Happy new year!

Courtesy of Weheartit

...and I wish each and everyone of you the best for 2012! x

Lashes Eyelash Conditioner

Lash boosting products amaze me. Mainly because I'm far to impatient to find out whether they work or not. Plus, the lash boosters I've seen, carry some pretty outrageous claims, which I'm sure are near impossible to live up too. But something different attracted me to Lashes. Instead of focusing on the promise of thicker, false-looking lashes, it claims to improve strength, condition and rejuvenate them into better condition.

According to the brains behind Lashes, their special cocktail of ingredients helps stimulate the hair follicle and protect against further cosmetic damage from mascara, false lashes and lash extensions. Not only does it aim to look after your lashes, but it conditions them too - something I'm sure my eyelashes need after years of mascara abuse.

I haven't tried this product myself, but I'm definitely going to save up for one. At £69.95 a pop, it better live up to my expectations. Available from www.beautyproductsdirect.com

Are there any lash boosting products you'd recommend? 

The Mascara Monologues: Maybelline Falsies Black Drama Mascara

This is the first of many posts in my Mascara Monologues and boy I've started with a good'un.

Maybelline are well known for their quirky, brightly coloured and beautifully packaged mascaras. But unlike other Maybelline mascaras, the Falsies Black Drama comes with a new formula. Containing extra long fibres and carbon black pigments, it sets out to give lashes a full on, false lash effect. 

The brush is slightly different to your average. Instead it's curved upwards like a spoon. According to description it's to help fan out your lashes and ensure even coverage of the product.

After one coat and a full day's wear

Even after one coat it gives eyelashes a beautiful length and a subtle false lash effect. Maybelline claims that this mascara doesn't clump, but I wouldn't necessarily agree. When I removed the wand from the tube, the brush looked too full of product and I ended up having to wipe of a lot of excess. Also, it's not so strong on bottom lashes - it takes quite a few coats to make them stand out.

However, I'd most definitely recommend it for everyday wear. I think I bought it was around £8, which is a good price for a high street brand.

What are your thoughts on the Maybelline Falsies Black Drama Mascara? Are there any mascaras you'd recommend?

Models Own in Red Red Wine

Models Own in Red Red Wine

I've recently started a new job, which means I'm now working in a building 5 minutes walk from town. This is quite dangerous for my purse. And this was proven the other day when I managed to spend £30 in Boots on my lunch break.

One of the purchases was this gorgeus deep red nail polish from Models Own - a brand I've never bought anything from before. I'd been after a red nail polish for ages, because I didn't own one, but I'm not a huge fan of the bright, traditional red polishes. So this one, which is slightly deeper in colour, is perfect.

While I picked this up, I noticed that at the moment if you buy two items from the Models Own brand you get a free gold nail polish too.

Available from Boots for £5.

Are there any Models Own shades you'd recommend?

The Mascara Monologues: An Introduction

 Courtesy of Weheartit

Mascara has to be my most favourite make-up tool ever invented. I love how it can transform a fresh face into something sexy and beautiful, whether you wear it on its own for a natural look or combine it with other make-up products for a little extra va-va-voom. 

Like most females, I won't leave the house unless my lashes have been coated. But recently I started to notice a re-occuring habit - I never buy the same mascara twice. And it's always because of the same reason - I'm never satisfied.

This is why I've decided to dedicate a collection of blog posts aimed at finding the perfect mascara and named The Mascara Monologues.

In my quest I'm hoping to discover the mascara of all mascaras. Whether it thickens, lengthens or defines, comes from a high street store or high end, I will blog about it honestly and openly.

I hope you all enjoy!

Trilogy Instant Bronzing Gel

I've been meaning to blog about this product for a while, but I misplaced my camera lead, so I've been trying to make do with my phone. But I managed to find the bloody thing, so I'm back on the blogging game!

