All That Glitters

The Glitter and Gore – A Make-up Artist’s Heaven!

2011-02-06T23:23:00.008Z

Very recently I stumbled upon an amazing website called The Glitter and The Gore. Quite simply it’s a make-up image archive, but that description really doesn’t do it justice. The site is described by the curators, as you’ll see, as a place featuring ‘high art make-up’ ranging from ‘glitter to gore’. For those of you who like your Special Effects make-up though, you may be a little disappointed as I’ve yet to see an image with ‘gore’ in it, such as wounds and zombie make-up for instance. It might be a bit misleading; however I’m not sure if the ‘gore’ is to be taken quite so literally!

The site is run by Gina Marr and those behind the blog ‘Creepyisascreepydoes’. Launched in April last year Gina et al scour the internet from top to bottom and corner to corner, managing to uncover the most amazing make-up artistry images – all incredible, all beautiful and many avante-garde and outlandish, they share these with all who love their make-up!

There is often at least one image added each day so on average your eyes get to feast on 30 new inspiring shots per month, if not far more. Further still if you click on each image for more information and for an expanded view, the images are always credited where possible or at the very least the source is given making sure that all those who work hard creating these stunning pieces of art are recognised!

The site’s a perfect encyclopaedia for all who love make-up, make-up artists, photographers, artists and beauty lovers alike! If you’re anything like me you could easily find yourself on here for hours just gawping at each image one by one and I certainly go on there now for my daily fix, excited about what new inspiration awaits round the corner.

Go see for yourself, what are you waiting for? theglitterandgore.tumblr.com

You can find Gina Marr on Twitter

Creepyisascreepydoes is another amazing source of great imagery, art and photography but with mostly a creepy twist (hence the title)! As a side note to warn you, this one’s not for the faint-hearted – I got a bit of surprise spook from one of the images on there today for example, but then I’m not great at coping with all horror imagery as my imagination gets a little carried away, ha!

creepyisascreepydoes.tumblr.com

All images are from The Glitter and The Gore

‘You’ve Got That Feeling’ Music Video by Natalie Ross

2011-02-03T18:44:00.006Z

You may recall a couple of weeks ago I posted a Making Of video documenting the production of the new music video that I worked on in September, by singer and songwriter Natalie Ross for her latest single ‘You’ve Got That Feeling’. Well the music video premiered at Guildford’s very own live music venue The Boileroom on Saturday 22^nd January and has now been released for all to see and hear!

‘One-woman band’ Natalie Ross is an artist with a barbershop style sound but with a modern twist. Not only does she write her own material but she co-produces and arranges it all as well! As Natalie phrases it in Burning Wick’s Behind the Scenes, the music video for ‘You’ve Got That Feeling’ is a ‘visual representation’ of the song – a story of meeting the right person at the right moment and everything else falling into place!

Directed and filmed by Colin Arnold of The Surgery Productions, the 1940's style music video was filmed in Caterham, Surrey where fantastic jive dancers and extras all gathered to take part in the 1940’s tea dance set-up. Everyone’s outfits were incredible, the dancers were amazing and if you'd have stumbled in on the shoot you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d really gone back in time!

It was a real pleasure to work with Natalie and everyone involved on the day. I hope you enjoy the video as much as we all enjoyed making it!

To hear more of Natalie’s songs, get your hands on the ‘You’ve Got That Feeling’ download single and see dates for future gigs get yourself over to www.natalieross.co.uk

The Surgery Productions is also behind projects such as feature film The Fallow Field and further music videos for singles ‘Ides’ and ‘The Reason (Parasite)’ by UK band Subsource. The latest work to come from Surgery Productions, due for release early this year is the highly anticipated ‘Subsource Dubmentary’ – a feature-length music documentary following the band as they tour Europe and the UK. You can find more on their work at www.thesurgeryproductions.com

You can see Natalie’s video on my website www.amanda-makeup.com or below (double-click for a full-screen view) – sit back and enjoy!

All Things Lush and Beautiful

2011-01-26T23:26:00.012Z

Everybody that reads my blog must know by now how much I love this company and the wonderful luxuries it makes. This year I’ve been treated to – and treated myself to – a whole new host of their products. So here’s my take on all of them, one by one...

New Christmas Edition: Maple Taffy Lip Balm

I really wanted to get this review out sooner as sadly this little beaut won’t be back on the shelves until December later this year. However initially when I got to Lush this Christmas I was instead very sad to find that the Christmas edition ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ lip balm had been discontinued. This was my favourite Lush lip balm in the collection, so much so I stocked up on enough for the year ahead last year so that I wouldn’t run out (and can I add that I only needed two lip balms for the whole year?!) It was also a winner amongst all of my clients as they love the smell when I use it on them as a moisturising base before applying lippy.

But soon all woes were forgotten when I found the new Christmas edition lip balm in its place – ‘Maple Taffy’. Smelling of and containing maple syrup I think I actually prefer this one now. The smell lasts longer and yet the ingredients list is simpler: Extra Virgin Coconut oil, Maple Syrup, Japan Wax, Shea Butter, Illipe Butter, Carnauba Wax and Glycerine.

The other difference – which admittedly takes some getting used to at first – is the waxy consistency. ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ was a lot oilier and glossier, I think owing to the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Whereas ‘Maple Taffy’ contains Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and a lot of rich butters and these seem to provide a much waxier base. If you don’t mind it though I think it’s worth giving the lip balm a chance because I maintain this one moisturises better because the waxy layer that it forms seems to keep moisture in more effectively and stays put whilst Let Them Eat Cake could sometimes eventually slide off.

Vanilla Dee-Lite Hand & Body Lotion

This lotion is my new Holy Grail Lush product. It’s a light moisturiser, but lasts the mile. The smell is so scrumptious, it’s one that’s truly addictive and makes me feel, well put quite simply, happy. I’ve always been a fan of vanilla, so it’s an easy sell to me really. However they’ve put kiwi fruit in this lotion, and as odd as the marriage of these two scents sounds, I think that’s what gives it the amazingly addictive twist! It’s not as sickly as some vanilla-scented products can be and I think that’s owing to the kiwi – it balances out the sweetness, like lime does to coconut!

As I mentioned above the durability is great too – I can wash my hands after having using it on my arms, get a hairstyling product all over my hands whilst styling my hair and I can still smell Vanilla Dee-Lite on my mitts long afterwards! I can also often smell it on myself as the day winds on which is always a bonus for me as isn’t that the reason we use lovely smelling lotions and potions?!

The only disadvantage to this hand and body lotion I’d say is that it may not be nourishing enough for everyone’s skin. The skin on my arms and legs can lean a bit toward the dry side so I still need to use nourishing exfoliants as well as working this into my skin. However Lush does have the name bang on as it really is a delight to use!

Christmas Edition ‘Cinders’ Bath Ballistic

Again another Christmas limited edition – sorry! But if it helps I’d be curious to see if you’d feel let down by this one too. I'm afraid to say I was a little disappointed by this bath bomb. It smelt so exciting and promising when I took it home and of all the bath bombs Lush sells I think it’s one of the prettiest as the colours are gorgeous.

I could definitely smell its cinnamon leaf and sweet orange when it was solid, but when I popped it in the bath I could barely smell anything as it fizzed away. It turned the water a lovely warm, buttery yellow colour and it did feel like it was moisturising my skin once it had melted into the water but other than that I wasn’t blown away.

