Little bit of a product rave...Revlon Photoready Foundation (and some Revlon polish swatches)

For the time being, I've decided I need a foundation with a bit more coverage than Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (which I love but it just isn't doing enough for me at the minute) and as I'm a little unwilling to spend £20+ when I already have two Chanel foundations and a Clinique foundation just hanging around, I decided to go for Revlon Photoready...I think I actually meant to get Colorstay but ho hum, yet again I've made a foundation error.

I bought Nude which seems to be a good match for my skin and it seems like my foundation error has paid off. It covers enough without looking like I have too much make up on, and I actually feel like I look much more awake with this on which pleases me. I quite like the way it doesn't look too caked on as it's summer. I've read somewhere that this is too shimmery for some people but to be honest I'm not getting that it's shimmery when I wear it. Sometimes after application (I apply it with my fingers), I notice a bit of a shimmer on my hand if I've not washed it off yet. My boyfriend has actually also commented with how much "better my skin looks" - I didn't mention that I'm just wearing different make up!

I get a full days wear out of this which is great, I've not had to do any touchups other than a bit of powder. I have noticed that it can go a bit cakey on any dry skin after wearing it for a few hours but this just means I'm prepping my skin better to stop this. I also quite like the packaging, it's fairly inoffensive and the pump applicator is good, the bottle also isn't ridiculously heavy which is something that sometimes worries me about foundation bottles as I think I might smash them in my bag!

All in all, I'm pretty impressed with this foundation for the price - especially since Boots were doing 3 for 2 and I got two nail polishes too (Passion Fruit and All Fired Up, swatched below) - and I would buy again, it's actually tempted me to try out some other Revlon foundations etc which I've never really bothered with before!

Passion Fruit is meant to be scented but I don't get that from it at all, not like the Revlon Cotton Candy polish I reviewed last year! I actually bought it without realising it was scented, I just liked the colour.

Blonde Ambition

As a faux blonde, I'm constantly trying new ways to stop my hair from going brassy or the colour darkening. I've just had my full head of highlights (I'm quite bad at getting this done quite as regularly as I should) so I'm trying to start as I mean to go on - I thought I'd show you what I'm using on my hair at the moment to try and keep it in optimum bombshell condition. I'm also planning on just getting a whole head of blonde rather than highlights next time, so trying to keep it all as light as possible.


John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo and Conditioner



For me, the jury's out on whether this does anything much to my already-highlighted hair but it's not making it darker so I'm happy for now. I'll probably try something different once this runs out though, as I don't like the fact that the conditioner is yellow - I spend half my hair life trying to stop brassiness so it seems a bit mad to put something yellow on it as blonde hair can be pretty porous/dry and therefore absorbs other colours quite easily.


Provoke Touch of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo


This was a random Boots find, I was looking for a cheap purple shampoo as I figured it was probably a bit more cost effective than the Wella Toners & Shaders sachets I'd been using. It does its job, is a reasonable price and I might actually look into this range a bit more once I take the plunge and go even more blonde. I've seen good reviews of this and it's so much better than the Lee Stafford one I used which gave my hair a distinct tinge of blue rinse!


John Frieda Beautiful Blonde Ice Cool Platinum UV Shine Protector Spray




Blonde hair doesn't reflect light as well as darker hair so doesn't tend to look as shiny, plus my own hair is quite dry at the ends, so I use this to add a bit of shine and moisture to my hair without weighing it down or making it look darker. It works well, keeps my hair straighter for longer and adds shine - it smells nice and fresh too.


John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Spray




I've only used this once but it's definately made a colour difference to the parts of my hair that aren't highlighted. Expect a more thorough review on this one soon!


In addition I also use an intensive conditioner (usually an Aussie 3 Minute Miracle) at least once a week and either the spray or cream from the Aussie Take The Heat range before blowdrying. If anyone has any blonde-friendly tips I'd love to hear them!

I have a new Lush favourite to add to my list!

