aldi had them in as a Valentines Special 2 years ago. At the time they were being distributed here by Baylis & Harding solely to Aldi and then no more... Their Ginger & Orange SOS Hand Cream Treatment is my absolute favourite and thankfully I bought more than one at the time. I only picked up one of each of the Body Scrubs however so I keep them as a special treat, particularly the Chamomile and Geranium Salt Scrub which is my clear favourite. The scent of the geranium fills the bathroom and I find the whole experience utterly calming and relaxing. It's not really a scrub for the shower, more the bath, as water getting into the pot hardens the salt crystals, but for NYD it was the perfect indulgence I was after.

The light for photos on New Years day was awful

On the other hand I find the Premium Spa Lavender & Peppermint Foot Scrub, which I can no longer find on their website, ideal for use in the shower. The consistency is viscous enough and gritty enough to get a thorough scrub without losing too much product to the shower. It's quite a gungy brown colour which I guess maybe could have put people off.

Post shower I'm loving my Vidal Sassoon Daily Hydration Hairdryer. Long years ago I gave up drying my hair. It just took so long. My hair isn't thick but there's a fair amount of it and I found drying it a tortuous waste of time. I've been a 90's wash and go grunge babe ever since. At one point there was no hair dryer in the house! But once the kids started to grow proper hair I did indulge but still wasn't won over for myself. My hair, like my skin is starting to age and I know the windswept look isn't going to carry me through the next 10 years as easily as the last 20.

So I was intrigued to receive a press release promising to dry my hair more quickly whilst locking in moisture and pleased to then be offered the chance to try it out for myself. They say: It has an on-board IONIC generator which produces four times the number of IONS as a standard hairdryer. Negative IONs help to break down water particles, reducing drying time and helping to lock in moisture. I can honestly say it's changed my habits completely over the last 2 months. I get out of the shower and reach straight for the dryer. It really does have my hair blasted dry quick enough for me not to be bored stiff. My hair feels more glossy as a result too. Twenty pounds that would have been very well spent and the black and purple slightly rubberised / silicone soft touch feel of the product ticks my boxes too! As does the rotation put away handle.

Sundays pamper wouldn't have been complete without a touch of indulgence in the form of Hair and Body Oil from Beauty Works West. This is a lovely surprise I was sent by Beauty Works West after entering a giveaway for their facial wipes on Caroline's Blog . At £47 for 100ml this one is definitely hitting the luxury category, but oh what a treat. I find the scent of this oil is truly delicious, sweet and sort of orangey but not cloying. Argan and Apricot oils are listed in the product description together with active botanicals Calendula, Ginkgo Biloba, Arnica and Pomegranate, so I'm not sure where I'm getting orangey from..... I like to add a touch to the tips of my hair and my upper body where the scent wafts up to me. I have used it on my legs but on the whole the oil doesn't deliver enough moisture on it's own to make my irritable legs feel comfortable.

That job went to another favourite I have Caroline to thank for. All for Eve's Body Butter is thick. Thicker than any other body butter I've tried. I really didn't like it at first. Not because of the cucumber fragrance - I hate the smell of cucumber - which I really don't notice, but because it doesn't have the ease of movement that other body butters possess. It doesn't glide on so easily. Over time however it's what I reach for when my legs are cross and itchy because it packs a welly in the hydration department. It's not on my list of sexy products but boy do my legs love it. All for Eve exist to raise awareness of gynaecological cancer not 'just' raise money through their sales. The fabulous 5 piece set which launched as a Today's Special Value last year is still available from QVC for £28.45 inc postage - a great price as the Body Butter and Daniel Sandler Lippie cost £10.50 a piece. All for Eve is also available in some Boots...I've never seen it there so maybe big stores and is I believe due to be part of Tesco's push into premium beauty this coming year.

Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream was the first item I've tried from the Sp@Home range, although I realise from the recent QVC TSV that the Monoi Moisture Melt, another pamper favourite, has been rebranded under this title too. The range is about slowing down the pace at the end of the day, taking time to nourish the body and de-stress the mind. Relaxation is key. The key note for me however, was that this didn't smell of peppermint. I know peppermint is great for feet, but I don't always want them to be smelling of it. This one has; patchouli, eucalyptus, and lemon oils together with shea butter and jojoba oil and does the job very nicely thank you!

PR Samples = Bee Venom Mask via Nutri Beauty, Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream via QVC, Vidal Sassoon Daily Hydration Hairdryer. Hair and Body Oil gift from from Beauty Works West

A look at Paul and Joe's 10th Anniversary - Meow!

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Blusher Stick in Minou

Paul & Joe are all set to celebrate their 10th Anniversary in style, kicking off this January with Meow! How better to start the year than a collection that celebrates Sophie Albou's love of cats and draws inspiration from the ultimate in sex kittens Bridget Bardot.

First out of the stalls, launching exclusively with ASOS on New Years day, will be 3 Face & Eye Colour trios £19.50 and 3 lipsticks £16.