The bath bomb promised an experience like “falling asleep in front of a log fire and hearing the crackling embers as the snow falls down” – the crackling effect that it produces comes from very cute red popping candy that’s set into the bath bomb! But whilst it did have great fizzing quality it left much to be desired for me. The fragrance that was left on my skin wasn’t very detectable and I couldn’t smell it when I woke up in the morning at all. So sadly out of the three, I won’t be buying this again in future Christmas shopping sessions!

Now normally this is the bit where I point you in the website direction for your own bottle of Vanilla Dee-Lite lotion, but sadly the Lush UK site has fallen victim to hackers recently and as a result no trading’s taking place on there at the moment (more info at www.lush.co.uk) But as an alternative in the meantime you can get in touch with the Lush team on 01202 668545 to place an order or head down to your local Lush and have a sampler there!

Behind the Scenes!

2011-01-21T18:11:00.004Z

In September I did make-up on-set of the shoot for singer Natalie Ross’ up and coming single 'You've Got That Feeling'. Producers at Burning Wick filmed a behind the scenes video interviewing Natalie, director Colin Arnold and giving viewers a little taste of the action in making a 1940s music video.

Natalie's video, produced by The Surgery Productions premiers tomorrow night at Celebrating the Girls of Guildford event held by Guildford-based music venue the Boileroom! With a vintage fair in the day and a fantastic array of artists in the evening, including Miss Ross herself, this will be a fantastic event for any lady who loves her fashion and music – what more could a girl ask for?!

You’ll find the Behind the Scenes video from Burning Wick on my website and I’ll be posting the official music video in days to come. In the meantime have a little peek here...

www.amanda-makeup.com

Natalie Ross

Burning Wick

The Surgery Productions

New Obsession for 2011: Rings, Rings, Rings!

2011-01-20T16:41:00.005Z

As I mentioned last summer, I’m getting into a bit of a ring obsession and am accumulating more and more as time goes on. I tend to be quite specific when it comes to ring designs but luckily there are some really beautiful designers out there whose work I love! Etsy is a great place to find rings and jewellery (as well as other handmade, beautiful accessories and clothing).

A few of my favourite sellers use Etsy to sell their wares. But also I find markets are a great place to find really unique designers. When I worked at The Clothes Show Live in December I treated myself on the last day to visiting some of the stalls and buying myself a little something. I stumbled across Silver Del Sol – a jewellery company that specialises in beautiful silver jewellery made with shells, semi-precious stones and materials.

The company founder, Claire and I got talking and turns out she sells her wares in Portobello Road market! Another of my favourite market haunts and one that I haven’t had chance to go back to in nearly two years. I loved her collection so much that I’m definitely heading over there soon to pick up some more goodies! Sadly they don’t have an active website at the moment, but I’ll keep my ear to the ground and if it goes live I’ll definitely let you guys know.

Another of my faves is Jewela from Etsy. Whilst I haven’t actually bought anything from them yet – as they’re sellers in Israel so there’s the additional cost of international shipping – I’ve been heading back to their online store every so often poring over some of my favourite pieces so much so I think I ought to put aside a little savings pot and treat myself!

The prices aren’t to everyone’s budget, but as they say on their page – they put a lot of effort into crafting each design and a really beautiful item of jewellery, if well-made and lovingly designed, will be something you wear for many years to come.

If you also like Jewela, I recommend you check out their other Etsy store Hadarjewelry. It’s a little smaller than Jewela, but nevertheless the pieces are beautiful and a definite winner for me.

Below are some of the favourite items of mine from Jewela and Hadarjewely currently on sale at the moment. To check out their Etsy shops just click on the hyperlinks above. To see more of what Etsy has to offer visit www.etsy.com. Prices will automatically appear in US Dollars but once you begin browsing Etsy detects where you’re visting from and converts to your currency so it’s all laid out for you, nice and easy!

Fashion Toast for Breakfast, Anyone?

2011-01-19T16:26:00.002Z

In the same way that some of us like to kick off their day with a slice of toast for brekkie, I like to start mine with a dose of some of my favourite blogs and websites. Many people have a list of sites that they visit ritually each day and one of mine is fashiontoast.com.

Launched in 2007, I found fashiontoast.com in a write-up a couple of years later in an edition of ASOS magazine, visited it and have been hooked ever since. Written and compiled by Rumi Neely with photography taken by her other half and herself, this website is a fashion addict’s nirvana and I love, love, love visiting it!

Rumi herself is a fashion assistant and model and gets to travel around the world doing what she loves and loving what she does. Very jealous! With her embarking on frequent trips to Tokyo, holding random photo shoots in desolate and beautiful places and visits to parties and fashion shows there’s much fashion eye candy to look at and beautiful shots to boot.

Rumi herself has great taste, of course. She has an enviable collection of silver rings and bangles and provides me with a bit of wardrobe inspiration when I’m feeling in need of a booster. She also manages to pose for photos in the middle of streets and public footpaths as natural as standing waiting for a bus – something I haven’t managed to master myself yet...

Take a look for yourselves at www.fashiontoast.com.

As a side note there’s a fair few blogs out there that I’m always discovering and I think are well worth shouting about and sharing with you. So in future I plan to post more about the great people who share, contribute and make the web that bit more fun!

Image of Rumi Neely from fashiontoast.com

Presenting: Ladies & Gentleman

2011-01-17T22:50:00.004Z

Last summer I worked on a video shoot filming a pilot episode for a TV drama called ‘Ladies & Gentlemen’. It’s a drama portraying relationships with the episode following the lives of several characters and the highs, lows, difficulties and euphoria that they experience in the relationships that they are involved in... or are pursuing!

Directed by Robin Schmidt, written by Robert Lucas and produced by Disclosure Productions, Ladies & Gentlemen has been described as ‘funny, sexy, dark and heart-breaking’. It was a real pleasure to work with the cast and crew and I look forward to hearing more news on the series in future!

The trailer has recently been released - I'm very excited by it. You'll now find this on my website or you can see it below. Let's watch this space...!

www.amanda-makeup.com

Ladies & Gentlemen Facebook page

www.disclosureproductions.co.uk

NOTD: Barry M Nail Polish in Strawberry Ice Cream

2011-01-12T20:34:00.003Z

Admittedly this little number’s a bit more of a spring/summer shade really, but sometimes it’s nice to add a bit of a brightener to your wardrobe when the winter weather’s dull and you can’t quite remember when you last saw the sun shine! A pop of pink seems to do the trick in any case.

At first when I began to apply it I wasn’t quite sure that I liked the shade as much on me as I did in the bottle, but after a day or so on it’s really grown on me. In some lights this pink looks quite bright and in others it looks a little more pastel, but either way it’s a very cute, girly number – perfect I think if you like your pinks Barbie-esque!

This colour seemed a little trickier to apply than other Barry M polishes. It’s the most recent Barry M addition of nail varnish to my collection, so maybe they’ve changed the width of the brushes, I’m not sure – I might have to investigate. At £2.99 you can’t complain too much though and I often find that Barry M nail polishes last a good week before chipping.

Two layers are all that are needed to make the colour look lovely and solid. When my hands are not cold and turning blue from the winter chill outside, this pink seems to complement the olive undertone in my skin. So it would look amazing with a tan in the summer months and even cuter on the beach in your favourite bikini!