Trilogy, a natural and ethical skincare brand created by two sisters, have introduced a very unique product - their 100 per cent natural Trilogy Instant Bronzing Gel, an instant bronzer that gives skin a subtle shimmer. Made with a unique formula, it uses Caramel from natural cane sugar to provide the instant colour, light reflecting minerals from natural Mica and Aloe-Vera to soothe and hydrate.

After trying the product for the first time, I was expecting it to be a lot darker on the skin than it actually was. Instead it gives more of a shimmer than an actual tan and the smell is incredibly strong (and not in a nice way!) But to give the product its dew, the smell doesn't stick to the skin as much as you'd expect. It dries quickly and doesn't leave a sticky residue on your skin either. In fact it's actually really pleasant to use.

Priced at £17.50, it's expensive for what it does, but from what I seen, natural products tend to be that little bit higher on price compared to products that aren't. I don't think the bronzing gel works as well on it's own, but it could potentially help enhance your tan by using it on top of your self-tanner. Also it might work well for those who've never used a fake tan before and don't want their skin to look too dark.

Available from www.trilogyproducts.co.uk and selected House of Fraser, pharmacies and health stores.

Beauty staple: Astral Original Cream

Every woman needs a staple moisturiser as part of their beauty regime. The perfect moisturiser that can be used on any part of your skin.

Astral All-Over Moisturiser makes a great staple. Although it's really thick and creamy, it sinks ito your skin quickly and nourishes even the driest of skin. And it's not too greasy to use on your hands either. I find a lot of hand creams too greasy - slightly ironic considering that's what they're aiming not to do - which is why I keep a pot of Astral All-Over Moisturiser on my work desk, at all times.

A 200ml pot of Astral All Over Moisturiser cost around £2.99 from Boots.

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Little BU Nail Polish

My niece (who's three years old...) is always diving into my make-up bag. Digging out the latest blushers and lipsticks, ready to decorate her own face with. Unfortunately for me, this means my lipsticks end up with teeth dents and my blusher is damp (she thinks everything is lipstick...) But not only does she like make-up, but she loves having her nails painted too, which is why I was extremely excited to hear about this product.

Little BU was designed with little girls in mind. A nail polish that's non-toxic, water-based and odour-free and it's safe for even the smallest of girls to use. So I gave the nail polish a go myself...

I was quite surprised to find that the consistency was quite thick and it took rather a long time to dry. But once dry, it was a perfect shade of purple metallic, with a lovely sheen too. The nail polish doesn't come with that awful toxic smell - infact, it doesn't smell at all, which is fantastic for young girls. However, after doing the washing up I'd noticed that the colour had faded and on some fingers, disappeared completely. Although this was bad for me, I think it's a really good idea for children. It means the nail polish will come off in the bath and you haven't got to worry about using harsh nail polish remover on their tiny nails.

Priced at £9.95, I think it's a little steep but its such a fantastic idea. You haven't got to worry about using any harsh chemicals on your little girl's nails. And with eight colours to choose from, I'm sure you can find a colour in your collection that'll match.

Lisbon treat: Sephora Nourishing Nail Balm

While away in Lisbon, I thought I'd make the most of the opportunity by picking up a few beauty products. Ideally I wanted to pick up a few Portuguese brands, but a very kind lady in one of the malls informed me that there wasn't many available. So instead I spent my time browsing Sephora and picked up this little beaut.

As you're probably well aware, I love painted nails and it's very rare that my nails are naked. Because of this (and the change in the weather) my nails had become so brittle, that they started to break and peel. So I picked up the Sephora Nourishing Nail Balm in hope that it might help promote stronger nails and bring them back to life.

I think it cost me around 8 Euros and so far I'm really impressed. My nails have become stronger and look healthier, and so far, my cuticles and the skin around my nails hasn't cracked. The product does have a strong almond scent to it, which I'm not a fan off. Also, if you have long nails, the product can be a little tricky to get out of the pot. But apart from that, it's a fantastic product and worth the investment.