Purr-fect 078

Subtle Ivory and Moss

Siamese, Please 076

Kittycat 077

Each trio contains not just colours that work naturally together, but contrasting textures, matte, pearlescent and shiny to give a professional look and finish. Ideal then for anyone fed up of collections that lack that matte colour that can really set off an eye design. As you can see from the pic above, only the Paul & Joe name is an overlay. The colours can be blended together for use on the cheeks, though I would think you would need to be on the slightly more daring side to try this with Purr-fect. Having said that, I would imagine many of these beauties might well be bought just to stare in wonder at.

Outer packaging for Face and Eye Colour

Meow! - sweet natural pink

Catwalk - modish coral

Sex Kitten - sexy nude beige

Meow! - Catwalk - Sex Kitten

The full Meow! range will then hit Fenwick, New Bond St on the 14th and Harrods on the 25th January.

The amazing top hatted Blusher Stick in Minou is one of 3 colours available. The back of the cats head is smooth to allow easy application whilst not interfering with the stunning design. To maintain the required level of detail, each cat head mould could only be used a few times before being discarded. Minou is a romantic subtle pink, whilst Glamour Puss gives a pearlescent beige highlight and Catfight a bold tangerine burst. £21

Nail Enamels £10

Manekineko - Bright Hot Pink

Kitten Claws - High Society Soft Pink

Tigress - Pearlescent nude hue

The Meow! collection's Cat Flick comes in the form of Paul & Joe's signature Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in black - £16 - and can be spotted at the top of the table shot near beginning of the post. I haven't tried it, but the information promises an easy application that doesn't fade or smudge. Infused with Quick Dry Oil to ensure even application that dries in a snap and Lasting Film Polymers that form a waterproof coat. The liner comes with a tapered flat travel style brush - only just visible behind the nail enamel boxes in my picture – perfect to control application and ensure the look you desire.

Bringing a close to the first of Paul & Joe's ten year Anniversary offerings, is this stunning Matte Pressed Powder. If my memory serves me correctly the tails on these cats each had to be set by hand. Priced at £28 the powder is described as Cinnamon - natural, warm beige flawless on any skin tone, mixing the Spicy Beige of the cat with the Clear Beige of the background. The lid design of the compact can be seen here.

The whole collection will be available from Beauty Bay from 1st February.

Pictures taken at PR event

Illamasqua Sale - Now!

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:01:00 +0000

Products that jump out at me:

Art of Darkness Liquid Metal Collection £20

Or £10 each

Body Electrics Illumine Oil £7.50

Originally £32

Some stunning red Cream Blushers for £10, Cream Eyeshadow in Morn still a favourite £5 and tons of false lashes for £5.

And finally Smash - which has been on my wish list for ages:

Illamasqua School of Make Up Art - Experimental Colour Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:28:00 +0000

Back in November, I had the opportunity to attend an Illamasqua Experimental Colour Workshop having won it at an event at the School which I was invited to by Airbase. Of the four Illamasqua School of Make Up Art courses I've been on (The rest paid for by me - well Mr Sparklz really) I think I enjoyed this one the most. Not because it was better, but where the others showed me how much I need to learn, this was far more in my comfort and enjoyment zone. It was actually strange to be 'in a place' where everyone else was feeling the anxieties that I'm usually struck with and I'm happy as Larry. It just doesn't happen.

First up we had to use make up like it was paint - particularly with reference to artist Joshua Petker. I spent ages yesterday wondering where the paper I'd made a note of his name was and finally gave up. Finding that I'd taken this pic just in case highlights the value of taking numerous pics when on a course. How I wish word processors and digital cameras had been this available when I was studying.

A highlight for me, was having another make-up artist play with my face in the way that I do. I loved this look done by the very talented Mary-Ann Richardson.

Couldn't resist putting my hat on to hide the slap head

Playing with textures, I'm straight in there with my fingers and maybe the odd brush. Mary-Ann had the pleasure of 2 of us working on her at once due to a last minute drop out on the course.

Lots of cream pigments and some wet liquid metal tears?!

Next up Educator and National MUA Daniel demonstrated the use of masking tape to produce looks based on make up at one of last years Dior haute couture shows.

Having seen Daniel use Powder Shadow in Dare over Bedaub Cream Pigment, I NEEDED to play with this. The Dare really comes alive! I bought Bedaub earlier in the year after seeing it used to deal with redness, so needless to say Dare went straight in my shopping basket. Got to wait for Christmas to play with it though.....

I picked Cream Pigment in Depravity for the lid, and again it's fascinating to see the colour that appears from a red powder shadow. I'm fairly certain that Daniel said this was Daemon. The combo is awesome, though the untidied up nature of the bedaub in the pic continues to irritate me, I love it!

Picture published with permission and may NOT be reproduced.

Jade Mitchell

Finished with Cake Liner in Mislead - having always struggled with gel liners setting on me, I am a serious lover of the Illamasqua cake / sealing gel / liner brush combo. Even before I ever tried it I was struck by this review from Pink Sith and hooked, using it again I am totally reeled in.