Sidenote: ‘Scuse the sight of my cuticles at the moment, they always seem to run ragged in the winter months – not good, not good at all. I’ve been meaning to tackle my unruly cuticles for months now and I think 2011’s the time to do it. Any tips people? *Seeks out info and tips in a determined flurry*

Post below or hit the Twitter button on the right and tweet!

Amanda x

Inspired by... Alex Box by Rankin

2011-01-10T17:59:00.007Z

This Christmas I was incredibly lucky to receive a book I’ve been after for a very long time – Alex Box by Rankin. This beautiful book is a fantastic collaboration between Alex Box, Make-up Artist and Co-Founder of Illamasqua and world-famous photographer Rankin. Both parties are equally amazing in their fields and together have produced images that will take your breath away and have you looking at them again and again!

With a background in fine art, Alex Box initially began her creative career designing installations and only doing make-up at a shop near her college on a part-time basis to fund her projects. After a while it seemed that make-up was the true path she wanted to explore. To get a feel for her work, her aesthetic, you only need to browse the Illamasqua website or peruse one of their lovely glossy brochures and you’ll find all of her works of art painted on each and every face (or body) displayed.

Alex Box is wonderful at telling a story simply by using a face and/or body as a canvas. She creates beautiful, charming and often dark make-up designs which have your eye roving all over the minute details, wondering how she created the swirls so perfectly or made a face look so ethereal.

Rankin has been a favourite photographer of mine ever since I discovered him. Chances are, if you haven’t heard of him you’ll have definitely seen a piece of his work, whether it be a photograph of one of our icons of today or film. Rankin has been behind two of my recent favourite music videos – Kelis’ ‘Acapella’ and The Noisettes’ cover of ‘Ever Fallen in Love’.

Rankin too, didn’t begin in the field he’s now celebrated for. He went to study accountancy in Brighton before discovering that his true passion was for photography. He loved it so much that he resolutely went back to A Levels to take photography from scratch and the addiction bloomed. Inspired by people, his talent lies in being able to capture people and moments honestly.

When I attended IMATS last January the audience who attended a Q&A with Alex Box were treated to getting their hands on the Alex Box by Rankin book and to have a preview of the images on-screen as the interview progressed. I finally got to have a proper leaf through when I attended a Rankin exhibition ‘Painting Pretty Pictures’ in London a few months ago.

I went through the entire book cover to cover and was completely and utterly captivated. I never seem to tire of looking at each image, in fact I seem to find more to focus on, more to see every time I look at each one! A3 in size, to say the book’s a coffee table book would be an understatement, but nevertheless it now sits on ours, practically taking up half of the width of the table!

I really recommend this for anyone who’s inspired by make-up, photography or even art, because these images are as inspiring as any painting or illustration could be. No stranger to colour or unusual textures, Alex has provided the most unusual inspiration for creating a make-up design and Rankin has captured each piece wonderfully.

Alex Box by Rankin is published by Rankin Photography Ltd. at £50.

Illamasqua can be found here.

Rankin's beautiful portfolio can be seen here.

De-Tox the De-Caf Way with Yumchaa...

2011-01-09T19:13:00.010Z

You may remember a year ago I posted a series of blog entries on potential New Year’s Resolutions and how to go about keeping them. One post in particular addressed beauty routines – you can find this here. In this I mentioned that fruit teas are a great way of keeping your skin hydrated but without the dullness of sipping just plain old tap water.

In addition fruit teas are a fab alternative to high-caffeinated drinks such as coke and coffee if you fancy reducing or completely cutting out your caffeine intake or when de-toxing – a common goal at this time of year after all of that Christmas feasting!

I’ve been a big fan of Yogi teas (I still am!) but I may have just found a brand that’s knocked them off my Number One spot : ) Their name is Yumchaa and they make the most amazing teas I’ve ever tried. I’m going to admit fruit teas are not my favourite go-to when it comes to hot drinks. I’d rather have a coffee any day but when I’m trying to be good I do like to reach for a fruit tea. However this brand has made me a true fruit tea convert – I could easily drink these every day!

Yumchaa’s unusual name comes from merging Chaa (i.e. tea) with ‘Yum’ – simply describing how tasty their teas really are! My sister introduced me to them a while ago when she took me to their lovely little tea shop in Camden specialising in nothing but their fine teas and the odd naughty nibble.
I had a ‘Notting Hill’ and my other half had a ‘Wanderlust’. “What” may you ask “are a ‘Notting Hill’ and a ‘Wanderlust’ when they’re at home?” The cuteness to Yumchaa is that that they name a lot of their blends really cute, memorable names as they can often include four or more ingredients – much too lengthy to list in a title!

Well she remembered how much I loved them and gave me three different flavours – and the best ever tea strainer known to man – as all Yumchaa teas come loose! These are Notting Hill, Wanderlust and Red Christmas. I don’t exaggerate when I say that I smelt these before I could see them when opening them on Christmas Day! The scents are incredible and the colours beautiful! You should really invest in a glass teapot just to see how beautiful they come out when the tea leaves diffuse.

Notting Hill contains Keemun black tea, Apricot, Strawberry, Marigold Blossom and Cornflowers (this one’s admittedly not caffeine-free!)

Wanderlust includes Sencha green tea, Apple, Cinnamon and Almond

And Red Christmas (a limited Christmas edition of course) includes Rooibos, Ginger bread spice, Almond, Cinnamon pieces, Aniseed, Pepper cloves and Chocolate chips

The scents from these packets have taken over our drinks cupboard and they all taste amazing. I won’t fib, they don’t taste exactly as they smell, but no fruit tea ever does. However they’re certainly not like any other fruit tea brand as they taste incredibly close! I suggest adding a hint of sugar or honey if you like your tea a little sweeter but they certainly aren’t essential.

Yumchaa also makes many, many other flavours if the above don’t take your fancy or if you’re feeling curious and love your fruit teas I urge you to give them a go. Specialising in black, red, green and white teas they’ll make your de-tox or vow to reduce your caffeine a breeze this year!

You can find their shops all over London, where you can also sit and enjoy a cup there and then with a nice bit of cake. If you can’t get down to one of their London shops, fear not, they sell all of their blends on their website. Find out more at www.yumchaa.co.uk

Happy tea-making : ) x

P.S. Here’s a little piccy of the awesome tea strainer that my sister treated me to along with the triple-tea fantastic-ness. I have no idea where she bought it from (it’s made by a French company called Pylones) but I recommend gift shops and home-ware stores if you want your very own!

Product Reviews Ahoy!

2011-01-07T18:41:00.006Z

Well as you can imagine, I’ve been filing away a whole heap of reviews for you guys because quite simply when I try something new I always think “I must blog about this!” A little like sharing a piece of great news or gossip with a friend over a cup of tea or coffee ; ) I’ve well and truly missed my little run-downs on all of the cosmetics I’ve got my hands on in recent months so in the next few weeks you can expect to see my thoughts on:

Boots No. 7 Extreme Lash mascara
Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite Hand & Body lotion
Lush Maple Taffy lip balm
Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Butter
Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation
Maybelline Volume Express Falsies mascara

And plenty, plenty more..!

Image from Keep Calm, Stay Positive Blog

New Year, New Start!

