Friday 27 June 2008

Best Firming Cream - Nivea My Silhoutte


Just voted the best firming lotion for Tums, Bums & Thighs in a recent poll is Nivea 'My Silhoutte' (£11.99), it proved fast visible results for users even within a week, with the skin appearing firmer & more toned. In fact it beat top seller Rodial's Tummy Tuck at £100 to first place, defintely a bargain buy if it can out perform a product like that! Of course as with all these products, the best results are always gained when combining them with some excercise & healthy eating, although this cream is certainly a great helping hand for an express beach-fabulous body!

Mac Summer Trends - Neon Colours


Just out from Mac are their new Neon Make-Up Bags, this season is going neon-shade crazy so why not have a bag to go with it!!!!! Out in Yellow, Orange & Blue the patent bags are perfect for this summer's trend, limited edition (£10.50)
Also why we're on the subject of Neon, try out Mac's new limited edition Neo Sci-Fi Sheertone Blush for some summer shimmer (£14)

Thursday 26 June 2008

Exfoliate Your Way to Perfect Skin!


Exfoliation is sometimes a pretty forgotten step in the average beauty regime, yet incorporating it can give you instant fresher, brighter & not forgetting younger looking skin!
The basics of what exfoliation actually does is to help remove the dead skin cells from the epidermis, this is your top layer of skin & it actually has 7 layers in total, the top being called the 'Stratum Corneum' & consists of dead skin cells, if these cells continue to build up the layer will become overly thick which is when it will start to look dull & lifeless. Your skin naturally exfoliates but an exfoliating routine really helps this process, keeping the epidermis in perfect working order!.
Oily skins can really benefit as well as it will help to keep the top layer of skin in good condition & in time reduce the amount of oil produced by the skin.
Try lancome's Exfoliance Clarte (£25), it's a gel wash & has fine exfoliating micro beads which will brighten & smooth the skin, it doesn't feel harsh on the skin eaither making it easier to use.
Some exfoliating scrubs claim to exfoliate a lot deeper removing the complete top layer of dead skin, this more commonly known as Micro-Dermabrasion, for best results you should have this done professionally but there are a few good DIY products on the market, try L'oreal Refinish (£14), You'll see instant results with this & it will brighten the skin giving a really youthful glow!
As with all exfoliating, this should only be carried out twice a week, any more than that & your skin can become to dry & sensitive & can be easily irritated by other beauty products.

A Girl's Best Friend - Top Products for Perfect Skin!

Here are some top products for hiding any tale tale signs that may give away any late nights out on the town!!!!!!!

Eyes -

Benefit Eyecon

This cream is amazing, it has a fading action which will help your eyes appear brighter & fade any fine lines as well.


Also from Benefit - Lemon-Aid. A product I use many times myself & can be used as a eye primer with or without make-up, it will hide any redness or discolouration on your eyelids, giving you a fresh healthy look regardless of how many late nights you've had!

Face -

If you want to brighten your complexion in one easy go & get instant results then opt for Nars Brightening Serum, it erradicates any dull lifeless appearance to the skin & gives you an instant youthful glow! Worth every penny!!!


Another instant fix for tired over-worked complexions is Rimmell's Recover Foundation, it has a brightening formula that gives your skin an extra glow, covering up any evidence from the night before!

Tuesday 24 June 2008

Bourjois Ombre Stretch Shadow - Review


The latest offering from Bourjois is their Ombre Stretch shadow, it has nylon micro fibres that create a fabric like effect so it will blend easily. I found that while it did blend out softly it didn't actually blend that well with other shadows used, particulary when blending a lighter colour above towards the brow (if using one of the dark shades that is). The brush that comes with it quite good & a lot better than most applicators that come with shadows, best to use a proper 'fluff' brush though to get the best effects. Another small down side is that at the inner corners of my eyes I noticed the shadow seperated slightly & the pigment ran a little, it was the purple shadow & small streaks of pink appeared which never normally occurs, so it's not all that great when in contact with moisture... But still a lovely effect & easy to blend on it's own, so over all worth a try. £6.95 from Boots.