After lunch the inspiration turned to stain glass windows. For me, this gave room for more experiments with how different Cream Pigment bases changed the hues of the Powder Shadows and Pure Pigments.

Thank you to my model the lovely Aphrodita

Stain glass hand?

Illamasqua's Experimental Colour Workshop costs £200 - check out their website or chat to Chinyee who Manages the Illamasqua School of Make Up Art.

I had a fabulous day - Thank you Illamasqua!

A Billion Stars - FrontCover Swatches

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:10:00 +0000

I was overjoyed to see this addition to the FrontCover To Go range. I loved last years To Go Palette and the Spring Collection that followed, but really wanted a few slightly less shimmery additions to go with it. So seeing the Satin Pressed neutrals and Shot Silk Effect Blues and Greens in this set was most exciting. Having said that BrickBat and Baby's Eyes in Baked Powder have really wowed me here too. Meanwhile I'll continue to nudge FrontCover along to bring us some mattes - please please!

For some reason my photography sessions with this set have been pants - I've had several goes and they still don't measure up to my exacting standards, but here goes:

The set contains, Shadowline, which I've raved on about endlessly before - Changes any of the shadows into eyeliner - especially recommend you have a go at this with the Twinkle Baked Powders. Eye Effects Glue to Keep those Billion Stars in place and Shadowbase simply a brilliant base for your shadows. I've swatched all 16 shadows with a base of Shadowbase across the top of the swatch tailing down to bare skin. This gives an idea of how much difference the Shadowbase makes if you want colour intensity or the subtleness that can be achieved without. Glitter Stars and 2 pigment pots make up the rest of A Billion Stars. The set costs £35 and is part of Boots 3 for 2 offer.

Green Moon - Brickbat
Good photos of these two and the Twinkle Baked Shadows have evaded me.

Or - Icy Lavender

Hoar Frost - Ink Blot

Dawn Chorus - Darkly

Over Shadowbase - Without Shadowbase

As above but in bright winter sunlight

See here, here and here for information on other 2011 Christmas sets from FrontCover.

PRSample

Swarovski Ornaments - Not just for Christmas?

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:02:00 +0000

I've been in bed with some virus or other for the past couple of days, so this week's posts are once again on hold. In the mean time, I thought share this little beauty with you. Being the Sparkly lady I am Mr Sparklz drew it to my attention as we steamed through town the other day. This picture doesn't do justice to the thing at all. I call it a thing, because he was seeing it as something I would wear round my neck, though looking at it now on the Swarovski site I see it's a Christmas Ornament. I'm still very tempted it must be said. Minus the dodgy 2011 tag of course (Sorry Swarovski- though it makes sense now I know it's an ornament I have to admit). At 6.5 x 8.1 cm it's not small and may well be too heavy. The Star does have a little brother however which could prove more wearable.....

3.7 x 4.8 cm and without the tag....if I get well enough to go have a proper look.....who knows!

The Stars cost, £50 and £29.00 respectively or there are sets of 2 and 3 if you do want them as ornaments.

You're all going to be coming up to me saying hello Christmas tree if I wear one now though aren't you ;p

Murad 'Celebrate you!'

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:31:00 +0000

Next up are three gift sets from a brand I've really come to know and Love this last year. Murad's Energizing Pomegranate Lip Protector has become a constant in my coat pocket. I love the fresh smell and soothing nature of the Essential-C Cleanser and regularly reach for the Murad's Blemish & Wrinkle Reducer to deal with the spots that will insist on taking up residence on my face.

So I was delighted to discover that they have three amazingly priced gift sets for Christmas all under the banner of 'Celebrate you!'

The Renew Radiance collection checks in at £59.50 for a selection valued separately at £133 and includes the smaller size of my much loved Essential-C Cleanser.

Active Radiance Serum 30ml [full size]

Essential-C Cleanser 45ml

Essential-C Day Moisture 21ml

Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture 7.5ml

Embrace Balance brings a bundle of Pomegranate products especially for combination skin. Priced £39.50 the set's full size Pore Refining Gel costs £47 alone.

Pomegranate Cleanser 50ml

Pomegranate Moisturiser SPF 15 30ml

Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask x2 sachets

T Zone Pore Refining Gel 60ml

Finally Get Glowing brings a selection of Murad's Resurgence range.

During the years leading up to menopause, the body produces decreasing quantities of skin-enhancing estrogen. Since the face has a high concentration of estrogen receptors, menopause may be at its most visible there. Murad Resurgence® is the first comprehensive line of products to address the signs of hormonal ageing.

That paragraph interests me a lot, as only this morning I looked at the deteriorating quality of my skin and wondered what my hormones were up to, for it to be losing texture so visably. I think this one could well have been on my Christmas wish list if I didn't know that Mr Sparklz had my present sorted already.

This set does have two much smaller size products in it, but at £49.50 is still over £30 cheaper than the products usually sell for.