2011-01-07T18:03:00.007Z

Happy New Year and long-time-no-bloggidy! Yup, it’s been a while and this absence has been the longest for which I’m truly sorry. 2010 was a very busy year with me embarking on new shoots left, right and centre, including music videos – one of which is being released very shortly – and much, much more. December was an excellent way to end the year as I had the wonderful opportunity to work at the Clothes Show Live at Birmingham’s NEC for Rimmel and do make-up on many a wonderful face : )

In retrospect I should have prepared you a little for a potential absence here and there! I truly LOVE blogging about all things beauty-related, fashion-oriented and anything sparkly(!) but my main crust is make-up artistry which can mean during the busy spells and with being on the road my blog gets put to one side a little. However I am sticking to my promise to keep adding new features and doing my best to keep All That Glitters a fun and info-filled spot for you guys to get all of your cosmetic and fashion fixes. So in future, if I go quiet, you know what I’m up to and I will return ; )

Without further adieu I intend to crack on and begin blogging about all of the wonderful products and make-up loves that I’ve been itching to share with you all : ) But if you’re curious to see what I’ve been getting up to all this time then take a peek at my portfolio website! Here you can indulge in many a photo shoot and feast your eyes and ears on the wonderful debut music video by the very lovely Georgia Mason, a gorgeous singer and songwriter who has just been signed - congrats hun!

www.amanda-makeup.com

May 2011 be amazing for everyone!

Amanda xxx

Image from Lanpher Photoblog

In the Market for a New Ring... Or Two

2010-05-30T20:41:00.004+01:00

I have a bit of a history for losing rings. I'm very careful with my silver rings but in the past year I've lost two of the rings I wore EVERY single day. The first was last summer walking along Camden Lock. I didn't even realise it happened until my finger felt naked and looked down to see it was missing its usual silver band of tapped silver.

Then recently I had an even more upsetting loss of a vintage 80s ring I acquired 3 years ago. Because it's vintage, there's no replacing it. *Sniff* And it fit so snugly on my thumb as well. Now my third ring that I wore along with the other two is hanging on my jewellery stand and has been for a month, waiting for two partners in crime to join him again. I won't put it back on until I find two permanent replacements for the ones I've lost - because quite frankly it doesn't feel right on without another two to party with it.

I've been casually searching for a while now and I'm trying to make up my mind as to what I'd like these two rings to be... I have very picky tastes and the more unusual the ring, the better for me. If my budget was limitless, any one of these would be so lovely...

Images from Etsy sellers - RingRingRing, BlindFaithArt and Jewela

Now on Model Mayhem!

2010-05-29T17:22:00.014+01:00

This is a little bit of a news to let you all know that I'm now a member of Model Mayhem. This is a great networking site for anyone working in the fashion and beauty industry, not just makeup artists but photographers, hair stylists, models and designers.

So if you're interested in collaborating/working on photo shoots for fashion, editorial and beauty or know of anyone who is, then please feel free to get in touch! I also do makeup for music videos and musicians.

And of course I'm available for brides and other special occasions such as proms in the South East and London area.

You can find me on Model Mayhem at www.modelmayhem.com/amandaoshaughnessy

Outfit of the Day - Flowers for the Lady

2010-05-29T17:22:00.012+01:00

As you all know by now, as well as makeup I love, love, love fashion. Inspired by hundreds of fashion blogs out there I fancied sharing with you my favourite outfits and the clobber I pull together as much as a wardrobe journey and because pulling together outfits is fun and we should all share in the joy!

So without further ado this is one of my new regular features that you'll see more of in future here at All That Glitters - Outfit of the Day. I'll be posting one every fortnight so keep an eye out for more to come.

This is was what I wore to my anniversary adventure day with the man of my dreams : ) It's the first time I wore my newly purchased flower headband and I must say I'm loving it if I do say so myself! Oh and of course I also received some beautiful roses from the man in question, hoorah!

Flower headband - Topshop, jumper - Beyond Retro vintage, belt - vintage, paisley playsuit - 'Love' for Topshop, tights - H&M.

Boots No. 7's 75th!

2010-05-26T10:18:00.006+01:00

While we're still on Boots - I thought I'd move over to their makeup collection No. 7. This month Boots No. 7 makeup celebrates its 75th anniversary of providing women with excellent and affordable makeup and skincare on the British high street.

In celebration of their seven decades, Lisa Eldridge, Creative Director and celebrity makeup artist created seven different looks capturing each decade's beauty trend. The images are gorgeous and Lisa's makeup looks are beautiful, I could sit and gawp at them for hours.

You may have already seen some of them on the web adverts or in-store, but you can find the full collection on Lisa Eldridge's website.

I find them so inspiring, I'll definitely be trying my hand at re-creating some of them, they look so much fun to do.

Happy Birthday No. 7! Keep your eyes peeled for my review of their Dream Lash mascara, coming soon...

Photograph copyright of Ben Hassett, makeup by Lisa Eldridge

Product Review - Boots Botanics Face Nourishing Eye Makeup Remover

2010-05-26T10:10:00.006+01:00

I had this recommended to me by a friend and seeming as I've been turning to organic and natural alternatives for skincare I thought it was ideal timing. My facial cleanser doesn't quite manage to remove eye makeup so I needed an effective but gentle solution. Look no further, I think I just found it...

Boots Botanics describe it as:

A luxurious eye make up remover that melts into the skin, easily removing eye make up and leaving skin cleansed, smooth and velvety soft.

So does it match up?...

A luxurious eye makeup remover?

I'd say so. The consistency of this cleanser is smooth and creamy to the touch so it feels really lovely when you're applying it. A little of it goes a long way, you only need a pea-sized amount to remove makeup from both eyes. I find it best to rub your finger tips together to warm up and spread the product and then gently massage in circular motions around the eye area working into your lashes (to remove mascara) and around the eyes to get rid of the eyeliner.

Once you're done you can either rinse off with luke warm water, take a damp but hot cloth and sponge away the remnants or take a damp cotton pad and wipe it off that way.

Easily removes eye makeup, melting into the skin?

This makeup remover really does melt into the skin. It dissolves eye makeup quickly and effectively but without being harsh on the skin or if it gets into the eyes. In fact, it's quite the opposite! I was really impressed the first time I used this as to how easily it broke down the makeup and how gentle it is all at the same time.

However taking a look at the ingredients list, it becomes no surprise. This is possibly the most natural skincare product I own. It simply contains Olive oil, Jojoba seed oil, Glycerin, Water, Sucrose stearate and Sucrose myristate. Knowing that all of the ingredients are that simple and natural makes you feel a whole lot better about going near your eyes with it. I'd also go as far to say that it's the first eye makeup remover that I thoroughly enjoy to use day after day, as applying it feels like a luxury treatment...

Leaves skin cleansed, smooth and velvety soft?

Yes, yes and yes! Whilst getting rid of hardier makeup such as waterproof mascara/eyeliner can still take a little bit of work, there's absolutely no need to scrub away. A gentle relaxing massage into the eye area is all it takes to loosen the makeup.

Beforehand with other eye makeup removers, I was finding I'd be waking up with traces of eyeliner underneath the eyes in the morning. Not good if you want to keep wrinkles at bay! Either that or it would take two applications of rubbing the previous cleansers fairly vigorously around and that only distresses and damages the delicate skin further!