My favourite products from Lush goes a little something like this:

1. Lush Honeytrap Lip Balm


2. Snow Fairy Shower Gel


3. Butterball


4. Creamy Candy


5. Flosty Gritter (I don't think they make this any more, boo! I might have to start a petition or something!)


6. Buffy Scrub


7. Rock Star Soap

Mainly ridiculously sweet and girlie, yes? Well I have a new addition that isn't necessarily quite as sweet as those - Dragons Egg, I love it! It's a white circular bath bomb with little flashes of colour, when you get it in the water it fizzes and froths away, then bursts in an explosion of orange colour, as it fizzes a bit more, it has a gold centre like a little rock made from pyrite that then fizzes away. It smells lovely as well, very citrusy but with a hint of sweetness, like sherbert. The only downside is that it turns the water bright yellow (which looks a bit suspect!) and makes a mess of your bath at the end.

I've also got Mrs Whippy to try and after reading the Lush Times, I quite fancy Ultrabland cleanser as well, but I tend to stick with products I know and love from Lush as I tend to find when I wander, I don't like things as much (face masks, foundations etc).

Elegant Touch Limited Edition Matte Nails - Chocolate and Purple

I bought these on a whim from a tiny little Boots near my work when I was looking for something else. I know matte nails aren't as "in" as they once were, but I still love them and thought this would be an easy way to get perfect matte nails without any of the annoyances like chipping! I've been waiting to use them until my nails are a bit shorter.

And I really really like these - as I thought, they look like the perfect matte nails, actually so perfect they look either fake or professionally done, which isn't a bad thing I suppose. They were easy to apply and the glue held well. I would say that the Chocolate ones look more black or at the very most a dark charcoal grey with a bit of matte shimmer to it. I like the length too, they're not so short they look stubby but they're not so long they get caught on things.

I didn't bother with the gloss topcoat as it seemed a bit like it was just clear nail varnish - for me I liked the solid matte too much to change it, I had intended to do french tips witht he gloss but I didn't fancy it in the end. I might have a go when I'm getting a bit bored of the nails.

These nails cost £6.45 from Boots and I'll definately buy them again, I like them. I managed to ping a few off during wear, but this is something I expect with stick on nails when they're put under strain - I'd rather that than they snap my own nails off with them - and they survived plenty of washing dishes and clothes which is good!

Also, just to go off on a bit off a tangent, how do they size false nails, was there a study somewhere that worked out the size of the average nail?

Does anyone use Quidco?

I use it for pretty much every purchase I can! For those of you that don't know, Quidco is a legit cashback site based on referral links - so if you're buying something you visit Quidco first, search for that retailer then click through the Quidco link to be taken to the website. You can even do it for Ebay or things like mobile phone deals and they do money off vouchers too.

There's nothing dodgy about it and you don't even have to give your bank details, my payments are paid into my Paypal account so it just waits there to be spent on treats! My boyfriend thinks I'm a massive geek about it because I'm a little bit obsessive about going through Quidco for everything, but I just see it as a way to make money from things I'd have bought anyway. I think in the last 6 months or so I've made about £70, without buying or doing anything different than I would have regardless of Quidco. Better in my pocket!

I'm not affiliated with Quidco or anything, I just think it's a good idea and thought I'd share! You also get a little payment for recommending Quidco to friends as well, this is my referral link http://www.quidco.com/user/707796/ so if you're thinking of joining follow that link and I'll get a few pennies. No pressure though, if you'd rather type the Quidco URL in the address bar yourself, please feel free.

(I've actually just noticed from writing this post that you can register your card details with Quidco and you get cashback on purchases you make in shops as well....woo hoo!!!!!)

Isn't this picture pretty?

I've not really ventured into the world of Etsy properly yet, I've had a look around and I like the look of a lot of things, but I've not taken the plunge and actually bought anything! It's even harder than Ebay to browse if you're not really sure what you're after and some of the things on there are so unique I don't know how you'd ever find them!