Age-Diffusing Serum 30ml [full size]

Renewing Cleanser 45ml

Sheer Lustre Day Moisture 7.5ml

Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture 7.5ml

More information about the kits and their contents can be found on Murad's website.
Nearest Salon/ Stockist page.

Pomegranate Lip Protector and Blemish & Wrinkle Reducer = PR Samples

Essential-C Cleanser = Gift with Magazine - I liked it so much Mr Sparklz bought 2 more

Nails inc Couture and Try it On

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:49:00 +0000

With untold numbers of Christmas school events to attend, pinning me down to Christmas gift related posts is just not a happening thing. Yet today I've seen 2 ideas I couldn't help but share. I caught sight of Nails inc Couture earlier this evening - what a fab idea for a gift! £20 is a bit on the steep side for a polish but I love the idea of being able to pick and choose to make a really special present for someone. I couldn't resist a play!

Got to have the pink bling:

Should it be this:

Or may be this:

Name your creation:

Pick your own:

Also new to the Nails inc site, since I last had a browse, is the try it on facility. Not all the colours look as realistic as each other but a great facility, especially if you're trying to pick something out for the lady in your life.

To have a play visit Nails inc Couture or Try it On .

Paul and Joe 2011 Christmas Holiday Ornamental Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:40:00 +0000

Given my love for all things green, the Paul & Joe Ornamental Holiday Collection is an absolute feast to the eyes:

I'm so in love with the green and silver packaging.

But Paul & Joe isn't all mouth and no trousers - it's easy to think that so much style will mean a lack of substance. Production values and quality are as high for what goes in the box as they are for the beautiful presentation.

Paul & Joe beauty produce high quality products in a selection of sophisticated, wearable shades. Adorning limited edition ranges with prints from their seasonal lines, expect to find rich lipsticks, moisturising lotions and mascaras in matte and shimmer finishes.

The Ornamental collection - inspired by the elegance and traditional aspects of Christmas combines the whimsical yet playful nature of the season.

The Ornamental Make Up Collection

Silver Belles - Noel

The Ornamental Make Up Collection starts with this gorgeous bag designed to look like a Christmas bauble. The make-up collection includes a metallic eye cream, with a rich pigmented formula infused with white lily extract and orange flower water, a shimmering lip gloss to give lips a subtle hint of colour.

There are 2 choices:

001 Silver Belles

Paul & Joe Metallic Eye Gloss 001 - A silver shimmer eye gloss

Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 001 – A perfectly peachy lip gloss

and

002 Noel

Paul & Joe Metallic Eye Gloss 002 – A nude shimmer eye gloss

Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 002– A sparkly red lacquer

£30

Although I notice ASOS currently have Noel for £24

Body fragrance collection

Toyland - Mistletoe

Again the Body Fragrance collection comes in two choices:

003 Toyland

Combines fresh rose, jasmine, and muguet, joined by the sweet fruity scent of apple, peach, and raspberry, and finished off with warm, dulcet vanilla and woody bouquets.

004 Mistletoe

Combines fresh rose, jasmine and muguet, as well as a variety of other floral notes. A feminine fragrance with the clean feel of citrus and greens, joined by spicy pink pepper and a powdery nuance.

Each set contains:

Paul and Joe Fragranced Hand Cream 60g

A subtly fragranced and hydrating moisturiser, designed to keep skin supple and smooth.

Paul and Joe Solid Fragrance 8g

A subtle but long lasting scent that’s perfect for creating an elegant, festive atmosphere.

Paul and Joe Body Cream 174g

A delightfully scented cream that envelopes the entire body with fragrance and moisture for soft and lustrous skin.

£34

Paul & Joe Ornamental Pressed Powder

Ornamental pressed powder by Paul & Joe

The pressed powder is formulated with nourishing orange flower, jojoba oil and silk extracts, while the two tone subtle pink and cream shades with light reflecting pigments give the face a subtle glow and a translucent finish. Comes with a gold-tone top and a compact mirror.

£22

Then on to my favourite section, colours:

Ornemental Self Select Eye Colour

Deck The Halls, Midnight Clear, Silent Night, Joy To The World

Paul & Joe Holiday Ornamental Collection Shadows
Formulated with ‘fix oil’, these eye colours have stunning pigmentation that is easy to soften and spread. With a mix of spherical and smooth powders, they are easy to apply. Simply spread the eye colour easily across the skin and adjust the intensity of the colour however you want.

001 Fa La La La La
bronze - will suit all skin types
002 Deck The Hall
vibrant green - perfect for brown eyes
003 Midnight Clear
A blue - used subtly or heavily for maximum effect
004 Silent Night
A vibrant purple with hints of blue shimmer – perfect for making a statement!
005 Joy To The World
The pink that’s been missing from your collection

£12

The colours all fit into the Paul & Joe Self Select Eye Colour Palette
£8

Deck The Halls

Loving that green, and the blue.......

