New Garnier Pure Active - Review

I think we can all agree that there is nothing worse than an outbreak of spots before a big event or even at all really!!!! As the old saying goes 'prevention is always better than cure', however here's the answer in one - prevention & a cure together!!!! The skincare experts at Garnier have now developed a maximum strength solution - NEW Garnier Pure Active. It is a medicated skincare range with instant effective action, delivering results from day one. It helps to fight against the appearance of spots and reduce the appearance of marks left on the skin, which for myself is one of the most annoying things about an outbreak, even after you have managed to banish the spot itself the tell tale signs of it's existence are still there for over a week!!! I have been putting this to test for the last week (Garnier Pure Active Spot-On Roll-On, Garnier Pure Active Deep Pore Unclogging Wash & Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub) & the improvement has been vast, my skin has cleared up rapidly after a pesky outbreak last week, the marks have faded way too, which is a bonus seeing as I have my Birthday bash at the end of the week!!!!
A maximum concentration of 2% purifying salicylic acid formula works to deeply cleanse skin and clear pores to fight spots, whilst the herbasoothe active ingredient, derived from blueberry, respects and cares for the skin.
Over all an excellent product range that will be staying put in my bathroom cabinet for sure! Details of the range below -

Garnier Pure Active Spot-On Roll-On (RRP £7.49)
Garnier Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub (RRP £4.99)
Garnier Pure Active Deep Pore Unclogging Wash (RRP £4.99)
Garnier Pure Active Spot Purifying Toner (RRP £4.99)
Garnier Pure Active Spot Fighting 24hr Moisturiser (RRP £5.99).

Check out the website - NEW Garnier Pure Active

Instant Eye Lift In a Pencil - Benefit High Brow!

No need for a surgeon's knife with a few tricks of the trade & Benefit's range of wonder products!!!! Check out their Brow Lift Pencil, the linen-pink colour leaves eyes looking more youthful taking years away instantly!!! Simple apply just under the arch of your eyebrow & blend, the make-up experts over at Benefit have even been kind enough to include a make-up lesson with it for you as well!!! £13.50

Golden Summer Skin - Urban Retreat's 24 Carat Body Shimmer

The ultimate accessory to your tan as well curve-defining sparkling skin is Urban Retreat's 24 Carat Body Shimmer. It is a blend of apricot kernel oil, lemon zest, lavender and jasmine which hydrates your skin and leaves a subtle glow that will glisten on those warm summer evenings! Simply spritz over the arms and legs, spray in a downwards motion on the full length of your legs to create a longer & leaner look. Definitely a must have for this summer!!! £12.00 (Available at Boots & Urban Retreat)

Get the Perfect Summer Glow With L'Oreal's Nutrisummer Face

As we all know, the safest way to build a beautiful tan this summer is to fake it all the way!!! Try out L'Oreal's Nutrisummer Face, a moisturiser with a gradual self tanning agent, it absorbs & blends easily into the skin leaving you with a natural light colour. The perfect companion for any girl this summer & with some of the top beauty editors' seal of approval its defintely worth a shot I think! £5.50

Natural Summer Make-Up!

Summer is here & even the celebs are keeping it natural, here's a few of my favourite make-up looks this week -

Thandie Newton



Looking fresh & gorgeous, to get this look go for a sheer minimum foundation, nude eyeshadow & just a thin application of black liner on the top lid with lashings of mascara, then opt for a sheer liptint gloss, try Clinique's Superblam Moisturizing Gloss in 'Lilac' for bold colour but subtle finish.

Natalie Imbruglia


Perfect & sublte but still very glam, again go for a natural foundation & choose a light golden brown shadow & just lightly blend over the sockets, use a brown eye pencil to define & finish with some mascara. Go for a nude Lipstick, try L'Oreal's 'Blueberry Crystal' for luscious natural lips, it suits just about any skin tone!

Erin O'Connor



This is perfect for those hot summer nights, natural foundation with a dewy glow on the cheeks & smokey eyes, to get this wash a light golden brown over the lids & socket line & with a pencil line the eyes then use a dark brown shadow to go over the lash lines & blend out with a cotton bud to create a smokey effect, again apply lashings of mascara! For the cheeks apply a cream blusher in a warm peach to give that dewy finsh, try Mac's Cream Blush in 'Lilicent', finish off with a natural pink gloss.