But anyway, this picture is by an artist called Kristina Hultkrantz who is based in Stockholm and creates all sorts of girly pictures...McQueen shoes, Chanel 2.55 handbags, macaroons, pugs, perfumes, Louboutins etc etc. Basically all the good stuff! Check out the YSL Rouge Volupte on the poster above, now that's the kind of detail I like! You can see her Etsy store here


Another Etsy find of mine has been fimo canes in a playing card design...eeek! I know it's trashy but I have a weird love of tacky Vegas-y stuff. I must have been a gambler or a casino girl in a previous life (despite the fact I've never been to Vegas and don't understand card games other than Snap in this one).

Benefit Bella Bamba

If money was no object, I'd happily buy every Benefit blusher going because of how pretty they all look. But as they're quite pricey (and smaller than I thought), I limited myself to one. After swatching all of them whilst avoiding the sales assistant that was circling around me, I decided on Bella Bamba. Benefit describe Bella Bamba as a "3d watermelon blush laced with gold undertones."

With my general love of pink blush I expected to really love this but in actual fact, I don't really. The colour doesn't suit me, I just feel like it's a bit too bright and pigmented for my skin. It will maybe look better if I have a bit of a tan (fake or hopefully otherwise!). I can't really see the gold in it, or the "3d" effect.

I love the packaging which comes with a mirror and a little brush too. However the mirror is a bit pointless as it gets dusty quickly and because it's encased in the box it's a bit hard to see yourself in it. The brush is too stiff as well, I feel like it wastes a lot of product and that it picks up too much, which means my cheeks look a bit too pink! As a few other people have mentioned this is 8g of product whereas most of the other Benefit blushes are 11g which I think is a bit disappointing for the price. It is fairly longwearing though!

I don't think I'll be buying another Benefit blush, I think I'm going to repurchase the Pixi Lumi Lux palette that I've ran out of, I preferred the colour and the effect of that, plus I managed to find it a bit cheaper on Ebay than it is in Boots.

CND Shellac launching new colours in October

And whilst I like them, I still feel like the Shellac colours are quite "safe", with some of these being quite similar to existing Shellac colours - Purple Purple and Asphalt are my favourite new colours but I like the idea of Zillionaire too, it seems to be a "glitter" for layering which is something that I feel has been a bit missed in Shellac collections. I suppose the colours are kept quite neutral as they're so long lasting, there's only a limited amount of time you want a bright blue/green/yellow on your nails I suppose, and your average nail tech customer probably does go for something a bit more understated.

I've been looking at Gelish recently (which is a similar concept, but not the same) and they have a much more interesting colour range but aren't a solely professional product like Shellac and works slightly differently. Plus it's more expensive to buy (though the bottles are twice the size of a bottle of Shellac).

Anyway, the new CND Shellac colours will be coming out in Autumn in the UK, debuting at Olympia Beauty in September, then Professional Beauty North for us Northern ladies in October. Exciting!

Heal Gel - Advanced Formula Skin Therapy (for scars, inflammation, bruising etc)

Ok, here's my harrowing tale...in February, I fell over onto concrete and cut my knee open. I just cleaned it up, put a dressing on it and carried on - as a clumsy child and even clumsier adult I'm used to these kind of scrapes and bumps by now.

When I looked at it the next day I realised it probably needed stitched up (which means it was a LOT worse than I thought, and pretty horrendous looking) so I trotted off to A&E to be told that I'd missed the 12 hour window to get stitches as if there was any infection or dirt in there, they'd just be sewing it in. So, after months of it just being open, and having to dress it and be careful not to put pressure on it it's finally healed. And left quite a horrible scar in its wake. It's dark, wide and long - everything you don't want a scar to be. I won't post pictures or anything, don't worry!

So, I've been looking for ways to minimise the appearance of this scar. It can be covered with quite a lot of make up, but I'd rather not have to do that every time I get my legs out. Plus it's getting in the way of shaving my legs which is really not a good look!

I was sent a new healing gel to try. It's called HEAL and has been developed by five of the UK's leading plastic surgeons, known as The Firm (ooh-er!) and Colette Haydon, a leading chemist. They've combined their specialist knowledge and clinical experience in anti-ageing, healing and nanotechnology to create a formula that is anti-inflammatory, bruise-solving and improves scar maturation with a combination of active ingredients packaged and nanotechnology apparently!