Ornamental Nail Enamel Collection

Ornamental Nail Enamel Collection

Home for Christmas, Hallelujah, O Holy Night, Merrily On High, Rockin Around

020 Home For Christmas

bronze/orange shimmer and shine

021 Hallelujah

lime green that’s positively glowing

022 O Holy Night

bright teal that can’t decide if it’s green or blue

023 Merrily On High

bright purple glitter

024 Rockin Around

bright pink sparkle

£10.50

Currently £8 on ASOS

Rockin Around - Joy To The World

Home for Christmas - Fa La La La La

Hallelujah - Deck The Halls

My favourite:

O Holy Night - Midnight Clear

And finally:

Limited Edition Jacquard Clutch Make Up Bag

Paul and Joe Limited Edition Jacquard Clutch Make Up Bag epitomises all the glamour of Paul and Joe Cosmetics.

£32.00

Pictures - PR Event

Sparkling whatever your age.............

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:56:00 +0000

It's hard to believe I've been blogging nearly 2 years already. I started out by secretly entering Mizz Worthy's, Think outside the Box, Illamasqua competition. All that year I'd been thinking about doing some sort of makeup course, and decided it was time I 'put my money where my mouth is' so to speak and go for it. I had builders on the roof at the time and seriously hoped they wouldn't knock on the door whilst I played. I'd face painted the kids but done nothing like this on my own face before. Through the competition I discovered the whole world of blogging and it struck me as great way of pushing myself creatively. At the time I kept my age to myself, very self conscious and aware that painting my face in mad random ways was not the occupation of your average 40 year old. But growing old gracefully has never been my plan.

In an early blog post I recounted the experience of going to a reunion gig of the band My Life Story. A crowd who had worn wings and tiaras, glitter and boas before they became common place on hen nights looked like any other reunion gig crowd, and the front man proclaimed this was his last outing in a gold lame suit as he was too old for these things. The words of their song 'you don't sparkle you don't shine' struck a nerve with me. This lot may not want to sparkle any more, but I sure as hell don't intend to go that way. Thinking about it now, I'm also struck by the difference in parts of their set. This was/is a band who combined pop with a chamber orchestra. As Jake performed some of his newer stuff with a more low key acoustic sound, the energy and vibrancy was lost. Like the heart had been ripped out, what was left was mediocre and dull.

So often as we grow older we feel we have to leave things behind. Kids and commitments get in the way. Life very easily gets sapped out of us. Funnily enough that gig was also my introduction to promo makeup samples. I was tied down to 3 trips to school a day and shopping just didn't happen. I wanted glitter makeup but where to start - and a lady at my kids drama group said she had some bits at home. She gave me three bits to play with - the blue gel glitter who's name I knew but can't remember has long since been thrown away, but the other 2 I've just searched out. 17 Eye Dazzle in Over the Rainbow and green loose powder from a brand I couldn't have told you anything about at the time and am amazed on digging it out to find is a Sleek Eye Dust - Jet Set. It was the Jet set that won. Now through blogging I'm aware of press samples, but then to be given 3 brand new pieces of make up to play with by an acquaintance who only briefly mentioned an editorial magazine newspaper connection, I was pretty overwhelmed. I continue to be grateful to her for that kick out of post pregnancy wilderness that I can now see I was in. Oh and to my brother for taking me to the gig ;)

Whilst I now enjoy sparkling at any opportunity, what really set me off wanting to do makeup on other people was my 40th birthday. One thing about getting away for a weekend without your kids when the opportunity arises maybe only once every couple of years, is you really don't want someone else's screaming brat sitting next to you whilst you're having dinner. So we went to Warner's Thoresby Hall. The Adult's only chain does have a tendency to make you feel young even when hitting 40 and I spent my breakfasts observing the ladies. Who's makeup suited their age, who was stuck in a lower lash line black liner time rut and not doing themselves any favours, who looked confident in their looks and who could benefit from just a few touches of colour here and there. The years of QVC lessons whilst breast feeding coalesced and really focused me on wanting to study makeup some more.

So what inspired me to this rambling retrospective was an email I received yesterday about video makeup master classes for women of 50+. Looking at my face closely as I do for blogging I can see the difference over the last year acutely. My jaw line has started to lose it's firmness followed by the areas just below my eyes. Yes I'm well aware that I'm blessed to have lines arriving comparatively late but it does show me how quickly your skin can change. What worked one month may not work the next as we age, making it so easy to feel lost and unprepared. To lose confidence in make-up quickly or to feel stuck in that rut. Today normal women are held up the mirror of cosmetically enhanced celebrities and retouched photos. Where to turn to find help?

Magazines with 'enhanced' 60 year olds are always going to make you feel like you don't measure up. Beauty blogging is still dominated by the young. Aside from the technical challenges (I did O level computing as an after school extra, taught by an English Teacher - mostly what I remember is drawing charts of the structure of the CPU and programming in Basic for my project work - a route finding programme to 5 UK cities where I had to calculate and enter all the coordinates for the routes and the map itself by hand - and take photos of the screen to show what I'd done - I feel like a dinosaur when people talk about Html tags) putting your face up for an FOTD when you know it will be seen in comparison to the gorgeously skinned 20's - well anybody younger than the age you've reached really - and the synthetic celebrity images is a huge hurdle and leap of courage.

