31/07/2013

EgoProfessional EgoBoost styler

The EgoBoost styler* is one of the most interesting looking hair stylers I've seen in a long time! Created by EgoProfessional, the EgoBoost is a set of hot curlers that are heated individually, using a device that looks a little bit like a speaker.

Each EgoBoost comes complete with the heating system, a set of 10 curlers in 3 different sizes, and 10 clips to hold them in place.

Ego Boost hair curling system front view

Ego Boost hair curling system

Ego Boost hair curlers

Ego Boost hair curling system

To get curling, simply pop one of the rollers into the heating system, wait 4 seconds (you'll hear a beep) and then it's ready to use! The soft-touch curlers are designed to heat your hair, rather than your hands, so you have plenty of time to roll them up into hair and secure before they get hot to the touch. Repeat as required, allow them to cool down and then remove.

I've found the EgoBoost system really easy to use. Considering you heat each roller individually, it's surprisingly fast to heat all 10 and get them into your hair. The rollers also haven't burnt my fingers once!

There's a little dot in the centre of each roller which turns red once heated, and returns to black once cool. I've found they need about 15 minutes to cool down properly before removal, and taking them out was pretty easy, although I did get one tangled during one session which needed a bit of patience to remove it!

As someone with fine hair, I've been using these regularly to add some extra root lift, and give me a bigger blow dry. They really do deliver, and although I don't have the time to use them every morning, at the weekends and for nights out, my EgoBoost has become a regular fixture.

The only catch here is the price - EgoBoost retails for just over £130. These are some pretty pricey rollers, but you do feel like you're getting quality. They also have a year's guarantee, so if anything does go wrong, you should be able to get them fixed easily.

Ego Professional are available online via QVC, and Beauty Bay.

What do you think of these crazy looking curlers? 

*PR sample


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30/07/2013

Let's keep it clean

If you've followed my blog for a while, you'll have seen I have a rather passionate relationship with cake, and in turn a love/hate one with my body. I know I'm doing bad things to it, but can't quite seem to break the habit.

After speaking with some lovely people on Twitter earlier today, I've decided to tackle this head on. I'm going to start a clean eating programme - no junk, no fads, just real food. This may mean you start seeing a few blog posts about what I'm eating, or more instagram photos of food (hopefully less of cake!).

Yes, I'm doing it to lose a bit of weight, but the main focus for me is to get back to being healthy. My body feels tired and sluggish all the time, which I know is pretty much down to what I'm eating.

If like me you struggle with this kind of thing but want to get involved, leave me a comment with your Twitter handle and we can all help to motivate each other. I think knowing there are people you can talk to really helps - especially when you are having a dark moment and want to reach for the Snickers.

Also, if you know of any great blogs or sites with good clean eating tips and recipes, hit me up! The more the merrier.

Wish me luck and do get involved if you'd like to!


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London blogger meet up haul

At the recent London blogger meet up (post here), I mentioned that I *might* have made a few purchases. I hadn't gone armed with a shopping list, but the lure of the Illamasqua sale proved to be too much for me, and my tiny amount of self-restraint cracked pretty quickly!

Illamasqua and Laura Mercier haul

Illamasqua and Laura Mercier haul

In Illamasqua I bought 3 nails polishes, a silver lip gloss and their Naked Rose blusher. All 5 items were in the sale, and came to a ridiculously low £27 for all of them! The nail polishes worked out at £4.50 each, as Illamasqua had an extra 10% off all sale items, so they were the same price as most drugstore brands (this is how I'm justifying buying 3, anyhow).

Our next stop was Liberty, and after making it safely through their chocolate room without getting distracted, I found that the new Laura Mercier Spellbound collection was finally on the counter. Before I knew it, I had bought the beautiful gold toned highlighter from the collection. I had a £5 beauty reward voucher to use up, so instead of £31, this came to £26 instead. The only problem is, it's so pretty, I'm not sure I can bring myself to use it! 

So those were my purchases - is there anything you'd like to see reviewed first? 
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29/07/2013

London Blogger Meet up

I love meeting other bloggers, and so have been looking forward to the recent London Blogger Meet Up for ages! Organised by the lovely Helen from Beautifully Superfluous, the meet up took place over two days in central London.