This cleanser's perfect because the Olive oil does all the hard work at breaking down the makeup while you're just gently pushing it around and giving it a helping hand. Not only is the Olive oil taking away the makeup but it's also moisturising and nourishing the delicate skin so when you touch it after drying your face, you will feel your skin is absolutely baby soft. My eyes feel so soothed afterwards, whereas in the past with previous makeup removers the skin around my eyes has felt quite taut and tight.

Overall...

I have to say that this is the best eye makeup remover I've ever tried and I've tried plenty! What's also an added bonus is its price - it retails at a mere £3.99 a tube and as a little application is all that's needed at any one time I think this bottle will last me a good 6 months. Whereas past eye makeup removers have only lasted me three, because I have to use so much more. At this price, I think everyone should give it a go, especially as it's so gentle and natural on the skin, perfect too for those with dry and sensitive skins - this makeup remover will be a miracle!

Would I buy again? Well, in case the above didn't make it clear - yes!

The Maca Experiment

2010-05-24T22:48:00.003+01:00

Every so often I like to write posts on health and beauty as what we consume affects our appearance and our well-being. Well, today I'm writing about Maca. I recently discovered Maca Powder in an online health store and I know a lot of people who've never heard of it before so I'll give you a little run-down...

Maca's a Peruvian root vegetable and is otherwise known as a super-food that's been cultivated and consumed by the people of Peru for hundreds of years for its amazing beneficial properties.

It can be taken in tablet form or powder and can be mixed in with cereal, smoothies and so on. It apparently tastes a little like malt or Horlicks! Containing 55 naturally occurring beneficial phyto-chemicals, it provides the body with many advantages such as:

Boosting the immune system
Improving fertility
Boosting energy (a healthier alternative to caffeine!)
Improving stamina and well-being
Balancing hormones and thereby combating symptoms associated with PMS

Due to the number of minerals, B vitamins and fatty acids it contains, the root is also great for your skin, eyes, hair, teeth, etc. and is a general all-round adaptogen - a substance that raises resistance in the body - that comes thoroughly recommended by health food experts the world over.

Once my packet arrives at All That Glitters HQ I'll be trialling the powder for a month to see how it helps me and to see if it improves all of the above for me as well. I'll be taking note of my progress week by week, so there will be weekly diary updates on what (if any) improvements I've noticed as the days go by.

It's also going to be good fun creating recipes to get it incorporated into my daily diet. So if any of you out there are interested in perhaps trying it out then I'll be posting recipes on here so you too can make your own!

In the meantime, watch this space as I test it out!...

NOTD: Topshop Nail Polish in Hopscotch

2010-05-24T22:27:00.003+01:00

I fell in love with this colour as soon as I laid eyes on it. Topshop's nail polish in 'Hopscotch' is a lovely pale grey colour. Similar I suppose, to that of the concrete in a playground - hence the name 'Hopscotch'! This nail colour went on beautifully and I was very impressed with the way it comes out on the nails - the colour match to that of the polish in the bottle is perfect so there's no unpleasant surprises.

This colour's very classy and I think it's perfect for all occasions. The nail polish also dries quite fast, so drying time isn't bad at all. I'm now waiting to see how soon it takes to chip! Durability is a big factor for me, and for most people, when it comes to nail varnish. I find I like at least 4 days' solid wear before the varnish begins to chip. Well by the 4th day it did start to, but before then it had remained untainted so I thought it did pretty well considering!

I've been hearing some people complain about the price of the Topshop nail polishes. They retail at £5 a bottle but I think that's fairly reasonable considering the number and diversity of colours on offer. I know Barry M offer great value nail varnishes that really offer good quality, but I find that Barry M's range doesn't offer the nice candy colours that Topshop's does at the moment.

Stay tuned as my next NOTD will also be on another of Topshop's nail varnishes in the very cute yellow colour: 'Bee's Knees'!

New Love/Inspired by...The Noisettes Ever Fallen in Love

2010-05-19T13:47:00.011+01:00

I have to share my love for this version of 'Ever Fallen In Love' by the Buzzcocks.

Sure, I hear you, it's not the same as the original - nothing will match the raw emotion in the original track. But I just love, love, love Shingai Shoniwa's raspy vocals combined with what the Noisettes have done with the single. I like the fact that it shows love gone wrong from a different angle instead - maybe a darker, less angrier side - but that of a naughtier side, taken from a girl's perspective, i.e. we've all gone for a bad boy once upon a time!

And I also love the video - the makeup and wardrobe are just a little bit awesome. I've of course mentioned before that Shingai Shoniwa always loves the extreme looks and pulls them off oh, so well! Oh and check out the Doc Martens she models (celebrating the 50th anniversary of the brand) She seems to get through 4 different amazing, gorgeously coloured pairs : ) Whoop!

Enjoy:

Topshop Makeup Launches!

2010-05-10T23:32:00.004+01:00

If you haven't already heard, or read the hype in magazines and newspapers the UK over, last Tuesday Topshop's new and very own makeup range launched across the nation! The range has been under development for a long while up at Topshop HQ and the products are reportedly manufactured by those who make Lancome makeup.

The collection currently contains: skin tint, lip polish, lip balms, glazes and glosses, lipsticks, glitter, eye shadows, mascaras, eye liners, crayons and kohls, nail polish, bronzer and blush and more! However the full range is only available in their flagship store Oxford Circus, London and online. Your local Topshop however will be selling the lip balms, a limited number of lip glosses and nail varnishes.

The colour selection of nail varnishes so far is incredible. There are all sorts of gorgeous shades on offer and quite frankly I want practically every single one! There's a gorgeous cream yellow shade called 'Bee's Knees' and a beautiful nude colour called 'Big Smoke', plus a lovely grey shade 'Cloud' similar to that paraded on the catwalks for S/S 2010. They even have their very own mint/jade shade ('Gone Fishing') which has been a popular colour since last Spring/Summer's catwalk season.

The packaging is quite simple and understated but very cute with the branding being black and white spots and stripes. I'm quite fond of it including the logo/font which looks as if it's been hand-written - I guess harking back to the fact that makeup is an art form in itself and is often about painting and drawing upon a canvas!

The prices are also nice and affordable starting at £4 and working up to £10 - great for all pockets I think. Perhaps a bit pricier than the average drug store brand of makeup but more affordable than some counters. The proof now as to whether the prices are worthy or not is in the testing - I'm curious as to what the formulations are like and whether or not they're up to scratch.

The only sad factor is that the launch in all other stores apart from Oxford Circus has been a bit lack-lustre and you'll need to have a good look out for it when you go in or you could be forgiven for missing the tiny stand altogether. However the more you show your support and the more you try, the more of the range local stores will begin to stock so get down to your local Topshop and check out the goodies!

I'll be trying out and reviewing the collection on here in the coming weeks so keep checking back for my thoughts. I'm starting tomorrow with a Nails of the Day (NOTD) showcasing one of my favourite nail polishes from the range...

All of the makeup as I said is also available on www.topshop.com so if you want to check out the full collection but are nowhere near London then log on now. You'll also find their website-exclusive SS10 Trend collection and handy video tutorials on how to create some of the latest and hottest looks!

Image from the Topshop Blog

Product Review - Benefit's Realness of Concealness

2010-05-07T21:50:00.005+01:00

To say sorry for the lack of posting would be an understatement. So I'm just gonna get on with giving you guys what you've all been waiting for and what you all come here to see...!