Which is why it was great to hear about this series of five master class videos produced by High50 with makeup artist Mary Greenwell and beauty writer Jo Fairley.

In a career spanning 25 years, Greenwell has worked as a make-up artist for everyone from Diana Princess of Wales, Gwyneth Paltrowand a whole host of supermodels. She passionately believes that once you reach ‘a certain age’ make-up becomes even more important while, at just the same moment, becoming more challenging and is on a one woman mission to share her expertise.

The first video was released yesterday, with new instalments posted weekly. I'm looking forward to checking them out, because to me sparkling isn't just about the sparklz but looking good and feeling confident and fabulous!

high50 make-up masterclass from Beta London on Vimeo.

And now I'm hopping around like a 5 year old because I've just discovered the sparkly ones have an anniversary gig lined up for next year.

Natura Bissé NB Ceutical Intensive Tolerance Booster Serum Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:27:00 +0000

Sometimes you try a product for review purposes and think well it's OK, but nothing special. Then you move on to something else and have a few issues with it. The OK product, no longer under strict review scrutiny gets slipped back in there to help calm the confused skin and without realising it you gradually realise this is love.

That's just how it was with Natura Bissé NB Ceutical Intensive Tolerance Booster Serum. I enjoyed using it, but in review mode I had my super critical hat on, and through the early summer, I found it to be OK, nothing that warranted a hefty £200+ price tag. Move forward to late summer and autumn where my skin has been stressed and I seriously don't want this bottle to run out. Nothing I've tried normalises my skin and leaves it feeling so soft, plump and refreshed the next morning as this. I might have to start a sneaky save up fund - Stay at home mum who's seen the family's real term income drop considerably over the last year speaks.

Here's what they Natura Bissé say about it:

An exquisite concentrate that instantly soothes damaged tissue and deeply moisturizes the skin. This exceptional serum is formulated with PRO-TOLERANCE PEPTIDE COMPLEX which provides a highly effective and controlled release of all of its ingredients, allowing it to act from within the skin’s strategic center and enhancing its natural self-defense mechanism. INTENSIVE TOLERANCE BOOSTER soothes and relieves all skin types, particularly sensitive and/or sensitized skin.

Helps prevent premature skin aging caused by chronic inflammation. Offers anti-gravity & anti-wrinkle effect to prevent sagging of facial contour & enhance skin density. Stimulates skin's self-defense system to shield from both internal & external aggressors. Boosts skin's tolerance threshold & provides antioxidant effect. Accelerates skin's repairing & regenerating process. Unveils a supple, luminous, healthy & hydrated complexion. Hypoallergenic, paraben-free. Perfect for all skin types.

The ingredients list is impressively detailed, giving me a good insight into the why's of this product, both in terms of cost and quantity. Full marks here for helping me understand what I'm using.

20% of PRO-TOLERANCEPEPTIDE COMPLEX:

· Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester: a neuro-dipeptide developed exclusively at the NATURA BISSÉ laboratories that has a lifting effect since it protects the dermal matrix and fights against the loss of firmness by increasing the elastin level production. It also elevates the levels of Beta-endorphins (“happy molecules”) by promoting well-being and reducing unpleasant sensations.

· Tripeptide-10 Citrulline and Tripeptide-1: modulate the activity of metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-3 that damage the skin’s structure), while preventing premature aging, restoring the levels of young collagen and repairing and strengthening the skin’s self-defense system as well as protecting it from irritation. It has an anti-wrinkle effect that keeps collagen levels well-balanced through a combination of peptides that address the problems associated with the different stages in the collagen cycle (production, organization and protection) and provide a comprehensive treatment to improve its quality.

· Fermentus Glaciarum extract: a powerful anti-wrinkle ingredient that reshapes the facial contour while enhancing the formation of elastin and two types of collagen. There are 9 types of collagen in the skin, type I and type III are the most important. Type I makes up 80% of our collagen and promotes the protection of collagen. Type III is not produced in older skin, but is predominant in infant skin. This extract ensures youthful elasticity and fullness.

· Pikea Robusta: a red algae extract, capable of neutralizing the release of specific inflammatory mediators such as Interleukina-1 alpha and counteracts the effects of certain free radicals associated with skin irritation and inflammation, thereby preventing skin redness as well as the typical symptoms of irritation. It moisturizes and increases the resistance in sensitive skin, thanks to its decongestive, soothing, repairing and softening properties.

· Beta-Glucans: obtained from Brewer’s yeast, they strengthen the protection mechanism of the skin’s natural immunological system by protecting the Langerhans cells.

· Shea Butter: a unique combination of lipids that makes it an excellent emollient that re-lipidizes and reinforces reinforces the lipid barrier.

· Glycerin: attracts just the right amount of water to maintain the skin’s homeostasis.

· Serine: is one of the naturally occurring amino acids in the NMF. Restores softness and smoothness.

· Alantoin: skin protectant.