Revlon's New ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick

If you haven't already, try out Revlon's new ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick, food-proof lipcolor with a built in ultra-conditioning topcoat. Everything in one step with this product so no need for any top coat application at all, also another great bonus is that it doesn't dry out the lips which some long wear lippys can do, so luscious long lasting lip colour all day!
Also it will stay comfortable and wears perfectly for up to 12 hours, it won't feather or fade so no touch ups required, even after meals - perfect for that hot date out on the town!
The new Ultimate even made an appearance on the red carpet just after it's launch, being sported by Cameron Diaz (in Top Tomato shade) at the premier of My Sister's Keeper, so with the a-list seal of approval what's stopping you bagging one for yourself!
Available in 20 shades from Pinks, Plums, Nudes to Browns & Reds. When applying, use a thin layer to bare lips and wait until dry.
Check out Revlon's new Micro Site for the new ColorStay Ultimate where you can get more info on the products as well details on various competitions - www.revlonultimate.co.uk

Recession Pampering - Montagne Jeunesse Facemasks!

Perfect for a recession-beating & girly night in to Pamper yourselves before heading off on holiday this year are Montagne Jeunesse soothing face masks!

Crystal Mask - Add a sparkle to your skin with their warm exfoliating Crystallized Honey and Passion Flower masque.
This sensational skin treat conditions and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and the smell is cotton candy to die for!

Fudge Sauna - The divine smell of this new Hot Vanilla Fudge Sauna face masque will send you into the stratosphere! With rich Mediterranean clay, this masque provides a feast of benefits including deep cleansing.

Red Hot Earth Sauna Masque - One of the original favorites! Try this new and improved indulgent formula with rich clay extracts to draw out impurities and clear excess oils. A complete deep cleansing and moisturizing treat.

Montagne Jeunesse has over 50 fun pampering Me-Time Treats, available from leading supermarkets & drugstores. Prices Vary - From £1.99 for 3

Body Shop - Free Mango Body Butter This Weekend!

Here's an offer too good to pass up this weekend, The Body Shop are giving away a free 200ml Mango Body Butter with every purchase over £25, plus on top of that you get free standard delivery, what more could a girl ask for?!!! Mango Body Butter is an intensive, creamy all-over body moisturiser, rich and smelling sweetly of summer with added Community Trade cocoa butter and sweet almond oil. Check out the offer at The Body Shop Offer ends Midnight on Sunday 12/07.

Bobbi Brown New Summer Shimmer Brick for Body.

Bronze up from head to toe with Bobbi Brown's new 'Shimmer Brick for Body' (£50), it is a light weight silky powder that can be applied all over for an instant sun-kissed summer glow and the price may be a bit steep for a bronzer but it will last & last making it worth every penny! There are 3 bars of colour that blend together so they can give a soft subtle summer glow to any skin tone, for best results apply with the 'All Over Body Brush (£50).

Skindinavia - The Original Make-Up Saver

Over the last week I have discovered a fantastic product that answers every woman's problem of trying to keep our make-up lasting for longer - Skindinvia, "The Original Makeup Saver". The formula is a lightweight, breathable mist with a proprietary time-released cooling (cryogenic) technology that chills the makeup surface to resist melting, creasing, and colour loss. A second pigment wetting technology blends makeup for maximum coverage. The result is makeup that looks as fresh as when it was applied, even 16 hours later. No more clumping, caking, creasing, sliding, or fading!!!
The mist is easily applied once your make-up is finished simply hold about 8 inches away from the face and spray 2-4 times over your make-up, it instantly feels fresh & leaves your make-up feeling weightless! I have found that my make-up has really gone the distance each time it has been used, with less excess oil build ups on the foundation surface meaning less touch ups are required throughout the day.

They have also just expanded the product line with seven new makeup-finishing mists to address a variety of makeup problems women experience. The new products include -

1 - Jet Set Makeup Finish: Reinvigorates makeup color during travel or active use.