Here's a slightly better bit of information from the press release:

HEAL combines a triple method of action which works to soothe the closed wound – using Arnica, Haloxyl and Glistin, to reduce heat sensation and discomfort; repair the damage – using Collaxyl protein fractions to promote cellular repair and optimise scar healing with Silicone. For the past two years The Firm have tested HEAL in their clinical practice, London Plastic Surgery Associates (www.lpsa.co.uk) where every year hundreds of patients have undergone facelift, rhinoplasty and breast surgery.

Here's a list of the ingredients, some of them are pretty well-known for their healing properties:

I do feel that this cream and the action of massaging it in has made a difference - my scar looks much flatter and lighter than it did, and my boyfriend has even commented that it's suddenly looking a lot better. It's also feeling less painful/tender than it was but this may well be down to the passing of time, as it's now been about 3 months since I first did it. I also liked that the gel feels very cooling when applied. I wasn't that keen on the packaging as I feel it looks quite clinical (plus it's a jar you have to dip your finger into) and it smells a bit herbal, but neither of these factors are really an issue for me. From my own personal experience, I would recommend this for others looking to improve the appearance of a fairly new-ish scar.


HEAL is available online at http://www.healgelshop.com/ and costs £33.50 for a 30 ml jar.

Since it's nearly payday...

...I've updated my wishlist, whether or not I actually buy any of this stuff is debatable but it's nice to do a bit of window shopping I suppose!

• Minx Oil Slick


• Lush Lemony Flutter


• Lanolips


• Benefit Bella Bamba


• Daniel Sandler Watercolour


• Leighton Denny Polish - Supermodel


• Clinique Chubby Stick - Watermelon


• Philosophy The Great Mystery


• Revlon Just Bitten Stain


• Max Factor Mini Polish - Diva Violet


• NARS Limited Edition Velvet Matte Lip Pencil - Bolero


• NARS Limited Edition Eyeshadow Duo - Dogon


• OPI Nail Apps - Hearts


• 38mm+ hair curlers


• OPI/Katy Perry Nail Polish - Teenage Dream


• Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer


• Lumos High Speed Topcoat

Is there anything here you highly recommend/that I should get first or anything that I really shouldn't bother with? If anyone could recommend a large barrel curling tong too that would be fab!

Another reason why I love ASOS...

...their ace ASOS magazine that they send out, it's like a proper magazine (and you can get it online to save trees!)

I saw these images in the June issue and straight away thought "love it!"...well done to whoever came up with those concepts. And I now really want the white and red heart OPI nail wraps, which I've not actually seen before. Amongst other things as I now note you can get Nars stuff on ASOS too.

Plus a few months ago they did an ace interview with Sophy Robson (nail art extraordinaire!), which I ripped out ready to scan then lost it somewhere in the big move. But luckily I found a link to the interview on this blog.

You can view ASOS Magazine here

What I'm using at the moment....

Left to Right

• Philosophy Melon Daiquiri - this smells really nice and is a shower gel/shampoo/bath bubble I've loved for a long time. I love Philosophy!



• Luciously Light Miracle Moist Conditioner - I quite like this, it was on offer in Tesco and it means I don't need to wash my hair every day. My boyfriends mam tried this as well and she really likes it as she has fine hair that she doesn't want weighed down. It smells lovely too!



• Lush Snow Fairy - a lovely sweet treat that I'm trying to make last as long as possible!



• Aussie Take The Heat 3 Minute Miracle - one of my beauty staples



• Aussie Take The Heat Shampoo - I don't think I'll buy this one again as I find it lathers weirdly and sometimes I have to shampoo twice to feel like I've done all of my hair. But it does smell nice.

Top to bottom, left to right:

• Opsys Contact Lenses - because I'm borderline blind!
  


• Clinique Superdefense Moisturiser - one of my favourite night moisturisers, it's quite rich, smells fresh and moisturises well



• Montagne Jeunesse - face masks and bits and pieces for a little pick me up when I'm in the bath



• Colgate Plax - minty fresh!