I was only able to attend the Saturday, but I got up bright and early, and headed off to meet 29 other bloggers at Tiger Tiger London, just off Piccadilly Circus. 

Helen had come prepared and gave everyone a name tag, which was my saviour! I'm awful at remembering names, but recognised most of the faces there from Twitter. 

We all had a chat over a few drinks and some yummy cake pops, and the Paperself lashes team were on hand applying some of their beautiful lashes to everyone. 

After a few hours, Helen handed out some amazing goody bags (pics below), and then we split up into groups to do some shopping. Some of the girls had been on a spending ban for several months before the meet up, so Grace (All That Slap) and I lead the way to the Illamasqua sale, Liberty, and Oxford Street. 

I did buy a few things (oops), so look out for my haul post coming soon, and the other girls also made a few purchases. 

Cake pops

London blogger meet up

London blogger meet up

Paperself lashes being applied

Paperself lashes being applied
Me with my Paperself lashes and a little butterfly!
goodie bag contents
Goody bag contents from Jenoris, Vivo, Benefit, Apivita, Batiste, Amie, Elemis, Oriflame, Look, Macadamia, Paperself, Helen E, Champneys, Ginerva and more!
Rio Nail art kits
There were also these two amazing Rio Nail Art kits in the goody bag!
Worn out, five of us headed for some food at Spaghetti House to refuel, and then said goodbye to Poppy and Sasha who had to go and catch their train home. 

The meet up continued on Sunday, for more shopping, but for the safety of my bank balance, I thought I'd better stay away! 

I have to say a massive thank you to Helen who did an amazing job or organsing everything, and all the girls I met, who were so lovely. I hope to see you all again soon! 
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28/07/2013

Festival fever ankle boots

We're well and truly into festival season now and although the weather has been glorious the past few weeks, the UK isn't exactly well know for its sun.

When it comes to festival footwear one choice seems perfect: ankle boots. You can wear them with jeans if the weather is rubbish, or like me at a baking hot Lovebox a little while ago, with a summer dress and a whole load of SPF! You'll also avoid coming home from a festival with dust covered toes, and don't even get me started on the toilets...

Barratts ankle boots

Barratts cowboy ankle boots

These Barratts boots* (find them on the Barratts site) are getting me through the summer. They have a slight cowboy style to them which I think works well with both dresses and jeans and are slightly padded inside making them super comfy to walk around in for hours.

They come in two colours, black and tan, but I prefer the tan for the warmer weather (might have to get the black for winter!). At £35 they won't break the bank, and do seem pretty hard wearing. I'm hoping mine will keep me going throughout the summer and into autumn.

What's your choice of festival footwear?

*PR sample
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NOTD: Essie and Sparkly Nails

In preparation for a pampering session and a trip to Lovebox festival last weekend, I decided that bright nails were the way forward.

I chose The More the Merrier, a lime green shade from Essie's Summer 2013 collection, and then on my ring finger as an accent nail, used some cute flower stickers* from online company Sparkly Nails.


I quite like this combination, what do you think? The stickers are really easy to apply, and once sealed in with a topcoat, don't go anywhere! Sparkly Nails has lots of different designs to choose from, so if flowers aren't your thing, there are plenty of other options. You can find all the designs over on the Sparkly Nails website.

*PR sample


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26/07/2013

Lord and Berry Smudgeproof Eye Liner review

Lord & Berry are a new makeup brand to me. They launched in 1992 and create professional quality products that focus on the lips and eyes. I was recently introduced to them at a press day, when I was shown one of their smudgeproof eyeliners and was amazed when the swatch really didn't budge (seriously, I had to scrub it off).

Lord and Berry smudgeproof eye liners

Lord and Berry smudgeproof eye liners

Lord and Berry smudgeproof eye liner swatches

The Smudgeproof eyeliners* are designed to be long wearing, and last from early morning to late at night. They come in a range of 9 colours, from black through to a bright aqua, and retail for £7.50 each.

As someone who wears a lot of eye liner, I've tested out many different brands, and these really are one of the most long-lasting I've found. They apply easily, without any dragging, and once applied, dry in 30 seconds to a smudgeproof finish.