Friday 20 June 2008

Top Lipstick - Bare Escentuals


Recently tried & tested from one of our top magazines Bare Escentuals Lipstick gets top marks for a long lasting & luscious colour on the lips!
It has a nourishing blend of exotic oils, natural waxes, and plant extracts to perfect it's moisturising effects, the lipsticks use only minerals as colour, so no chemicals which can irritate & dry out the lips. It glides on easily with a smooth application, plus it's long wearing & your lips will stay hydrated and soft as if you have lip balm on!
Also pink pouts are all the rage this season so try out their new colour 'Berry Glace' (£12)

Thursday 19 June 2008

Keira Knightly & Sienna Miller at the Edinburgh Film Festival


With the launch of the Edinburgh Film Festival Keira Knightly & Sienna Miller took to the red carpet for the premiere of their new movie "The Edge of Love'. Both looked stunning as usual & Keira sported a very dramatic smokey eye effect which gave a striking finish to her over all look.

Here's some top tips on how to achieve a sultry smokey eye worthy of any red carpet! -

First of all ensure you have cotton buds at hand as these are your top tool for finishing off this look!

1 - Use a matte eye shadow & opt for a dark brown & black such as Mac Shadow in Brun & Carbon -
2 - First of all apply a primer base to the eye to hold the shadow as it will be a heavy application.
3 - Gradually build the colour, add the dark brown first & blend over the lid & into the socket line.
4 - With a blending brush blend outwards at the outer corners to soften the edges & bring it outwards for a dramatic finish (use circular motions for this)
5 - With your black shadow blend it into the outer corners of the eyes & again blend outwards.
6 - With a pencil brush use the dark brown & take it under the lower lash line to create a heavy finish then do the same with the black.
7 - With your cotton buds blend all round the eye ensuring the edges are soft & blended.
8 - Finally take a black kohl eye pencil & line the top lash line & into the inner lower lash lines & the inner corners so the whole eye is defined, this will create a dramatic finish to the look.

One other tip - as using these colours can be a bit messy, best to either place some loose powder under the eye to catch any excess shadow or do the eyes first, then your foundation!

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Top Slimming Creams - Are They Worth it?

With our summer holidays growing closer & closer the emphasis really is on to try & get beach-bod confident!! We're all suckers for the cheats way to do this, even if we are all members of our local gym & the sales of slimming & firming products quadruples at this time of year!!
I've been looking at what are heralded as the top slimming creams made by cult brand Rodial, they'll set you back a cool £95-£100 so are they really worth it??
Firstly Tummy Tuck, this is proven to reduce the abdominal area by 2-3cm in 8wks, it has fig extract and neuropeptides which break down fatty cells and boost the cell metabolism & help slim & tighten the abdomen. Next is the Body Sculpture which is a slimming & anti cellulite gel & will reduce the hip & thigh area by 1cm in one month, it says it breaks down fatty deposits, stimulates tissue drainage, firms & tones your skin. The testimonials are good with customers seeing a difference in the tone & firmness of the areas treated, however as soon as you stop using the product this difference will no doubt diminish, so not a long term solution to body confidence really.....
Whilst I think these products are good to assist with the summer diet & help give you some confidence on the beach, I think when it comes to spending £100 to loose 2-3cm in 2 months then perhaps cutting down on sugary snacks, drinking more water & getting out for 30min walk each day as well as a quick 10 Sit Ups might be better idea for the same results!?

Tuesday 17 June 2008

Best Toner - Darphin Purifying Toner


This fab toner, which now comes with the seal of approval from several beauty editors, works wonders to give you beautiful fresh clear skin!! It rejuvenates the skin, reduces pore size as well as removing dirt & make-up in one go, also it clears up blemishes in a matter of days & will prevent a build up of excess oil on the skin. All in all an excellent product & great for giving you the perfect complexion for your summer tan! (£18)

Friday 13 June 2008

Max Factor Colour Collection Lipsticks


Max Factor along with top make-up artist Pat McGrath have put together a fantastic range of lipsticks to suit all skin tones, so no more trial & error with unflattering colours!!

Here are few golden rules when choosing any lipstick -

Fair Skin - Go for subtle pinks tones, cool beiges or if opting for red make sure it is blue toned, avoid lilacs & purple shades.
Olive Skins - Opt for peach tones to warm beiges & pinks, avoid bronze or gold as these can make the skin appear sallow.
Dark Skins - Warm browns or deep burgandy & plum, avoid pale frosted tones.

Thursday 12 June 2008

Best Foundations For Dry Skin

Dry skin sufferers can find it had to find the right foundation, most liquids can draw attention to the dry skin & create an uneven patch effect to the finish. Here are some top products that have been tried & tested and come up trumps for dry skin!