I got hold of Benefit's Realness of Concealness kit a while ago and I must say I'm very impressed. It makes a great addition to my personal and professional kit and I'm always grabbing at least one of the products it offers. This kit is perfect for any of you on a budget, those of you who like to try products in miniature form before committing to the larger versions or those of you who like to have a few back-up pieces in your handbags for that night out/morning after. Benefit describe this product as their:

Portable mini kit containing Benefit's top selling concealers and enhancers. It's your solution for beauty dilemmas on-the-go.

The kit contains small versions of the following Benefit products:

Ooh La Lift - "instant under-eye brightening boost"

Lip Plump Primer - "for full sexy lips"

High Beam - "luminescent complexion highlighter"

Lemon Aid - "colour-correcting eyelid primer"

Boi-ing in Shade 02 - "industrial-strength concealer"

Ooh La Lift - instant brightener for under the eyes?

This is a cute little pearlescent pink highlighter fluid that comes in a bottle much like a lip gloss with the same kind of applicator. There are several tips to using this product in order to get the most out of it:

1. Less is more - don't go crazy with it or it will interfere with the rest of your makeup that goes on top next. This isn't a concealer but a highlighter for under the eyes and you should only need what comes out on the brush to do both eyes.

2. Apply it to the shadowy areas underneath your eyes. Don't go outside of this area or the effect will be undone. What you're trying to achieve is lifting the darker area of skin to make the skin appear lighter and therefore less sunken. I like to apply three dots along each circle and blend in by patting along in an upwards motion.

As I said, it won't conceal the circles so don't expect them to disappear, but the light-reflecting particles in the liquid will lighten the area making you appear less tired. Combined with concealer it works a treat.

I love this eye brightener, but the one thing that prevents me from getting it out everyday is the fact that after a long day it does interfere with the concealer I place on top causing it to crease and fade. 3/5

Lip Plump Primer - fuller, sexy lips?

I love this primer. Just like Ooh La Lift it comes in a lip gloss-style bottle, is of a creamy consistency and a slightly taupe shade. Don't be put off as to how brown it is in colour. It's merely to neutralise the colour of your lips to stop it interfering with the shade of lipstick you'd put on top. It won't affect the colour of your lipstick!

The great thing about lip primer is that it fills in all of the lines and generally, like a face primer, provides a smoother, more refined surface for lipstick to glide onto. As a result your lips will appear a little fuller (please don't expect a surgery-style collagen pout though).

But the effect I love most from this primer is that you get the colour you see on the lipstick bullet and you also get more mileage from your lipstick as primer helps to lock it down (much like eye primer for eyeshadow) 4/5

High Beam - luminescence in a bottle?

This highlighter in it's larger version comes in a bottle you'd be forgiven for thinking is a nail varnish bottle! A highlighting fluid that's slightly pink in tone - Benefit offers Moon Beam which is yellowy in colour for olive and darker skins - this highlights all of the areas of the face that you want to catch the light to give you that fresh, well-rested radiance.

This product it great along the cheek bones, above the brown bones, on the centre of the chin, above the Cupid's Bow and down the centre of the nose. It perks up tired, dehydrated skin - ideal for when you've been naughty and had one too many the night before. I like to use it a lot as it offers that subtle shimmer that gives you that glow as if coming from within! This is by far my favourite product in the whole kit - 5/5

Lemon Aid - colour-correcting eyelid primer?

You'll find this is the creamy yellow base that sits in the palette next to Boi-ing in the box. I really wanted to like this primer and don't get me wrong, I use it when the circumstance is right (e.g. dark, shadowy eyelids that need a bit of a pick-me-up). But if your lids are only mildly red/purply then all this primer does is leave an obvious, unnatural yellow tinge to the eyelid. I'd rather leave my eyelids natural or use a concealer to be honest.

The other unfortunate outcome with this product is that it creases and fades after several hours' wear so you may as well have left your eyelids untouched in the first place. This is therefore not a staple of mine, although I welcome anyone who disagrees to let me know their application tips in the comments box below : ) I give this little number only 2/5

Boi-ing - industrial-strength concealing?

Boi-ing is a cream concealer which as you may have guessed from their product description, is quite pigmented and does well for concealing even the most gruesome of blemishes. However I haven't tried this on my own face as - and this is my only other qualm with the kit - it's not the right shade.

That's right, all kits come with only the 02 shade of Boi-ing so it's not great for anyone with pale skin as 02 is much too dark. A bit of a down-er if you're wanting the sample-size version of this before deciding on the larger version!

I have however tried it on others and it does seem to cover up well. I'd still like to test for longevity though which is something I'm also unsure of having not yet tested it on my own skin. 4/5

Overall...

As a whole, the kit scores 18/25 which isn't too bad. At £23.50 it's really one of those decisions you weigh up on the basis of whether:

You think it's a wise investment to test all of the products in sample sizes before picking up your favourites in larger sizes
OR you feel that it's a waste of cash considering factors like Boi-ing may be no use to you or that you'd rather just buy what you need, e.g. highlighter fluid and not have excess products floating around.

I personally feel that this kit is still a worthwhile investment even if you are only going to use it for personal makeup application. It's just a case of being resourceful with the products. If Boi-ing isn't the right shade concealer for you, why not use it to contour your cheekbones and lightly apply it beneath cheekbones and blend in creating a subtle, softly-bronzed look for the summer? If High Beam's not the right shade of highlighter for you why not swap it with a friend for a sample-size of their lipstick, etc? There's always ways round these dilemmas : )

Coming Up in April on All That Glitters...

2010-04-08T00:16:00.002+01:00

Yes, another month has passed me by and the amount of reviews and other posts that I want to share with you are mounting up! Here's a little taster of things to come in April for you all...

Product reviews galore - Benefit's Realness of Concealness kit, Too Faced's Eye Shadow Insurance Policy kit and Revlon's Colorstay foundation to name but a few!
By special request: Tips and products highly recommended for blemish-prone and teenage skins - trialled and tested by moi...
Photo shoot news and photos!
New fashion feature...

And much, much more! x

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-22T23:23:00.007Z

Some of you may know that this is my all-time favourite childhood story! I love the Disney classic to this day and last year I finally got a copy of it on DVD. I had my reservations when last year I heard Tim Burton was producing his very own take of Lewis Carroll's amazing novel.

Firstly I kept an open mind because it is a favourite story of mine and when you feel that way about a book or film etc. you want to keep it sacred. Second I was a little worried that expectations and hype might make the final outcome feel disappointing and thirdly I was also concerned that maybe Tim would perhaps make it too dark, steering away from the innocence of the tale...

I went to see it yesterday and even though I kept that open mind that I'd reserved for a year, I was bowled over. The CGI is amazing, the costume design is absolutely beautiful and the makeup of course was something I was keeping a very keen eye on too. As you've probably seen from the advertisements and press it's so fun and crazy and perfectly enhances and plays upon all of the characters' personalities! Tim took the story to new levels but meanwhile respected the original tale enough to preserve the feeling, excitement and wonder that Wonderland has to offer.

Needless to say I'll definitely be picking up a copy of the DVD when it finally comes on sale. Talking of more Alice in Wonderland inspiration - I came across another photo shoot along this theme. I love, love, love the shots - everything's gorgeous and I want all of the clothes, ha! Ever the obsessed Alice fan I am, here are the photos for you to all share in the fun...