If you do want to blend them, you can do it, but you need to be very quick, as once dry, they remain in place all day. Removal does require a little patience, and a proper cleanser, but I think this is a small price to pay for the fact your liner will last all day!

You can find the range (and more Lord & Berry products) on the Look Fantastic website.

Have you tried anything from Lord & Berry before?

*PR sample


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25/07/2013

Bright lips on pale skin

Yes it can be done. A bright lip can look terrifying especially when your skin tone is more Caspar than bronzed, but I promise you, it really can work.

My favourite lip colours for pale skin are: Revlon Lovesick lip balm stain, Lord & Berry shining lipstick 20100 Fucsia*, Hourglass Raven liquid lipstick, Maybelline Colour Sensational Fuchsia Flash and MAC Pink Pigeon, .
Lipsticks for pale skin



Lipsticks for pale skin

It can take a bit of trial and error to find the perfect shade, but I find that blue based tones work well on paler skin, so look for true reds and hot pinks and avoid anything with a seriously orange base. One other bonus of blue based lipsticks is that they can help teeth look a little whiter, which is never a bad thing!

These shades may seem scary at first, but I promise you, they do get quite addictive!

What's your favourite bright lip shade?

*PR sample
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24/07/2013

Avon AW13 collection

Catalogue brand Avon have really come up trumps with their new AW13 collection. Using True Colour technology, they have created an amazing selection of products that deliver vivid, long-lasting shades. Made up of 17 eye palettes and 60 different lip colours, there's something here for everyone. 

True Colour technology is designed to ensure that the colour you see in the palette is the colour you get! Avon's technical team developed a new base for their makeup - rather than using the traditional opaque base, their new products use a translucent base, which allows the colour pigments to really stand out.

Some of the products in the range are brand new, whereas others have been reformulated, but they all use the same True Colour technology. 

Avon true Colour eyeshadow palettes
Eye shadow duos and the neutral 8 shadow palette

Avon true Colour eyeshadow palettes
Some of the new eye shadow quads

Avon True Colour lip crayons
Lip crayons

Avon True Colour lip crayon swatch
Wearing the hot pink lip crayon

Avon True Colour eyeshadow palette
The brighter version of the 8 colour eye shadow palette

Avon True Colour new launches
Lots of the new product launches

I think my favourites from the eye range are the larger 8 shadow eye palettes - the nude set reminds me of Urban Decay's infamous Naked Palette. I'm also loving the new lip crayons, which come in 6 shades, and are really long lasting. Be warned, they do have quite a lot of shimmer in, so if you prefer a matte finish, these aren't for you.

The prices are all really reasonable: £6 for eye shadow duos, £9 for the quads and £12 for the 8 shadow palettes. Lipsticks come in 30 shades and will be £7.50, Lip Gloss £6.50 and the Lip Crayons £7.50. 

The new range launches in August - what do you have your eye on? 

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23/07/2013

Beauty news in brief #2

Another week, more beauty news to share!

Snail Gel moisturiser launches - Dr Organic have launched a new moisturiser that contains Snail Gel (and yes, it does come from snails!). No snails are harmed in the making, and it's on sale in Holland and Barratt- 50ml £19.99. Full review coming soon.

The Fragrance Shop perfume box - An alternative to the traditional beauty box, the Fragrance Shop have launched the third version of their quarterly perfume box. Containing 6 perfume samples, and a set of discount vouchers for each of the perfumes in the box, it costs £5. This quarter contains fragrances from Thierry Mugler, Lacoste, Mont Blanc and more. They've also doubled the discount vouchers, so you now get £10 off any of the full sizes of the samples contained in the box. Sign up here

Jurlique to launch in M&S - Skincare brand Jurlique are set to launch in 19 M&S Your Beauty halls across the country from 25th July. As part of the launch they will be releasing an exclusive deluxe edition of their Rosewater Balancing Mist, which is perfect for summer. Stores include  Stratford, Marble Arch London, Manchester, Cheshire Oaks and Nottingham.