I've searched high and low on the Sephora website and unfortunately it looks like it's only a European product, which is a shame. But I've discovered Neal's Yard have a similar product (Nourishing Melissa Nail Balm) that comes in a tube - perfect for when the Sephora Nourishing Nail Balm runs out.

Softlips Revitalising Vitamin Enriched

If you're anything like me, as soon as the weather gets colder I'm prone to getting really dry, chapped lips. So receiving an email from a brand called Softlips, definitely caught my attention. Especially when it claimed to make my pout soft, smooth and kissable...

On first appearance, I was really surprised at how skinny the product was. Unlike most other lip balms, it can easily fit into your pocket or purse without being seen. The product is actually really nourishing and not to heavy either. It's completely colourless too and comes with added SPF20 - bonus!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when it landed on my doormat, but I'd definitely give it a thumbs up. I must admit, I don't think it's going to cure dry lips but it acts as a perfect inbetween product or even as a quick fix for when you're on the go.

Available from most high street pharmacies, Boots and Superdrug for £2.07.

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Just a little bit of pixie dust...

...is all you need. Especially when it's as cute as this...

A body fragrance inspired by Tinker Bell - perfect for any Disney fanatic. Infused with a fruity scent of citrus fruits, purple sweet pea and cool lemon sorbet as well as a subtle hint of Lily of the valley and dewy green leaves, is brought to you in this really cute bottle for £16.

Although this is probably something suited for your daughter, I can't help think there'll be plenty of mums spritzing themselves in secret. The Disney Store have done a fantastic job designing the bottle - it's not aimed specifically at children, infact, the bottle is surprisingly grown up.

The Pixie Dust Eau de Toilette is available from selected stores and online at www.disneystore.co.uk.

EADV Conference

Some of you may have heard of the Johnson & Johnson Beauty Care Journalism Awards. For those of you who haven't, it's one of the most highly regarded award cermonies in the beauty journalism industry, with editors, writers and more recently bloggers, attending in hope of winning one of the prestigous awards.

Last year I was working as a beauty journalist on a national women's magazine and entered the competition on a whim. I was completely shocked when on the night, I'd discovered I'd won New Beauty Journalist of the Year 2011. I was handed a beautiful award, £500 and a trip to Lisbon to visit the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV).

So last weekend I departed to Lisbon for three days, where I attended dermatology talks, browsed brand stands and ate lots of yummy food all courtesy of Johnson & Johnson and Red Consultancy.

While I was there I picked up lots of information from the brand stands such as Aveeno, Neutrogena, P&G, Clinique, RoC and Eucerin, plus tons more. So I have a lot of bedtime reading to do - learning about new skincare innovations, technology and products.

I had such a fantastic time and discovered how beautiful Lisbon really is. Thanks to Emily at Red who attended the conference with me and made the trip even more enjoyable. And to Anna who organised the whole thing. Not forgetting all the lovely people from Johnson & Johnson who I met while I was out there.

While I was there, I managed to pick up a few beauty products, but I'm going to share these in a different post. In the mean time, here's just a few photos from my trip...

The hotel Pestana Palace

Gorgeous hotel room

25 de Abril Bridge

Discoveries Monument

Tagus River

Blistex Lip Brilliant

Here's the newest addition to the Blistex family - Lip Brilliance, multi-benefit balm.

Containing a cocktail of ingredients from real silk extract, hyaluronic filling spheres and SPF 15, with the aim to plump, protect and keep lips feeling super soft, with a subtle touch of colour too.

On application, it's soothing and adds just a subtle pink colour. A winter, handbag essential.

Only £2.49 available from Boots.

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MNY

The sister brand of Maybelline, MNY launched in the UK during August this year. Aimed at the 15-25 year old age group, MNY combines fun, style, colour and creativity.

Here I'm wearing just one of the colours from the nail polish collection - number 264. This photograph isn't a good representation of the colour - it's more of a deeper shade.

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Nail decals: How to...