Photos from fabulousmag.co.uk - you can also find out where to buy the outfit pieces here!

Urban Meadow

2010-03-16T20:51:00.007Z

Items in this set:
Scallop Lace Half Sleeve Body, Topshop £25
Paris Flippy Skirt, Topshop £35

Playing around with outfits online again: I've put together my outfit Plan of Action for the Man's Birthday on Saturday! I can't wait - Design Museum, Borough Market, much meandering in London and then The Diner in Shoreditch. Bliss.

I'm loving the 'underwear-as-outerwear' look at the moment. I now have a lovely lace body which I love to pieces - I'm a huge lover of lace! And I couldn't help but pick up this gorgeous skirt the other week - it doesn't help when people say "Oooh this would look great on you!" They're just helping me fuel a habit I can't kick. Now really... *rolls eyes* : )

I also love flowers in the hair, but anything really feminine, floral and sweet in the hair goes for me. But to avoid the sickly-sweet feeling, a leather jacket toughens up the look along with some cute leather ankle booties : ) Yay!

Speaking of outfits, more fashion-feasting is to follow...

Blog Awardness!

2010-03-16T20:33:00.004Z

Yay! I love blog awards - it always helps to know that my blog is helping and inspiring you guys out there : )

Imogen, author of Write About What? and Novel Ideas kindly awarded me two lovely blog awards a couple of weeks ago. The first being the Humane Award, awarded for being a blogger that makes others happy by leaving nice comments and helping them - aww, well I do try, hehe. It's my pleasure to help you all, so please just drop me a line!

And the second is the Sunshine Award. Thank you Imogen, it's lovely of you to share those with me.

I'd like to award the Humane Award and the Sunshine Award to both Georgie at So Full of Twilight Dreams that Glitter and Amanda at A Fairycake Tale. Georgie writes amazing beauty blog posts with fab product reviews and is incredibly helpful if you ever have any queries. If you ever have a culinary query I urge you to ask Amanda at A Fairycake Tale - she's quite the chef and an expert in the kitchen!

Product Review - Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer

2010-03-10T23:21:00.006Z

Hello my lovelies! Well, you may remember me saying a few months ago that I couldn't get my hands on this eye primer for love nor money. So you'll be pleased to hear that this is available individually at Boots stores but as it had sold out in my local Boots I managed to get hold of it in the Eye Shadow Insurance Policy kit at Debenhams. This includes an excellent eye shadow palette but that's for another juicy instalment for another day ; )

This post today will be looking at the eyeshadow primer and whether it's a fine enough match to Urban Decay's legendary Primer Potion that thousands of you all know and love! With that in mind, below is Too Faced's introduction to their Shadow Insurance primer...

Your full-coverage insurance policy against all fading, creasing, melting, blurring, oil-slicked and hard-to-blend eye shadow accidents. Our silicone-based eye shadow primer transforms any eye shadow into a perfectly blendable color-drenched intensified version of itself then locks it down perfectly until you take it off. Our skin soothing formula evens out the skin tone on your lids and smoothes out lines while it secures a barrier between the oils of your skin and your makeup so no shadow catastrophes will ever happen again.

Secures against fading, creasing, melting, blurring, oily lids and hard-to-blend eye shadows?

Yes to all of the above! This primer is just as good as the Urban Decay primer at preventing fading eye shadows, stopping them from hiding in the creases in the eye and combatting the oil in the skin from dissolving the eye makeup. Eye shadows are also equally easy to blend when you apply them over the top of this primer, I am quite used to blending shadows on top of primers now rather than without so I don't know if there's a remarkable difference in the ease of blending. Needless to say however blending is perfect with the primer so a full thumbs up there.

Eyeshadows become perfectly blendable and intensified until you take them off?

Yes! Again with the above for blending but yes, all eye shadows come out remarkably when you use this primer. You'll wonder how you ever managed without it if you've never used an eye primer before. It will make your shadows ten times more intensified and that colour will last all day. When you get back in from a long day at work - check it out in the mirror and it'll be just as great as when you left that morning...

Skin soothing formula evens out skin tone and smoothes out lines?

I'm not sure about 'skin-soothing' - I don't feel any particular soothing sensations when using it, but the product is gentle on the skin and doesn't feel as 'cakey' as its counterpart from Urban Decay sometimes can. But it definitely evens out the skin tone on the eyelids which is an added bonus from using a primer.

I'm also not sure about the smoothing-out of lines as none of the people I've used this on so far have to worry about these! However if you're talking about the tiny creases in the upper eyelid that shadow can creep into, then this primer does a fantastic job of eliminating any shadow from ever disappearing into them!

Overall...

This product is just as amazing as Urban Decay's which came as very little surprise to me because Too Faced Cosmetics is owned by the same people who own Urban Decay! However in my opinion this product trumps Urban Decay's because it comes in an easy-to-use squeezy tube so unlike the Urban Decay Primer Potion:

Product has nowhere to hide, i.e. in the curves of an awkwardly-shaped bottle meaning no product wastage and fuss-free application
It's much more hygienic as you can squeeze enough out (literally all you need is a pin-sized amount for both eyelids) onto the hand rather than using an applicator which over time will get germy. This in turn affects the product's quality in the long-run (the bacteria affects the ingredients in the primer causing it to lose its effectiveness)
And quite simply it's much easier to get the primer from the tube!

If Urban Decay's Primer Potion is the primer of dreams for you, but the bottle has been driving you round the bend I thoroughly recommend this as an alternative. At £11 it also comes in at the same price as Urban Decay - fairly pricey but this will last you easily at least 6 months if not more. The only inconvenience is getting hold of it is difficult because stock levels seems so erratic... Too Faced just need to send stock to their consumer retailers more regularly!

You can buy Shadow Insurance from Boots, Debenhams and online at ASOS.

Fashion & Beauty Shoot

2010-03-07T18:52:00.005Z

Today I'm very pleased to be sharing with you some images from a shoot I did two weeks ago - an avante garde and a natural look were created. I really enjoyed producing the shoot and making up Rhiannon, who was our very lovely model for the day. I also styled the hair in the avante garde look which was great fun!

I hope you all enjoy the photos as much as I did helping to create them.

Thank you to Owen for the photography and Rhiannon for modelling!

More work is to follow soon from a very exciting editorial shoot that I was involved with last week so stay tuned!

Inspired by... Jonsi

2010-02-27T01:48:00.014Z

Jonsi Birgisson is an incredible musician from Iceland. If you think the vocals and general sound are familiar when you hear his music then you won't be surprised to hear that he was lead vocalist and song writer from Sigur Ros. Jonsi has now gone solo and his debut album 'Go' will be released on April 5th.

His first single release taken from Go is his track 'Go Do' - this is such a beautiful track with all the amazement and sensational goosebumpy feeling that I got from Sigur Ros' previous work. I think he's incredibly talented and what's more the music video to his debut single is equally as beautiful.

Why do I mention it here? Check out the makeup, (costume and set design to boot!) in the video *here* and you'll see why...

So gorgeous it HAD to be shared!

Ladies who Lilac!