Lee Stafford Argan Oil styling tools - Lee Stafford is set to release a new range of styling tools that has argan oil built in to help smooth hair as you style. The range will include straighteners, curling wand and hair dryer and prices range from £29.99 to £49.99. The stylers are going to be an Argos exclusive and launch at the start of August. 


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22/07/2013

British Beauty Blogger Beauty Box Giveaway

Jane from British Beauty Blogger recently launched her first ever beauty box. Full of 14 of her favourite products and worth over £125, the BBB Beauty Box sold out in just a few hours. I bought an extra box to giveaway to one of my readers as it also contains some of the products I love.

British Beauty Blogger Beauty Box contents

So what's inside?

Trilogy Rosehip Oil 20ml
Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Electrum (full size)
Neom Complete Bliss Hand cream 50ml
B lengthening mascara (full size)
Bourjois cream blush shade 2 (full size)
Lanolips full size tinted lip ointment (full size)
BioEffect EGF serum 2.5ml
Jo Loves Pomelo perfume sample
Melvita Orange Blossom Water 28ml
Melvita Apicosma Balm 15ml
Benefit The Porefessional 7.5ml
CND Solar Oil 3.7ml
Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Mask 15ml
Philosophy Purity 3 in 1 cleanser 90ml

This is a UK only giveaway and will close in 2 weeks time on Monday 5th August. To enter, just complete the Rafflecopter widget below with your choice of entries.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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21/07/2013

Current favourite cleansers

Cleansing is an important part of any daily skin regime and over the past few months I've been testing out several cleansers. Here are my current favourites:


MyChelle Pure Harmony Cleanser* - a gentle, creamy cleanser that's perfect for sensitive skin, this works well in the morning as well as at night. Use a small amount, mix with a little water and massage into skin, before rinsing off. 61ml £10.50, buy from the MyChelle website. Full review here.

Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth  Face Balm* - balms are often richer cleansers, that are more oily in texture. To use, simple squirt out a small amount of the balm and then rub gently into the skin. Apply a small amount of water to turn the balm into a milk, and then remove using a muslin cloth (one is provided in the box). The Balance Me balm contains lots of essential oils and has a distinctive smell, but this doesn't linger once removed. It also contains small oatmeal particles, to offer a gentle exfoliation while cleansing. 125ml £20. Find it on the Balance Me website.

Radical Hydrating Cleanser* - Radical make a range of high quality, results driven skincare and their Hydrating Cleanser is designed to cleanse skin, without drying it out. It has a creamy texture, and promises to increase the hydration level of skin by up to 30% in 2 weeks. It's active ingredients include green tea and almond milk, and 120ml is £30. Find it on the Radical website.

REN Hydra Calm Cleansing Milk - I'm a big fan of REN skincare and have used this milk for just over a year. It's very gentle, but effective and is good at calming sensitive skin. It contains Omega 3 and 7 to help reduce inflammation and calendula to soothe skin. 150ml £18, buy online from the REN website. Full review here.

What's your favourite cleanser?

*PR sample
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20/07/2013

Elemis White Flowers Eye and Lip Makeup Remover review

As someone who loves a strong eye liner look, I often turn to specific eye makeup removers to help remove it before cleansing. For the past few weeks I've been testing out the new Elemis White Flowers Eye and Lip Makeup Remover*.


White Flowers is a bi-phase remover - it has two types of liquid in the bottle, which when shaken together create a gentle, but effective makeup remover. The liquids are made up of a mix of oils and marine spring water, and it also contains vitamin B5 to help condition the lashes and improve moisture. 

To use, you simply shake the bottle, then put a small amount of the liquid onto a cotton pad, and hold against your lids for a few seconds to allow the remover to start breaking down your makeup.

I've found that it's very effective, even on waterproof mascara, which is usually a nightmare to get off! The White Flowers remover is also very gentle on eyes; I experienced  no stinging, or redness, and Elemis state that the product is safe for contact lens wearers to use. 

It also works well on lips, and is great for getting off any lipstick residue that might be left at the end of the day. As the product is pretty scentless, you don't have to worry about ending up with flavoured lips after use!

A 125ml bottle retails at £19, which is slightly cheaper than other leading brands. I've been using mine every day for about 4 weeks and I'm just over a third of the way through, so even for a heavy user like me the bottle will last about 3 months, which I think is pretty good value. 

