Luscious lashes xx

Growing up I remember my mother would always say to my brother 'fiddle with it and it will fall off' (sorry Aran!!). The same is true when it comes to natural beauty. The more you fiddle with hair, eyelashes, nails etc the more brittle they will become, eventually showing signs of wear or worse.

I'm so wary when it comes to false eyelashes (my mantra is that anything suffixed with 'extensions' is a no-no) as I don't want to end up damaging my lashes and risk living my life looking like a mole!

Because of this I'm constantly trying to find ways to enhance my lashes without damaging them.

At present I am completely head over heels with Bourjois' Liner Effect Mascara.

This mascara not only costs under £10 (I always go for cheaper mascaras, as they're so disposable) but it also lasts for weeks! Bargain!
The wand has shorter bristles on one side to get close to the lash root, elongating the eye line and giving the impression that you are wearing eyeliner.
The other side of the brush has longer bristles to separate the lashes and add length and volume.
They also do a waterproof version, which is perfect for swimming / beaching / gym-ing, or if you find that your mascara tends to end up half way down your cheeks toward the latter end of the day!

However....I am being tempted away from Bourjois by Benefit's new 'They're Real' mascara... I took a look a couple of weeks ago but hesitated after having bought 'Bad Gal Lash' in the past and throwing it in the bin after one application. It was terrible and really put me off Benefit. However the clever advertising campaign for 'They're Real' was enticing....I'm talking about the 'before' and 'after' shots of women's lashes, not the awful fake boob pictures!!
A few days ago a friend of mine came over and I immediately noticed her gorgeous lashes. She told me that she had purchased the new Benefit mascara and would never look back! It made sense to me that she reviewed it for my blog, so here is her take on 'They're Real' from Benefit:

Review of Benefit “They’re Real” Mascara

I have always had minimal eyelashes. They just don’t grow! And they are uneven as well; I have more on my right eye than the left, so false lashes are a must in my makeup bag.

Or so I thought...

Whilst wandering around Boots, I was pinned to a make-up demo chair by an eager Benefit consultant. She tried a few things, but when she got to the mascara, she did one eye and showed me in the mirror. The difference was incredible. I actually looked like I had false lashes on! She made me do the other eye as there is a knack to it, but it’s really easy to do! The wand has a spiky ball at the end which is used to draw out the lashes first, and then use the rest of the wand to go over the whole lash line. I only use one coat and that’s enough for me!
It claims to lengthen, curl, volumise, lift and separate, be jet black and have a long wearing and smudge free formula. I’m not sure about the curling, but it does the rest!
It also says it isn’t waterproof, but to get it off, you need an eye make-up remover, and it is pretty tough, so I'm sure light rain or weeping wouldn’t shift it.

One thing to note is that it isn’t water based so cannot be used with semi permanent eyelash extensions.

My verdict... 4.5 out of 5!

Big and bouncy...hair that is! ;) Enrapture Extremity Rollers review x

I LOVE big, volouminous hair, who doesn't?!

I have battled for years to achieve that fabulous 1950's pin up bouncy hair without having to buy some horrid plastic tipped, strands of someone else's hair to stick on my head. Sorry, I am NOT a fan of hair extensions, I think they're tacky and obvious, even when celebrities pay thousands for them. Yuck.

Instead, I would prefer for my head to be plastic free, for my fiance to be able to run his hands through my hair without them getting caught on some now-bald woman's offcuts....

I read up on heated rollers and bleated on about them to afore-mentioned fiance as a birthday present. After thoroughly researching to find the biggest, bad-ass rollers I could possibly get my hands on, the largest I could come up with was a rather pathetic travel set consisting of 8 rollers in a travel case...hmmm...not quite as bad-ass as I had hoped for.

Then, as if by magic I was watching TV one evening and up popped an advert for 'Extremity' rollers by Enrapture. Immediately I was on my phone, Googling like a woman possessed....!

It turns out that these magical rollers have two sizes - medium and large, the large unit holds TWENTY rollers and they have a 'Unique Duo Heat Technology'..?! Amazing! The fiance was sent straight to Argos under strict instruction not to return without these beauties!

My hair - having used Enrapture rollers.

The rollers come in a lovely, sleek, black and indigo gift box (we girlies love presentation!) and the actual roller case is sturdy, with a compartment for storing the lead beneath and an LED display on the front which shows when the rollers are ready to use. These rollers, unlike most, only take two minutes to heat up (rather than the usual 20 or so to become lukewarm) and hold the heat in the core, meaning you don't burn your fingers as you put them in.

The most impressive part, by far, is the 'duo heat technology' where someone incredibly clever has decided to fit a small metal plate within the inner of the clips, so once the rollers are in, the heat is held inside to give a stronger curl...clever hey!?

**TOP TIP** When using the rollers, I find it best to wash my hair the night before, let it dry naturally overnight and put them in the next morning. The natural wave in your hair will accentuate the result of the rollers!!!