• YSL Elle Limited Edition 2010 - love this perfume, I've actualy bought a back up bottle because I love it so much



• Sanctuary Warming Scrub - lovely warming face scrub



• Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque - I wasn't as impressed with this as I thought I would be, after previously being seriously impressed with Dermalogica products



• Cotton buds



• No7 Eye Make Up Remover - favourite ever, quite oily if that's not your kind of thing though



• Mitchum Deodorant - for 48 hour freshness! :-)



• Sanctuary Youth Boosting Facial Oil - I tend to use this when my skin feels really dry or if I'm having a lazy day where I don't wear make up



• Perspirex deodorant - this is really good if you've got an event or if you want to significantly reduce sweating, it can sting quite a bit though so you have to use it properly
  

Let me know if you'd like to hear anything more about any of these products!

A tale of two Chanel foundations...Chanel Vitalumiere in 30 (Shell) and Vitalumiere Aqua in 20 (Beige Tendre)

Chanel Vitalumiere in 30 (Shell)

I bought this from duty free on the way back from Dublin after sneaking/stealing a sample from my flatmates copy of Glamour (sorry! It wasn't the right colour for you anyway!!). In hindsight I think the sample I tried may have been Vitalumiere Aqua as this bottle doesn't seem quite as fluid and light as the sample. And I also think I've bought a shade too dark and it all looks a bit patchy and orange on me which is a real pet hate of mine but I'll save it for hols or when I've got fake tan on. Let's just say I'm rubbish at buying foundations! The coverage on Vitalumiere is medium, but it definately is buildable.

This is the first Chanel product that I've bought, overall this foundation is ok, but I can't say I'm overwhelmed by it and I don't think I'll be repurchasing this one.

Chanel Vitalumiere in 20 (Beige Tendre)

I was bought this by my lovely Dad, again at Duty Free. Now this stuff is more like it - very fluid and light with a good dewy coverage (you do need to shake it before use as it needs mixed really). I actually got the right coverage this time and it makes me look nice and fresh faced, healthy and awake. It reminds me a lot of DiorSkin Nude, another water based foundation, and one of my faves. I think I prefer this kind of finish on my skin, especially as it can get quite dry. It also contains SPF 15.

The bottle looks teeny but the amount of product is no different (30ml) and is plastic with a nozzle, this is maybe not as luxurious as other high end foundations but it does mean it's easier to get in your make up bag and less likely to smash. tt comes in a fancy little Chanel cardboard box with a slightly pretentious leaflet in it, the leaflet does recommend applying with fingertips which is good as that's my preferred method of application anyway.

Now THIS foundation is definately the same as the sample I tried, and I would buy it again...probably only at Duty Free though as it is quite expensive!

P.S. Sorry for the rubbish pictures, my Blackberry camera is really not good.

I seem to have reverted back to my childhood...

I used to be a chronic nail biter from basically when I had teeth until the age of about 21. I'd bite my nails so far down my fingers were really sore and the skin around my nails were in tatters - my parents tried all sorts to stop me, paying for me to get a nice manicure, using that stuff that tastes awful when you bite (the urge to nibble was so strong that I got used to it), telling me off when I bit etc.

After shelling out hundreds of pounds on getting acrylic or gel nails done between about 16-21 (check out the disgusting pic of my false talons below, my hands look er, manly with those nails!) I finally saw the light, started to be properly interested in making the most of how I looked and just stopped biting with the help of plain old nail varnish, I liked the way it looked and thought it would look even better if I had long nails. So I just stopped biting and it turned out my nails looked quite nice a bit longer and were pretty strong.

Recently, at the grand old age of 24, I've been through some life changing events (both good and bad) coupled with the usual working-full-time-trying-to-have-a-life-studying-for-a-degree-balancing-everything stuff and I've reverted back to biting my nails quite badly again due to the stress (make of that what you will, amatuer psychologists) - once again they're really short and sore but I can't stop the compulsion to bite, even though I hate it and it looks awful!