This is yet another Elemis product that will be making its way on to my rebuy list! 

Do you use specific eye makeup removers?

*PR sample


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19/07/2013

GOSH AW13 collection new launches

GOSH are a Danish makeup brand, stocked in Superdrug stores. I'm a big fan of their BB cream and Growth Mascara so was looking forward to seeing what they have in store for AW13. 

GOSH CC creams and BB powders
GOSH BB powders and CC creams
GOSH BB powders
GOSH BB powders

GOSH new mascaras
GOSH new mascaras
GOSH smokey eye liners
GOSH Smokey Eye Liner Pencils
GOSH smokey eye liner swatches
GOSH Smokey Eye Liner Pencil swatches
GOSH limited edition nail polishes AW13
The new GOSH limited edition polishes.
Top of the list of new launches for me is the CC cream illuminating foundation. In a range of 6 shades, the CC cream offers light coverage, with colour correcting properties for skin. The porcelain shade is a perfect match for me, and if you've used their BB cream before, the formula is a little thicker, but blends very easily. The formula is oil free and will be on sale for £8.99.

Another new base product us the BB Powder, designed to minimise shine. The formula is very lightweight and feels silky to the touch - I'll be using a brush to apply mine rather than the little compact sponge, but it's more than adequate for on the go. The BB powder comes in  4 shades, and will be £8.99.

The Smokey Eye Pencils are also another hit in my eyes. They come in 4 shades, from black to plum and have a pencil liner at one end, with a smudger at the other. They're designed to help make a smokey eye effortless, blend easily and are also waterproof! If you are going to smudge them out, do it quickly though, I've tried after about a minute once set and they don't budge!

There are also 6 new nail polishes (£4.99 each) as part of the AW13 collection, 2 new mascaras (£7.49-£7.99) and 3 new shades to their velvet touch lip liners (£4.99 each). 

The new collection launches into Superdrug at the start of August. What have you got your eye on? 
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18/07/2013

A visit to the Ajala Spa

There's nothing I like more than a trip to the spa - it's one of those luxurious treats to yourself that feel a little bit naughty, but so worthwhile. 

I recently went along to the Ajala Spa in St.Paul's, London, for a deep tissue massage. The Ajala Spa is part of the Grange St. Paul's Hotel, hidden just behind the famous St. Paul's Cathedral. 


Ajala Spa reception
Part of the reception area
Ajala Spa relaxation room
Relaxation room
Ajala Spa treatment room
The treatment room
Ajala Spa treatment room
They even have a treatment room for 2 people. 

On arrival, I was a little early, so was shown to the relaxation area, which has a selection of soft seats to lounge on, day beds, plus drinks and nibbles. I sat down with a glass of water, determined to relax after a long day at work. 

When it was time for my massage, I was shown through to one of the treatment rooms, and the therapist left the room while I got undressed and hopped up on the massage table. As I was having a full body massage, everything but my knickers had to come off, but if you're considering a massage and concerned about stripping off, don't worry, all of you is covered by towels for the most part, and no 'embarrassing bits' are ever out on show! 

The deep tissue massage was an hour long and concentrated on my back, shoulders and neck before moving on to the arms. legs and feet. Ajala spa offer several types of massage - deep tissue is the least relaxing of all, as it's very firm and is designed to help break down tension in the deeper muscles of your body. If you prefer a more gentle, relaxing massage, this is not the one for you! 

I loved it! As I sit at a desk all day, I suffer very badly from tension in my back and shoulders and although slightly painful at times, I left my massage feeling completely tension free and slept like a baby that evening.

Ajala spa currently have 4 locations in London, and the deep tissue massage costs £95 for 1 hour. 

Ajala spa bath and body oils

They also have their own range of body and bath oils, which contain essential oils, designed to either help you relax or act as a pick me up. The oils are £12.99 for 100ml, which I think is very good value, considering the cost of other similar oils by other spa brands. My favourite scent if the uplifting mandarin and grapefruit, which is perfect first thing in the morning to help you wake up.

I will definitely be going back to the Ajala spa very soon!