2 - Mineral Makeup Finish: Controls drying, settling, and shine on mineral foundation.

3 - 10 Years Younger Makeup Finish: Keeps makeup hydrated and out of wrinkles.

4 - No More Shine Makeup Finish: Absorbs oil and controls excess shine.

5 - Cool Flash Makeup Finish: Chills makeup in warm temperatures (and during hot flashes), avoiding meltdown.

6 - Bridal Makeup Finish: Holds makeup texture for photography and high stress conditions.

7 - Dance! Makeup Finish: Holds makeup while dancing, clubbing, or performing

The products are also formulated for sensitive skins, dermatologist & allergy tested as well as cruelty free - not tested on animals. Available from www.skindinavia.com

Summer Essential - New Piz Buin Active Sun Care!

Well there may have been a fair share of rain about over the last few days but the sun has been pretty hot so far this summer, so I've been trying out the new PIZ BUIN® Active sunscreen, it claims to - keep on working so you can keep on enjoying your time in the sun!
PIZ BUIN® Active is a long lasting sunscreen, with cutting-edge technology, the Active Spray with stands up to 80 minutes of sweat and water contact, so you can have as much fun in the sun as you like! It has a light & non-greasy formula which absorbs into the skin in seconds, which allows you to receive full protection quickly & easily plus the spray is excellent for getting to those hard to reach places!
I used the spray myself the other day & found it was not only easy to apply & very absorbent, it also carried less scent than many other sun protection products, which is certainly good for your perfume choice! Also there is nothing worse than have to smear cream all over & wait for it to dry before you get on with your day in the sun & who wants white lotion smears all over them?! With the spray it's just quick light mist sprayed over any exposed areas on the skin & you're ready to go, definitely the way forward in sun care! Most importantly is really does give excellent protection in the sun, having fair skin myself I'm pretty susceptible to going very pink in the sun but there was no pink-patches in sight! It will definitely packed in my holiday toiletries bag this year on my way to Barcelona!
aPIZ BUIN® Active is available in two products – Active Spray and Active Lotion – both of which feature PIZ BUIN’s Helioplex™ sun filter technology with resilient, photostable UVA and UVB protection against both burning and the ageing effects of the sun. £14.67 - Boots Currently have it on offer Buy 1 get 1 Free

Perfect Summer Cheeks - Jemma Kidd Contour & Flush!

Perfect for a healthy summer glow this season is Jemma Kid's Contour & Flush Creme Duo, the bronze tone gives you a sunkissed effect as well as contouring the cheek bones while the light pink gives pinched healthy flush! For best results apply the bronze first in dabbing motions around & just under the cheek bones to define & contour, then apply the pink to the apple of your cheeks (soft fleshy part when you smile) & softly blend with the bronze for a perfect finish!

Fake Tans for Free and Nails for Nothing - New Website Launch

www.oddjobswap.co.uk is simple – it's a website created to help you swap the talents and abilities you have with other people locally.
So, if you can apply an amazing fake tan but can never manage to get your nails just right you could use the website to find someone who's great at manicures and pedicures, and make them bronze beautiful in return. You get fantastic nails and they save themselves the cost of a salon tan – it's a win-win situation.
How www.oddjobswap.co.uk works -
Registration is easy, just go to www.oddjobswap.co.uk and fill in the online form. And you don't need to pay costly membership fees to access the website either – ITS FREE at the moment! This gives you access to their online database of fellow oddjobbers.
You can go online whenever it suits you, so it's convenient and you don't have to spend hours ringing round to get quotes, stay in for appointments or wait for firms to call you back. Just link up to get the jobs you need done at the click of a mouse.
How www.oddjobswap.co.uk was born - it is the brainchild of Peter and Julie Bruce, who were thinking of ways to boost community spirit and beat the credit crunch at the same time.
'I'd grown up in an area that had such a strong sense of community spirit and I was wondering where that sense of togetherness had gone,' says Julie.
'We wanted to create something that would bring people together and have a positive impact. With the credit crunch, it's easy to think you can't afford to get work done, but oddjobswap.co.uk looks for the positives, letting people benefit from one another's skills without having to spend loads of money.'
Check out the website to see what you can offer & what you can gain in return!