But today's the day it stops. There's no need for me to do it, I don't like doing it, it hurts and I love having nice nails. So I've painted my nails/stumps today in Leighton Denny "Supermodel" (even though most of it is on my skin, not my nails), and I've been using cuticle oil with frightening regularity; I'm going to keep painting them in neutral colours until they get a bit longer and then I'll probably get another Shellac manicure to keep them looking strong and lovely until I can be trusted again!

Last day to enter my Hotel Chocolat Easter giveaway today!

You like Hotel Chocolat? You might want to enter my giveaway
for an amazing Hotel Chocolat egg!

My first experience with Shellac nails (in Rosebud)

Sorry my nail pics have all been swatched on a nail wheel of late, I've had Shellac on my nails for the last 2 weeks! The colour I had was Rosebud, a muted baby pink.

For those of you that haven't heard of Shellac, it's described as a gel/polish hybrid and that's definately what it is. Its applied like a polish (including base and topcoat) but "cured" with a UV light between each layer. After its all been done it looks lovely, have you ever applied a thick layer of polish that looks gorgeous but will never actually dry properly? That's what it's like but dry! The colour is really glossy thanks to the topcoat that's applied, and it looks like it should feel all gooey and jelly like but it doesn't, it's rock hard.

These nails lasted for 2 weeks and still looked really glossy with no tipwear, the only reason they looked a bit tired was because of a bit of a gap at the bottom where my nails had grown considerably. Having the Shellac on definately helped protect them and stopped them snapping/flaking too - I was doing washing up, having showers and baths, handwashing clothes, painting my toes, and at one point whacked my finger at such an angle that I thought the nail would be straight off, but it wasn't!

Since I actually enjoy painting my nails and changing the colours a few times a week (plus the fact my nails grow pretty quickly), I'm definately not going to be a full time Shellac convert but I'm still pretty amazed and pleased with it. Will definately be getting Shellac on my fingers and toes if I go on holiday (I think Tropix would look gorgeous on toes in summer), I never have the time or inclination to do my nails when I'm away. I'd also recommend this for anyone who's trying to grow their nails but doesn't want the committment of getting gel or acrylic nails or anyone who can't be bothered doing their nails all the time but still wants to look groomed.

I just found out that with my mani and pedi qualifications, I can actually buy Shellac from the supplier to use - I didn't realise, I thought I had to have gel qualifications. Someone hide my bank card please!

For details of salons doing Shellac near you, you can go to http://www.cnd.com/Locate/Shellac-Find-A-Salon.aspx.

Dear Batiste Dry Shampoo - Tones (light and blonde hair)

Dear Batiste Blonde,

I had high hopes for you, really I did. I went looking for you especially. As I'm not a natural blonde (shock, horror!), if I've got a bit of regrowth (ahem, dark roots) the normal white Batiste can look a bit dusty if it's not rubbed in properly and can sometimes show on photos if a flash is used. I tend to use Batiste a few times a week as I've got a bit of a grease-phobia when it comes to my hair, but I don't want to wash it every day as I have to do a lot of styling to tame it after washing.

From the first use of you, I could just tell it wasn't meant to be - you were very yellow toned and made my hair look brassy at the roots, I spend half my time on my hair making sure it doesn't look brassy or yellowy so this didn't bode well for me. I can't imagine that this would be so great if you had very light blonde or ash blonde hair, it would be too dark/yellow a colour - blonde hair runs a massive spectrum and I think it's maybe a bit overambitious to try and design a "catchall" product for blondes. But on a positive note, you're as effective as normal Batiste you smell alright but I'm sorry to say I think I'll be sticking with Batiste Brit, Diva or Boho.

Sorry - I hope we can still be friends.

Lucy

A little bit of YSL...

YSL Volum Effet Faux Cils in Black


I bought this on a whim as Feel Unique were selling it for a decent price (though if this
is anything to go by, I reckon that has stopped now) and I'd wanted it for a while but, as ever with YSL stuff, found the cost a little prohibitive. I'm SO glad I indulged, this mascara is amazing - in conjunction with using RapidLash I actually have lashes that look a decent length (and touch the skin at the top of my eyebrows) as well as them looking really black and full, woo-hoo! As well as my eyelashes remaining soft and not crispy-looking. I think this may well be my ultimate mascara, I even like the brush.