· Hydrolyzed proteins from Soy and Wheat: essential nutrients that provide an extra boost of nourishment to the skin.

· Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5): helps regenerate cells, while soothing and relieving the skin (chafed, irritated skin).

· Amaranthus Causatus Seed extract: a natural source of anti-oxidants that contains squalene and Vitamin E as well as essential fatty acids and is rich in phytosterols that provide an anti-inflammatory effect, making it an extraordinarily rich oil that reinforces the skin’s lipid barrier.

· Vitamin E (tocopherol): an exceptional anti-oxidant and moisturizer. When applied prior to sun exposure, it prevents cellular damage caused by sun radiation. It effectively moisturizes and prevents dehydration.

· Aloe Vera extract: obtained from plants cultivated in optimal conditions in the Canary Islands (Spain) in accordance to ecological requirements and certified to be “organically” grown with the CRAE seal recognized by international organizations. The inner gel obtained from the leaf contains compounds called mucopolysaccharides and aloin among others which provide anti-stress, calming and soothing effects. It increases the resistance of sensitive skin by protecting against itchiness and irritation.

· Vitamin F: essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and Omega 6) that are vital to the skin’s protective barrier; they allow the cells to recover their hydration level at their most superficial levels, thereby increasing the skin’s resistance to external aggressions while protecting it from dryness and the sensation of tightness.

Application recomendations are as follows: Apply daily (morning and night) onto thoroughly cleansed skin. Gently massage on face, neck and décolleté until completely absorbed. Follow by applying your NATURA BISSÉ treatment cream.

I think initially I used this morning and night under my regular moisturiser, however in the post review period I 've used it alone at night on occasions when my skin has been troubled and only occasionally during the day.

I honestly never thought I would so heartily recommend such an expensive product, but I really will be sad when this runs out.

Check out the Natura Bissé website for stockists

PR Sample

Sugarpill Pink Weekend Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:24:00 +0000

Sugarpill are once again offering a terrific saving to celebrate America's big weekend. For quality bright coloured shadows, Sugarpill are hard to beat and this is a terrific opportunity to take the plunge. Do be aware however that shipping will take a while. Last years early UK snow held things up a bit extra, but if you are in the UK I wouldn't plan on this being an on time Christmas present just to be on the safe side.

If you don't want to wait that long and bearing in mind that the customs allowance has recently dropped from £18 to £15 it's good to know that Sugarpill Cosmetics are now sold in the UK by Cocktail Cosmetics and Love Make up

Recycling my Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:49:00 +0000

My blogging has become ultra sporadic recently, and one of the reasons behind this has been a spot of kitchen renovation. It's been an area of the house that got pushed to the back of the queue since we moved here a couple of years ago. However in August it hit centre stage when the oven stopped working, a simple enough task to replace a built under oven, but!

I reckon our kitchen is about 20 years old, but after my initial don't like this, not my style, I've got to know it and realised that for the space it occupies it's very well designed and was obviously expensive and in the quality bracket to start with. I'm an inveterate recycler, whether it's clothes, furniture or compost and this is no exception. They may be not exactly to my taste but these doors look in as good nick as our previous, much cheaper kitchen did 5 years down the line. They're wood and could be repainted if necessary, but I don't think they'll look any worse in 5/10 years time than anything I could afford right now to replace them.

When we moved in, the fan was so caked in grease it had to be ripped out before I'd even step foot in the kitchen

The hideously slippery when wet laminate floor had to come up to get the kick boards out

I wasn't sad to see it go!

Back around Christmas last year Mr Sparklz and I hatched a plan to take the fridge freezer out and have the cupboard shelved instead. We have a larder fridge in the dining area and a chest freezer outside (well not literally outside, just not in the house). We looked at American fridge freezers but in the end decided they were just too big for our wee house. So the plan was to start getting used to having no indoor freezer when the weather was warmer.....It took till August to get round to this........maybe a week before the oven blew.

That and a long term ambition to put a dishwasher in......how I hate the amount of cutlery washing up we produce. And suddenly the replacement of an oven isn't such a small job after all. Though it could have still been done quite quickly had it not been for the state of the sink. The plastic jobs that were fashionable 20 years back just weren't up to the job, but you can't replace a sink without doing the work tops and the work tops coming out will maybe dislodge the tiles - the grout for which may or may not have been brown originally.

The hot tap only worked once you turned it to full on

whilst the sink was pitted to say the least.

More cost, more time and choices but a false economy not to sort, even if I didn't really want to face up to the escalating challenge.

I did however want to contemplate a double oven. Replacing the work tops meant that I could have a free-standing oven, but in such a small space, the centimetres it would stick out struck me as a bad idea. Looking at double built unders wasn't great either. You literally have to get on the floor to see the bottom oven. Mr Sparklz and I left the shop quite dejected about the whole project.