I love pretty nails. I've tried nail wraps before, but they turned into a complete disaster. So to end my frustration I vowed never to touch them again. But as usual, my beauty brain took over when I recently read about water decals and couldn't wait to give them a go.

And here's how they turned out...

Firstly I apologise for how chipped my nails are, I took this photo today so they've had five days of battering. Secondly, the reason I've only done one finger isn't because I'm channelling my inner Kelly Rowland, I actually ruined four in the process.

I'm not going to lie, these were incredibly fiddly and took some practice before getting it right. But here's how I did it.

• First of all you'll need to get everything together. I used: nail file, coloured nail polish (Nails Inc in Caramel), top coat, nail scissors, patterned water decals, shallow pot of water and tissue/cotton wool pad.
• File your nails to create a good shape and a smooth surface. Paint with your chosen colour (I applied two coats.) Make sure you leave to dry fully before applying the decals, or you could smudge.

• Your strip of decals should come in a choice of sizes. To make things easier, choose which nail you're going to start and cut out the nearest sized decal to fit your nail.

• You will now need to cut the decal with nail scissors to a rough size that will fit on your nail. I found it easier to trim off the top slightly and the sides, if needed.  
• Once you are happy with the size, place the decal face-up, into the pot of water for about 20-30 seconds.

• While your decal is in the water, place a small blob of top coat onto the top and bottom of your nail - this will help secure it in place.
• After 30 seconds check to see if the decal comes away from the paper. If so, pull away, draining off any excess water and place on top of your nail. You will need to pat the decal gently with a cotton wool pad and then leave to dry.
• If you find it's too long, gently push the excess underneath your nail - this will get filed away later on. They do take a while to dry, so if it's sliding off your nail, just persevere. It will get there, honestly!
• Now apply a later of top coat. Once dry, gently file the end of your nail to tear away the excess tucked under the nail.
• Apply another layer of top coat to secure and keep your nails lasting longer.

I bought this set of water decals from eBay for under £3 including P&P. They're great for adding a personal touch too.

Have you ever tried water decals or nail wraps? If so, how did you find them? And what design did you go for?

bareMinerals Deep Cleansing Foam

It's taken me a good couple of months to blog about this beaut, and like all other bareMinerals products I've used, I wasn't disappointed.

Powered by its famous ActiveSoil Complex, it claims to deeply cleanse the skin while really getting right down to those really grubby bits that cause spots too.

On first impressions, it smells amazing. And you really don't need to use much at all. For £15, you're really getting your moneys worth. The product comes in a gel-like formula, but onced mixed with water it turns into a light foam that, onced removed, leaves your face feeling squeaky clean and not at all dry.

I'm a huge fan of bareMinerals, from their make up to skincare products. They're consistent and deliver. Just one negative - please bareMinerals create a cleanser that removes eye make up too. It's way too much effort for me to remove it seperately.

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I got a free gift...

...with my October issue of Cosmopolitan - this gorgeous black and gold shimmer nail polish from Missguided.

Perfect for Christmas!

Eyebrow threading

I've wanted to get my eyebrows threaded for a long time and so, for the past month I have been growing them. I've never had my eyebrows professionally preened, so I wanted to start a fresh. One month later - mega bushy brows.

Stupidly, I forgot to take a photograph before I had them done. But here's the finished look...

...and I absolutely love them.

Unfortunately I have rather sparse and sometimes curly eyebrows (my hair is straight, explain that...), which makes it hard to give them any shape and definition. But after I had them threaded, I found it easier to define with an eyebrow pencil (not seen here.)

For anyone wanting to get their eyebrows threaded, I most certainly recommend it. I wouldn't say the experience is painful as such, but just imagine plucking out more than one hair at a time - that's how it feels. The session only took 5 minutes, literally walk-in, walk-out and done.

It cost me £10 for an eyebrow re-shape at BB's Brow Bar in Peterborough.

You could also check out Jane's post on eyebrow threading for a fantastic before and after shot.

e.l.f.