It has a light perfumed smell and the packaging is ultra luxe too, all very gold and swanky looking. I've heard some complaints that it dries up in the tube pretty quickly, but I've had it about a month now and no changes so far, I'll update if that happens though.


YSL Lip Twins Lip Duo Satin/Shine Lipstick - 9 Fuchsia Orange



This also has rather fancy packaging, it wasn't what I was expecting when I ordered this online! It's basically two blocks of lipbalm/gloss in a tube that you can turn around (I'm not explaining this well at all) to show the colours. The middle pulls out as a brush.


I like the colours - they're well pigmented too - and the packaging is sublime but to be honest the actual product itself is nothing absolutely amazing to me, it just seems a bit like a standard lip balm/gloss type thing (though a very nice one) with a brush. It's a very pretty and wearable addition to my make up bag though, and I don't regret purchasing it.


In other YSL news, I was getting my eyebrows done and the beauty therapist said she liked my lipstick and made me show her what it was so she could write down the shade number and buy it. Of course it was my rather lovely YSL Rouge Volupte in Opera Rose and sad to say I felt a little bit proud showing it off!

RapidLash Update - Week 8

Nearly at the end of the recommended 8-10 weeks of use of RapidLash and I'm still really happy with the results - not much of a change from Week 6 but I don't really mind as I'm pleased with how much better my eyelashes look (especially compared to the first pic I took when I started reviewing this product). I'm struggling to show it in the pics but they're actually a bit longer than they look here as I can see the ends are very fine and look quite light - when I've got mascara on they look so good!

After 8 weeks of using RapidLash

What my eyelashes looked like before I started using RapidLash

What my eyelashes normally look like with mascara on

What my eyelashes now look like with mascara on (YSL Volume Effect Mascara)

Seeing the results like that, I'm even more pleased. I'm definately going to continue using it as RapidLash recommend that you should use it 2-3 times per week to maintain the growth and I've got into a nice little routine at night with it (to the point where if I forget to apply it I'll actually get up out of bed to apply it...normally this isn't the case, once I'm in bed, that's it!).

I was thinking about the fact it costs £40 per tube too, each tube has a 3 month supply in it (probably more if you're just using it just 2-3 times a week for maintenance instead of every night), so that's about £13 a month. When you think about the fact I was getting lash extensions that are £80 initially then about £40 every 6 weeks at one point or even the fact that I buy false lashes, lash primer, countless different mascaras etc, it actually doesn't work out that bad...about £3.25 a week, just a bit less than a Cafe Nero vanilla frappe milkshake with cream (my fave!). Can you tell I'm trying to justify it?!

P.S. Speaking of yummy stuff, if you like chocolate, you might want to enter my Hotel Chocolat Giveaway here?

Some more Topshop Sandstorm Collection make up...

I was so impressed by the Topshop make up I reviewed here , that I got some more from the range (ahem).

The items I got were:

• Creme Lipcolour in Tawny
• Nail Duo in Zealous
• Lipgloss Stick in Ablaze
• Lipgloss Stick in Glisten

Creme Lipcolour in Tawny
This is very different to the colours I usually wear but is certainly very wearable. It's a warm beige toned nude that actually looks good on me, and doesn't make me look like I've got foundation lips. I initially wasn't sure if I liked it as it is quite a bit away from my comfort zone but I've been told it's pretty on me. As with Daze, I think the formula is absolutely lovely and it has a gorgeous vanilla scent.

Nail Duo in Zealous

Same as my previous review - the metallic is the winner here for me (I also like the pink a lot though, it's blue based) - the formulation is very easy to work with, opacity is good and colour is nice and strong with 3 coats.