The best way to use rollers is to put in the largest at the top first, this will give volume and body to the top part of your hair. Then add the smaller rollers to the bottom part of your hair.

To put the larger rollers in, wind sections of hair - approximately 1 inch wide - around the barrels of the rollers, securing with the clip. For the best results, roll the sections of hair at the very top of your head forward, rather than to the side, as per the rather scary picture below.

This will minimise any kinks and give the best volume. If you have a fringe or bangs, I would avoid putting this into the rollers as it will create a large curl to the front of your head. Instead, blow dry it into place one the rollers are all in.

If I have washed my hair that day, I sometimes wrap my head in a scarf once they're all in, much to the amusement/bemusement of my children and the postman ,while I'm whizzing about doing my make-up (or more likely, battling with my son to get him into his uniform in the morning...not quite as glam, I know). I find that this just holds them up as they cool and adds an extra layer to hold in the heat for longer, as when my hair is freshly washed it is quite fine and smooth.

These rollers have a soft velvet coating, which means that when you remove them they do not pull at your hair which would also pull out the curl! The ends are plastic, so they are cool to touch when putting them in and they slowly release the heat into your hair, minimising heat damage to your hair and fingers!

I tend to leave mine in for about half an hour once I have put them in, and then carefully unwind the hair from the curlers, one by one starting at the bottom. Once I have removed all of the smaller rollers, I spritz the hair with hairspray, gently holding each section up in the palm of my hand to support the curls whilst giving them a quick spray. I then continue to unwind the top section from the large rollers, again being careful not to 'pull' the hair away. Once they'e out I gently guide my hair into the style I want and spritz all over with hairspray again.

These are unquestionably the best hair tools I have ever owned!! They are perfect if you are a busy working mum like me, wanting a glam hair do without the fuss and effort of a thousand styling tools and a cupboard full of products! I literally pop them in when I get up, get the kids ready for the day, get ready for work and take them out before leaving the house. Amazing hair with zero effort! These are easily the best hair product you will ever buy!

http://enrapturehair.com/enrapture-hair-styling-tools/extremity-heated-rollers.html

xxx

Totally tantastic!!!

Last year I tried the 'pale and interesting' look for a couple of weeks, inspired by Nicola-what's-her-name from Girls Aloud. "Yes" I thought to myself "English rose, flushed cheeks, pale skin, rosy lips, such a gorgeous look".

Never have I been asked more if I am 'ok' or whether I've been feeling under the weather. My boss even suggested I went home as I was clearly unwell. Winner.

Since this momentous failure I have been slathering my grey, pasty complexion with a concoction of lotions and potions to try to appear less deathly, more bronzed beach babe. However, I am not a fan of the tangoed look, sported by many a Katie Price fan, and I try at all costs to avoid looking like I have liver failure.

My regular fake bake spray tans and weekly self tan touch ups seem to have done the trick and I have successfully fooled my boss into thinking I'm in full health. However, I pay the price of sleeping in a sticky, sweaty fake tan mess after application, run the risk of orange knuckles and white patches I've missed or I normally smell of digestive biscuits. Not great.

I've been reading a lot about the new Lauren's Way tanning products, with bold claims like 'fast drying' and 'no fake tan smell'. Despite not really wanting to go 'Essex brown' I decided to give it a go as these claims were surely too good to be true! No more sticky, orange bedsheets? Surely such magical wizardry only existed in the dreams of pasty girls like me?!

It arrived quickly (always good when you're staying indoors for fear of scaring small children) and was packaged well so as not to leak or spill. I opted for the foam as spray or lotion is just too fiddly for me, I prefer to slap it onto my tanning mitt and whack it on quickly before Eastenders starts...

After moisturising my hands, feet and face I decided to Essex myself up...

The first thing I noticed was the smell, almost like sunscreen or moisturiser, very pleasant. Once I started applying I noticed that it had a really silky texture and that when I started rubbing it on, it almost doubled in quantity, foaming more as it was applied!
This was by far the easiest tan I've ever used. It didn't leave the dark splodges that some 'quick drying' tans can leave if while you're rubbing it in. It was really easy to apply and left very little room for error. I finished the application and applied my whitening toothpaste to my nails. (***Super tip***: whitening toothpaste is GREAT for removing excess fake tan. Use it on the palms of your hands, or like me apply it to your nails with a nail brush after tanning to avoid yellow staining. If you sleep with whitening toothpaste under your nail tips they'll be super-white in the morning!)

I noticed after about 10 minutes that my skin was touch dry. I have used several tanning products in the past which claim to dry quickly, but this really did!! The claims were true, I was able to sleep without sticking to the bedcovers!!

When I woke, the guide colour did make me look like I had changed race overnight. I was a little worried as the tan intensities that you see in The Only Way Is Essex are fine 'up there' but I'm pretty sure that level of 'glam' isn't really appropriate for walking around Tesco with my children buying cat food...

I nervously showered, using a loofa for good measure.

When I inspected my post-shower tan I was incredibly impressed. It was completely even, a lovely golden colour and I didn't even smell like a biscuit barrel!