Firstly before applying your foundation it is best of course to use a good moisturiser, these are two of the best moisturisers I found to try out for dry skin, the Body Shop's Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream (£7.50) as well as Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion (from £15), but also apply a Primer to create an even base for your foundation which will also help prevent patches, try Laura Mercier's Primer (£27) or Mac's Prep & Prime Primer (£16).
Id Bare Escentuals (£17) came top of the list for dry skin, it covers evenly & as it is gentle on the skin can help with dryness as well as giving a healthy glow to the finish.
Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse (£6.99) is another winner & creates a light weight finish that doesn't cake or draw attention to any dry areas.
Finally Mac Moistureblend Foundation (£20.50) this is a compact foundation that provides excellent moisture to dry skin & gives a smooth even finish.

Tuesday 10 June 2008

Summer Colours - Bright & Neon.

With Summer here colours are going bright & neon with pink, orange & yellow at the top of the list!
Defintely go bright or neon on the Nails to give your look in instant up to the minute edge, try Nails Inc yellow polish in Carnaby Street (9.50) or for some neon energy try O.P.I's Atomic Orange.
Also clashing colours are very cool this season,
try a splash of orange on the eyes with a vibrant pink on the lips, best orange eyeshadows can be found at Mac & Shu Uemura, also Yves Saint Laurent lipstick in Fuchsia Pink gives a beautful luscious colour on the lips, if you want to go for a vibrant colour with a softer finish try the Bourjois Rouge Hi-Tech liptints.

New - Bourjois Rouge Hi-Tech Lip Tint


Everybody is going lip tint crazy just now & Bourjois's new Rouge Hi-Tech is just the ticket if you're after a long lasting natural colour with no heaviness or sticky gloss! It is water based so feels really light on application & gives you intense colour while keeping the feel of bare lips, it comes with a fab applicator too so precision is easy. Choose from six shades - £7.25.

Friday 6 June 2008

Must Have Product for Summer - New Benefit Posie Tint


Just out this week is Benefit's new Posie Tint, a new lighter take on their classic Benetint which which makes it perfect for summer! Soft fresh pink cheeks are very hot this season so this is the perfect product to keep your make-up bag right on trend!! The cheek & lip stain is applied just as Benetint & can be worn over foundation or just on it's own, apply 3 small dots along the cheek bone & blend, for an extra soft posie flush apply a dot to the apple of your cheeks (soft fleshy part when you smile) & blend outwards to give a youthful summer glow!!! The lipstain looks great as well, plus it lasts all day, apply with your fingertips & then add a little clear gloss over the top for some added sparkle! Available at Benefit counters from this week - £22.50

Wednesday 4 June 2008

Brand New from Bobbi Brown


Just out from Bobbi Brown is their Mini Brush & Palette Case (£50), it has 3 brushes with it for Blusher, Eye Shadow & Eyeliner, plus it has plenty of room to tuck in one of their palette's as well as your mascara & lipgloss!
The Palettes, either the 3 or 4 pan (both £10) all have mirrors as well as room for either your favourite blushers or shadows, so you can tailor your very own Bobbi Brown collection!!

Monday 2 June 2008

Top Anti Ageing Treatment - 3LAB "H" Serum


The latest craze from the US to hit the British market is 3LAB "H" Serum, it is a hot celebrity favourite over in LA & was even handed out in A-Lister goody bags at the Oscars this year.
Basically it is another anti-ageing serum, it claims to regenerate the skin, soften out fine lines & wrinkles plus repair sun damage to the skin, it's top ingredient is the Human Growth Hormone. This has been quite a controversial ingredient for many years & was even banned for cosmetic treatments by injection due to serious side effects such as irregular heart beat & diabetes, of course the trials carried out were in very high doses & since then the product has been developed into a safe external treatment for the skin in the form of a serum. HGH is added to the serum & bio-engineered to penetrate deep into the skin & after £2.5million worth of research the 3LAB serum is quickly becoming one of the most successful anti-ageing products showing real results with tests proving that in only 2 weeks users found that wrinkles were reduced as well as the signs of sun damage significantly reduced too & the over all tone of the skin being much firmer & youthful. It certainly has a celebrity price tag at £125 but is said to be a worthwhile investment, Sharon Osbourne most definitely agrees!!! Available at Selfridges, see their website for more info - www.3lab.com

Mac SkinSheen Leg Spray


Mac have just released their SkinSheen Leg Spray (£14.50), it is a light gel that spays on to the legs to create an even bronzed finish, giving you sun kissed pins for the summer months!
To create the perfect skin use their Body Buffer Brush (£34) as well, use this after the spray has been applied in circluar movements for a flawless application.