*My visit to the Ajala spa was complimentary, however my opinion is honest as always. 





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17/07/2013

Getting healthy from the inside - the supplements

I've spoken before about my struggles with body image issues, and while I might not yet be an angel when it comes to food, I'm making an effort to eat better, and also take some supplements to help boost my health levels from the inside.

supplements

I've been using this B12 vitamin spray* quite regularly for several months, and really find it makes a big difference to my energy levels. Vitamin B12 plays a key role in brain and nervous system functions and also is involved in energy production in your cells. I spray a couple of squirts under my tongue first thing in the morning and it really helps get rid of that lethargic feeling. I think this will be even more important when the weather turns again and no doubt it will help get me through those cold winter mornings (sorry for mentioning winter when it's so lovely outside!).

Manuka honey is something I reply on a lot if I feel a cold coming on or just generally a little under the weather. Manuka honey is very similar to normal honey, but contains antibacterial properties. I've previously used it straight from the jar, but these handy single use sachets* make it a lot more portable, and easy to use on the go.

Perricone MD makes one of my favourite concealers, but also has a whole range of skincare and supplements. The Total Skin & Body supplements* offer a whole heap of nutrients, designed to get you glowing from the inside. They contain high quality fish oils, as well as a long list of other vitamins and minerals, and come in handy daily packs - perfect for someone like me who is rubbish at remembering to take lots of vitamin pills! I've only been taking these for a week, and a 30 day course is recommended, so I will report back fully on any effects I notice from these after the 30 days is up.

Do you take any supplements? Do you think they're beneficial or a waste of time?

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16/07/2013

Beauty news in brief

Welcome to the start of my new beauty news in brief series. No reviews, just the latest beauty news in quick snippets!


Maybelline Baby Lips launch - the much coveted Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms are due to hit the UK at the start of August. Sign up for pre-order over on the Boots website.

Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks - launching on 5th August Urban Decay are releasing 22 shades of lipsticks and 16 matching lip liners. £14 lipsticks, £12 lip liners. Review and swatches here.

Gosh CC cream - following on from the success of their BB cream, the new CC cream offers colour correcting properties and a light coverage. They'll be available in 6 shades, costing £8.99 from Superdrug, coming in early August.

Boutique make up - a new line of makeup launching into Sainsbury's in September, Boutique is good value for money and offers a capsule range of lipsticks, glosses, eye shadows and nail polishes. Review on the range here.

DHC cleansing oil freebie - Japanese brand DHC have teemed up with BeautyMART to offer everyone a free mini DHC cleansing oil worth £4.50. Simply register your information on the DHC website and take your welcome email to BeautyMART in Harvey Nichols Kinghtsbridge, or BoxPark London within 5 days. Offer runs until 15th August.

There'll be more news from me soon - I hope you enjoyed the post!


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15/07/2013

Summer perfume picks

Summer has finally arrived in the UK (yay!) so it's time for me to switch up my fragrance choices for something a little lighter and fresher.

summer perfume picks

Cath Collins Ooh La La Orange* - Cath Collins makes a range of luxury perfumes and body products, all made in England. My favourite fragrance from her range is the new Oh La La Orange flower, which is a mix of citrusy orange, grapefruit and bergamot with ylang, lily and jasmine base notes. It feels quite an exotic scent, and I love the fact that the products are made mostly in England. 50ml £35.50 EDT

Marc Jacobs Oh Lola Sunsheer - I'm a big fan of the Lola range from Marc Jacobs and this summer version of Oh Lola doesn't disappoint. It's a very fresh, slighlty fruity scent, with a mix of floral and fruit notes to it and is possibly my favourite of the 5 perfumes here. 50ml £47 EDP

Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin - This is one of my favourite fragrances all year round, but it really comes into it's own during the warmer months. Light, fruit and refreshing, I often use it in the daytime as a little pick-me-up scent. 30ml £36 Cologne

Body Shop Pink Grapefruit body spray* - this one sits on my desk at work, ready for a cheeky afternoon spritz. It's fresh, fruity and very citrusy, but doesn't last too long, so I keep it close by for regular top ups! 100ml retails for £7.50, so the price more than makes up for the lasting power.