I can happily say that as far as self-tan goes this is the best product I have come across.

I'm sure that if you favour the darker tan another application would easily take you to the next level, but the colour after 1 application is lovely. I'm hooked. It's easy to apply, cheaper than Fake Bake, smells gorgeous and allows you to sleep with dry skin!

For more info take a look at Lauren's web page. Here is a link to the mousse that I use:

http://www.laurensway.com/tanning-products/laurens-way-self-tanning-mousse-150ml/

or there are several other products on there to tempt you!!!

Happy tanning, smiley girlies xxxx

Eye eye...x

I don't get along with liquid eyeliner.

It's a hate/hate relationship between that fiddly little brush and that gloopy little pot and me. It's one of those things in life that I have come to accept, I just can't do it.

I was wandering about my local Boots the other day (wandering is slightly too relaxed actually, it was more of a stressed dash and grab using the double pushchair to ram Christmas shoppers out of my way...) when I stumbled across Maybelline's latest product, a professional looking gel eyeliner kit.


http://m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Eye-Studio-Lasting-Drama-Gel-Liner_1190781/

Now I don't profess to be Maybelline's biggest fan. I find their products too heavy and am not a fan of the 'plastered on with a trowel' look. However, the opportunity to have lovely lined eyes without the wonkily-dragged-uneven effect did instantly appeal to me. Plus, the fact that I got a brush, a little pot and the promise of 24 hour staying power for about £8 just seemed such a bargain!!


Upon opening the little packet I was pleased to find that the pot isn't too small, there's quite a bit of product to last a while. The brush is also very good quality, with short, firm bristles to give good control.


Apprehensively, I dipped the end of the brush into the pot and started to apply.


Instantly, I was impressed. The brush gives you the ability to be precise with the amount of gel you use and the exact part of the eye that you are applying it to. It is incredibly easy to control whether you want a thin, daytime line or a thicker, more dramatic effect. It is perfect for lining the top and bottom of the eye, with different thickness lines, and it truly does last.


I found that with my wonky liquid eyeliner, it lasted a couple of hours then flaked off. With my kohl pencil it would smudge and end up half way down my face, leaving me unknowingly looking like 'Kiss' from around lunchtime onward.


This, however actually does meet it's claim to last 24 hours. (I tested this claim after a few glasses of wine, whereby even washing my face was too much effort and a face wipe before bed was an achievement to be proud of.)

The liner stayed put from application in the morning through the wine fuelled evening and into the next day. No flakiness, no smudging, no dodgy Kiss impersonations, just beautifully lined - albeit a little glazed and puffy - eyes.

So if you, like me, struggle with being cack-handed and ending up looking like your eyes are of different sizes/at totally different angles, then you should definitely give Maybelline's Lasting Drama Eye Liner Kit a go, I promise you'll be impressed!!

Xxx

HD Brows

Hi lovely people! I was lucky enough on Friday to try out the new HD brow treatment and can now share my wonderful experience with you and hopefully convert some of you to HD lovers like I now am!!

HD brows is a new craze which has made it's way across the pond to the UK recently. It's an amazing procedure which achieves the most perfect looking eyebrows, shaping your face beautifully.
HD brows is basically a seven step procedure to tint, shape and define your eyebrows, highlighting your face shape and giving the appearance of perfectly shaped eyebrows.
The website for more info is:
http://www.hd-brows.co.uk/

I have very fair eyebrows, which were also very semi-circular from various over zealous plucking sprees, terrible salons and home wax attempts gone wrong over the years! I had my eyebrows tinted in the past, and professionally shaped, but the result was never quite perfect.
HD brows uses waxing, threading and tweezing to shape the brows. It also tints the fine, downy hairs beneath the brow hairs to fill in any gaps and give the appearance of perfect eyebrows. So no more invisible eyebrows for us blondies!!!

I went to a fabulous lady called Ella at her salon, Facebase, in Truro (http://www.facebasestudio.com/). It's a wonderful studio on the edge of town in the beautiful setting of the old bakery studios next to the river. Ella is wonderful, truly talented, and offers a variety of fanastic treatments. She's definitely worth a visit!  You will have an initial personal consultation and will be advised on the shape and colour to best compliment your skin tone and face shape. Then Ella sets to work, creating the most amazing results.

The treatment took about an hour and I left with perfect brows. I no longer have to tame them into shape in the morning, with my HD brows and my eyelashes tinted I can literally apply a little concealer and tinted moisturiser and that's my make up done! Perfect when my time before work is normally filled with battling a 5 year old into his uniform and convincing him that cereal is the best option for breakfast - not fish fingers...

I cannot recommend this treatment highly enough. It lasts for around 6 weeks, and treatments are between £30 - £40.

I've added a couple of pics of my new brows below, I haven't needed to apply any brow wax/pencil whatsoever to achieve the shape or colour, it's all the HD treatment.

I'm a convert, and would definitely recommend you try it at least once. You won't believe the difference it makes.

Xxx