Lipgloss Stick in Glisten and Ablaze

These were a total whim because I liked the colours, both are quite sheer and glossy compared to the colour in the tube. Glisten is a dark pink (almost plum) and Ablaze is a very wearable light coral/orange - much better than the Barry M lipstick I tried last week to try and get the spring/summer orange lip look. These also have the same very nice vanilla scent. The wear on them isn't really long lasting, but they're a lipgloss...they're never going to last days on end. I've pretty much been wearing these since I got them.

High five, Topshop! I'd initially thought that their make up range wouldn't be so great but I've been proven wrong, even the packaging is nice. I've also heard good things about the cream blush and the highlighter from their main collection - I will be avoiding Topshop for some time now as I'm coveting a dress and some shoes from there as well and I MUST NOT SPEND.

Sedbergh Soap Company - 100% natural Lemongrass Soap

I was recently sent some gorgeous soaps to try by Sedbergh Soap.

As someone who has suffered from psoriasis in the past (I still get the odd patch if I'm stressed or run down) and skin which tends to react to certain chemicals, I'm probably not as careful as I should be when choosing products. Sedbergh Soap produce a range of soaps and bath products that contain no chemicals that irritate the skin, no sodium chloride, no blended essentail oils and no herbal extracts - the company began when its founder, Dorthe M Pratt, was looking for products that didn't exacerbate her severe eczema. They also contain 100% natural ingredients, are 70%-89.9% organic, use recyclable packaging and grow a lot of their ingredients themselves.

The bar that I tried was their best seller, Lemongrass. Priced at £4.25 and containing pure essential oil and dried lemongrass, this smells absolutely gorgeous, really citrusy and fresh. In terms of lathering, it works well too. Just goes to show you don't need all these chemicals and that just because a product is catering for very sensitive skin or contains natural ingredients, there doesn't have to be a compromise on effectiveness.

I'd recommend these products for anyone who has sensitive skin or likes to know exactly what's in their products and where it came from - actually, for anyone who just wants a guilt free treat! I've passed their details on to a woman I work with who is big into her natural/chemical free products (remember the organic fake tan I reviewed a while ago? That came from her.). The soap I tried was just lovely all round and I'll definately be looking to try out some more things.

Sedbergh Soap is available from the Sedbergh Soap website, which also has much more information about their ingredients and history, as well as details of stockists and customer testimonials. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter at http://twitter.com/sedberghsoap.

RapidLash Update - Week 6

I genuinely feel like I can see a difference in my lashes now - to me they look slightly longer and thicker, in much better condition and I'm losing less lashes. I'm really pleased with the results so far, and also a little bit concerned as this now means that I'll want to keep using it at the cost of £40 every 8-10 weeks..argh.

This is what they look like now (look at that long lash in the middle, eek!!):

And this was what they looked like 6 weeks ago before I started using RapidLash:

What do you think? Any longer/thicker? Or is it just wishful thinking on my part?

I wonder if this is as long as they get or if they'll get any longer? They probably just get to the end of their hair cycle, drop out and it all starts again. It probably sounds daft (especially to those of you with long lashes) but I'm really pleased with these, I've been cursed with short lashes forever!

Models Own Polishes and Nail Art Pen

L-R: Sophie's Pink, Nude Beige, Pastel Pink, Mystic Mauve, Juicy Jules

My favourites out of these are Nude Beige, Juicy Jules and Mystic Mauve. I absolutely love Nude Beige and it's one of the only nude colours I've found that I like on my nails, Juicy Jules is a gorgeous holo glitter (probably better layered) and Mystic Mauve is just a lovely metallic lilac. The pinks are nice too but I've got ones like them in my collection already!

As ever, application and length of wear was really good. Models Own polishes are brilliant, especially for the price of them. Good to see they're more readily available in Boots and River Island now too.

I also picked up the Models Own/WAH Nails Nail Art Pen in Black, mainly to make doing half moon designs and stripes easier. The pen has a thin liner brush as well as a very fine tip for doing nail art.

Very easy to use with a bit of a practice (something I think I need more of if the pic below is anything to go by) and the possibilities are endless, just have a look at some of the designs WAH Nails produce! They're only available in black and white at the moment but would be good to see them in a wider variety of colours.