Rihanna Nude* - I'm not particularly a fan of Rihanna herself, but really love this perfume! Described as a 'fruity oriental', Nude contains a mix of fruity top notes and more oriental base notes such as sandalwood and vanilla orchid. I like to use this one in the evenings. £19.50 30ml EDP

What are your favourite summer perfumes?

*PR sample
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14/07/2013

Making the most of fine hair

Having been 'blessed' with very fine hair, I know what a struggle it can be to get some volume in your locks. Here are my top tips and a few product picks that will help make that big blow dry possible.


Layers - having a few, subtle layers cut into your hair can really help make it look like there's more of it. You don't have to go crazy with them, but breaking up a blunt line of hair adds a bit more movement, and also enables you to add more texture. 

Texture - super sleek fine hair will generally just make it look flatter, so add a bit of texture to it. Bumble and Bumble's Thickening Creme Contour* is my hero product for this. Take a pea-sized amount, rub between your hands and use to add a little definition to the mid-lengths and ends of you hair. It's non-sticky, so won't make your hair look greasy, or tacky to the touch.

Backcombing - for real root volume, backcombing will add more height at the roots of your hair, making it look a lot fuller. I use a cheap, £1 backcombing brush from Primark for a subtle root lift, and then to help it last all day, spray a little Umberto Giannini Backcomb in a Bottle at the roots, which holds it in place and add some extra oomph. 

Dry Shampoo - not only great for unwashed hair, dry shampoo is also really good for adding extra volume at the roots. Spray on as you would do usually for 'cleaning' purposes, focusing on the root area for subtle lift. 

The right cut - having the right haircut makes all the difference to fine hair. Adding a few layers (mentioned above) can help, but for me personally, I look like I have much thicker hair when I have it cut shorter. I'm not saying go out and get all your hair chopped off, but it might be worth discussing with your hairdresser next time you go about what will work best for you. I currently have a choppy long bob and love it, but I know it's not going to be for everyone! 

*PR sample


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12/07/2013

Urban Decay Revolution lipsticks and new launches

Urban Decay are probably most famous for their Naked eyeshadow palettes, but I think that's all set to change with the launch of their new Revolution lipstick range.

Made up of 22 highly pigmented, creamy shades, Revolution lipstick is described by Urban Decay as 'creamy, badass luxury' (never thought I'd be using the word 'badass' in a post!). The range covers everything from nudes, right though to electric pink, so there's something for every mood. 

Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks Anarchy and Bang
Bang and Anarchy

Urban Decay Revolution Lipliners Anarchy and Bang

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick swatches Anarchy and Bang
Wearing Urban Decay Anarchy lipstick on lips
Wearing Anarchy.
The lipsticks are designed to be long-lasting, without drying out lips, and give a serious shot of colour. All of the shades I swatched were easy to apply, with no dragging, and required very little pressure to build up the pigmentation. They also contain jojoba oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter and shea butter to leave your lips feeling hydrated, but don't make the lipstick slide off your lips onto your teeth (phew!). My favourite shades are Anarchy - a hot pink, and Bang - an orangey red shade. 

As part of the launch, complementary shades in 24/7 lip liners are being introduced which work with all of the new lipstick shades. Similar to the 24/7 eye liners, these are very pigmented, and apply easily, only requiring a light pressure to get the line that you need.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Powder
The powder comes in a cute little bag

Urban Decay Naked Skin Powder compact
Naked Skin powder compact (lightest shade)

On top of the Revolution lipsticks and 24/7 lip liners, Urban Decay are also launching a range of pressed powder compacts that come in 5 shades and offer a lightweight powder with a luminous finish; an anti-ageing version of their infamous Eyeshadow Primer Potion, revamped Brow Box and 2 shades of nail polish, both of which I can't wait to get my hands on! 

Prices: 

Lipsticks - £14 - 22 shades
24/7 lip liners - £12 - 16 shades
Powder - £21 - 5 shades
Brow Box - £19 - 2 shades
Nail Polish - £10 - 2 shades
Anti-ageing primer potion - £17

The new ranges launch on 5th August. What will you be buying? 







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