For budget make-up, e.l.f. is fantastic. I mean, where else can you find a decent eyeshadow or primer for £1.50?

I was sent the Flawless Finish Foundation and Matte Lip Colour, from the Studio collection, a couple of weeks ago. On first impressions, the products look a lot more expensive than they actually are. The designs are simple, but effective and the foundation comes in a smart glass bottle. The lip colour in a simple, crayon like applicator.

Flawless Finish Foundation in Porcelain (£6.50)

The foundation is slightly lighter than I'm used to. Coming in a liquid formula, it blends well and gives a lightweight, medium coverage. It really is a good budget foundation and it's smart enough to leave on your dressing table.

Matte Lip Colour in Coral

The Matte Lip Colour is another fab product from the Studio collection. The colour really pops and the product is creamy too, so you don't have to worry about it drying on your lips. I wore it out the other day and I can say it lasted most of the day. Obviously you have to reapply for the colour to really show, but you can still see the base colour once it's worn.

Although the Studio collection is slightly more expensive than the average e.l.f. product, they're better quality and look more expensive too.

For other e.l.f. products visit www.eyeslipsface.co.uk

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Barry M in Peach Melba

Summer may be over, but I'm certainly not putting a damper on my nails. Love this colour and it's perfectly streak-free after two coats.

Bare Escentuals SPF 15 Foundation - blog love!

I’m super fussy when it comes to foundation. If you were to come beauty shopping with me, you’d know that I spend hours testing and trying different foundations, always avoiding powder at any cost. I have always hated powder foundations – the way it sits on your skin, accentuates every tiny hair and never covers imperfections, making your skin look worse and older. It’s just personal preference.

I was given Bare Escentuals SPF 15 Foundation a couple of months ago. It wasn’t a product that immediately stood out, which is why it’s taken me until now to blog about it. In fact, it was a friend that mentioned the product, which sparked me to give it a go.

For a small pot, I think it’s quite expensive (£23 I think, but correct me if I’m wrong) but surprisingly it works. Unlike normal powder foundations that just wipe onto the skin, this one is buffed in circular motions. The more you buff, the better coverage it creates – don’t ask me how or why, but it does a bloody good job! You don’t need a lot either, in fact you’d be surprised at how little you use.

On first use, I thought ‘Oh come off it, this is doing nothing’ but after looking at my skin afterwards, I was really impressed. I’ll admit I used the dreaded primer on my skin first, but this was just to give it something to stick too and give better coverage. Honestly, I’ve never seen my skin look so flawless and my imperfections were covered too. It gives the perfect amount of coverage without looking thick, cakey or uneven and it lasts a fair amount of time too.

So, for someone that never liked powders before, I have 100% been converted. I was so impressed, that it’s actually become my foundation of choice on a daily basis – in the bin my liquid goes. I never thought I’d say that!

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Dove Nourishing Oil Care

The first time I used Dove hair products, I was in my early teens. I was fed up of having to use shampoo my parents chose, so went out and bought my very own. After washing and blow drying, my hair turned into volumised, super frizz - the last thing I wanted when I was 13 and pre GHDs. So I'm pleased to say these three products didn't have the same effect.

The Shampoo and Conditioner were a dream to use. My hair felt soft and easier to brush afterwards - because my hair is coloured blonde and long, it's a real chore to brush through after washing. After a couple of washes, it's hard to tell whether my hair is in any better condition. Only time will tell.

The Express Treatment Conditioner, was by far, my favourite product from the range. Unlike other conditioning treatments, this one is applied exactly as you would apply your normal conditioner - no waiting around for five minutes for it to work. As cheesy as it sounds, my hair felt more nourished and better condition.

I was immediately sold by the white and yellow swirl! Simple things, for a simple mind...

My opinion of Dove's haircare products have definitely changed since using these three. My hair, didn't once turn into a ball of fluff. In fact, the morning after I'd washed my hair, it felt sleeker and wasn't as unruly as it usually is in the morning. Definite thumbs up for Dove!

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