My father had already suggested putting the oven in the fridge freezer housing with the classic remark 'your not getting any younger' - don't you just love Dads ;) This had been dismissed though due to the lack of doors available to fit the spaces left by the standard oven height fitting we had envisaged. Then in our despondency, Mr Sparklz hatched a plan. Taking the top small door to the bottom and pushing the fridge door up, would give a lower than normal height for the oven. Sceptical at first I began to think this might just work. I never think of myself as short, because I'm taller than all the other females in my family, but realistically 5' 3" still has me on the short side. Put it this way if I walk into the kitchen barefoot I walk straight back out again for some shoes - the sole height makes that much difference!

Choosing tiles was looking like no less of a headache I wanted to replace the light work top and dark green tiles for dark work top and light green tiles, to frame and compliment the garden. What I didn't want was bloody beige! What do the shops have, neutral, neutral and more neutral......or red. Red in a tiny kitchen would have me committing murder in no time. In a show room it works, in a postage stamp kitchen, no thanks! I wanted relaxed and calming.......but not beige.

Oh there was some lime glass tiles, but expensive and possibly a tad too modern up against the cupboards. I'd spotted a shade I liked in some mosaic tiles and went back for another look. Realising they were actually larger tiles in a mosaic tile and with choice (in an acceptable price bracket) closing in I committed to them....only for B&Q to tell me that all order in tiles were off.....the manufacturer had gone bust. Much ranting on my part later I randomly visited another B&Q on the off chance and they actually had some in.....at £12 a square meter rather than the original £20.......only to realise that they were open boxes and might not be enough....worse still the cardinal tiling error they weren't all even from the same batch. With the odds of finding anything I liked better in this expensive beige world we decided to risk it. Spending a remarkably low £62 pounds on tiles from 2 batches. The tiler when he saw them actually couldn't tell the difference.... but I can assure you that one set had a lighter and bluer finish to the green and the ones I liked were a yellower base......make up artist to the fore here - couldn't have described that so coherently before last year....thankfully they had completely different finishes on the back as well making them easier to spot for the uninitiated. Given the teeny nature of my kitchen I kind of hoped that there would be enough of the yellow green but it would be touch and go!

A work in progress

Remember to think about sockets

I bought new ones the day before work started and it makes such a difference.

We reused the cupboard from the space that now houses the mini dishwasher

in the space that used to be occupied by the oven. The towel/tray space was built from

remnants from the cooker housing.

My new baby from Bosch Exxcel!

And at a perfect height

The greeny yellow tiles made it - with 2 to spare...

And a nice clean sink - with taps that work!

Just the knobs and replacement flooring to consider now then......oh and the laborious sealing of the grout......

This post looks like it could have been sponsored by Bosch....but it wasn't

A tale of two sponges - Konjac and Genki

noreply@blogger.com (Sparklz and Shine) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:59:00 +0000

When I spotted the arrival of Konjac Sponges earlier this year, I just knew they were going to be a must try. I can take forever to get round to placing an online order though, and this was one of those cases. then, I was spurred on a few weeks - or was it months? - back, by a postage free weekend from Zuneta. The sponge, on it's arrival was soft and tactile and a pleasure to use - everything everyone had said it would be.

Roll on a few more weeks and I got the opportunity to try a Genki Konnyaku Sponge, all be it this time of the Bamboo Charcoal variety. Both brands come in Pure, Pink Clay and Bamboo Charcoal. The Bamboo Charcoal sponge is designed for oily skin, which I don't really suffer from, but I thought I'd have a bit of a play, for the purposes of research. Whilst this can't be a total comparison, due to the added ingredient in one of the sponges, I do think some of the comparisons may be helpful.

The Genki Sponge is distinctly larger than the Konjac Sponge and as such took longer to hydrate. I was immediately struck by how much more open the texture looked than the smaller rounded Konjac variety. This bore out in the way the Genki felt on my face too, there just isn't the gentleness of the Konjac. Now of course this could all be down to the charcoal, but I've studied the pictures online of both varieties and the texture looks to be pretty much the same within each brand.

Being larger I also noted that the Genki takes longer to dry out. The Konjac will look pretty much dehydrated after 24 hours whilst the Genki seems to take 2/3 days. This is someone who never really liked flannels because of their tendency to sit around wet and so whole heartedly embraced muslin cloths, enough said. On the other hand I guess if you're using this twice a day, it may actually be quite handy to have a semi hydrated sponge ready for you.

Having left them both to dry thoroughly, I wanted to compare hydration times. Under a constant running tap - OK we shouldn't do that, but who doesn't - I never leave one running for toothbrushing but when it comes to a face cloth I much prefer it hot and straight out of a tap - water meter or not - the smaller Konjac took 26 seconds to the Genki's 45 seconds to reach full hydration.

In all I haven't really warmed to the Genki Sponge at all, although as I said, the added charcoal may be playing a part here, whilst the Konjac Sponge is a definite re purchase. The Konjac Sponge Co sell sponges directly priced £5.50each. They are also available from Zuneta for £5.26 - and a pop up box is telling me that UK Super Saver Delivery is free:). The Genki sponge is available from Nutri Beauty priced £9.99.

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