2010-02-26T23:38:00.003Z

This spring's colour of choice is lilac. It's been making an appearance in the clothing department but now it's going straight onto eyelids this season for a pretty-as-a-picture stare! Here's the low-down on how to achieve the ultimate lavender love...

1. Skin needs to be left dewy

This keeps the look fresh and youthful, soft and as girly as the colour lilac itself. This is a colour of innocence after all, so you're after girl-nextdoor beauty! You want a highlight down the centre of the face to catch the light flatteringly.

2. Lips are ever so slightly glossy

There's no need to worry about what shade of lipstick to wear with this look because it doesn't really need any strong shade as such. Just make sure your lips are well moisturised with a touch of lip balm and add a dash of lip gloss. You can opt for either a clear gloss or reach for a peachy or nude tone that keeps the lips soft and pastel coloured.

3. Cheeks are bronzed

You can get away without blusher on this look but so as to avoid the lilac on the eyes draining the colour from the rest of the face you need to add a hint of colour. Add a bronzing powder to the cheek bones to contour the face. If you want to, add some to the temples and underneath the chin area for a well-sculpted and lifted face.

4. Lilac isn't restricted to the eyes!

Try it on your nails or lips as well for more pastel perfection. The key to this look however is all about making the lilac the centre of attention. Lilac can be quite a powerful colour and too much of it can make the look dated or make you look older than you really are. So if you can work in the lilac in your eyes/lips/nails but avoid it all over then all the better.

So now you have the tips on how to achieve this spring/summer makeup trend, here's a few tools to help you on your way!

For the foundation:

Pick a moisturising/hydrating formula, rather than a full-on matte version.
If you have oily or combination skin and are worried about looking more greasy than goddess with this then use your regular foundation
To achieve the dewy, fresh effect you'll need some highlighting fluid/liquid. Benefit's High Beam and MAC's Strobe Cream are both perfect.
Then powder with some translucent powder, but avoid going heavy with it - a light application is all that's needed. You don't want to lose the effort you went to when adding the highlighter

For the bronzer:

I recommend using a matte bronzer as opposed to a shimmery bronzer as otherwise there will be too much shimmer going on making the face look too polished.
MAC make a great matte bronzer called Blunt or for a more purse friendly alternative GOSH sell fantastic matte bronzers as well.

For the lovely lilacs:

As for shades of lilac I really recommend MAC - Crystal, Idol Eyes, Digit and Beautiful Iris are all fab colours perfect for this look.
As for lilac lipsticks, MAC's Saint Germain is gorgeous, as is their Pervette.

Long Time, No Post...

2010-02-24T22:45:00.004Z

Hello Everyone!

First of all I'm so sorry for the lack of blog posts of late. In my defence I've been working very hard on photo shoots, testing and all of the prep in between so it's been a very busy fortnight indeed : )

Coming up shortly in All That Glitters: I'll be showing you all of the fruits of my labour and some more exciting news to come, a brand new feature and product reviews to boot, as well as inspiration and a brand new How-To on this season's makeup trend: Lilac!

Stay tuned and get your glad rags on - normal posting resumes tomorrow *whoop*

Amanda x

Product Review - Purity Facial Wash

2010-02-08T23:51:00.013Z

Last month we took a look at moisturisers - two facial and one for the body. This month I thought I'd shift the focus to cleansers. As you know I began using a nice natural, organic moisturiser and in that same vein I decided to turn to organic facial cleansing as well.

Since January I've been using an organic facial wash that I actually found by chance at Superdrug. It's made by a company called Purity, a British brand who specialise in organic skincare ranging from moisturisers to cleansers and facial scrubs. The Purity philosophy is "less is more in beauty" and they certainly live up to that motto with absolutely no unnecessary ingredients ploughed into their skincare products!

I'm already a big fan, so let's take Purity's product description for their facial wash and go into why I recommend this for you too...

A blend of softening, moisture retaining and conditioning Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera and Glycerine is combined within a gentle Coconut and sugar-based foam to cleanse, soothe and protect skin. Added Citric acid controls skins PH Levels.

The Aloe Vera is sourced in the Dominican Republic and the Sweet Almond Oil from Spain.

Softening, moisture retaining & conditioning Sweet Almond Oil?

After a week of use I began to notice a considerable difference in the softness of my skin compared to my old facial wash. I do think it helps with moisture retention and it does contain Sweet Almond Oil (I can't say if it definitely comes from Spain though) which is known for its gentle moisturising effects on the skin! Now after a month of using this day and night I can honestly say that I've noticed an overall improvement in the softness of my skin and perhaps as a result, ironically my T Zone is less oily...

Aloe Vera & Glycerine?

Yes and yes. Aloe Vera is very widely known for helping soothe angry, dry and damaged skin (I can't tell you if it has actually been sourced from the Dominican Republic though!) Whereas glycerine is simply an organic compound which for hundreds of years has been used in the making of soap.

Coconut & sugar-based foam to cleanse?

Yes, or as it's listed on the back of the bottle - Decyl Glucoside which is produced by the reaction of glucose (the sugar) with a fatty alcohol called decanol taken from the coconut! So it's a mild and totally natural foaming agent. Unlike sodium laureth sulphate - an artificial foaming agent commonly added to most cleansing products such as shampoos, shower gels and facial washes that doesn't really need to be there other than it makes it feel as if the product is physically cleaning your hair/skin.

This is a product perfect for people with sensitive skin, as Purity recommends, because a lot of people with this skin type do not react well to sodium laureth sulphate and it can often break their skin out or at least aggravate it.

Soothes and protects skin?

It definitely soothes my skin, but I'm not sure about protecting it as such. In other words I don't think I could get away without using a moisturiser every day but I still have seen an overall slight improvement in the texture and softness of my skin.

It's also fragrance-free so all the more perfect if you have sensitive skin. Some products claim to be fragrance-free but they still smell a little bit (or is that just me?) However I really don't get a scent from this one. The only thing you'll possibly smell is the glycerine, which if you're used to fragrant and sweet smells takes a bit of getting used to! If it gets into your mouth, it doesn't taste great either but then what facial wash does? I think you do have to get past the 'raw' scent of pure ingredients but once you do, you'll be happy you gave it a chance!

Added Citric acid controls skin PH Levels?

Yes there is also Citric acid in this facial cleanser. pH levels describe the 'acidity' levels in your skin. The lower the pH the more acidic something is. Human skin pH is supposed to be anywhere between 4.5 and 6, so in other words it's fairly acidic. Skin is slightly acidic for a reason and that is to kill bacteria on the surface of the skin.

Ordinary soaps and cleansers are reknowned for being particularly harmful to the pH balance in human skin as they're especially alkaline (i.e. anything from pH 9-11). As a result the acidity in the skin changes to become more alkaline which makes it more susceptible to the growth of bacteria. This is nightmare of course if you're prone to blemishes, have adolescent skin or have especially oily skin. Citric acid is a weak, organic acid deriving from citrus fruits and therefore is added to allow your skin to remain at a nice and healthy pH level!

Overall...

I'm very happy with this facial cleanser. I definitely feel like it does a better job of removing my makeup than my last facial wash ever did and on top of that it has made it a lot softer and smoother all over. You can buy it online (via the link above) or you can buy it from Superdrug stores where you'll also find the rest of their skincare range. In addition, at £4.99 a bottle, which is a bargain considering this is a organic skincare product, I urge you to at least give it a go just the once!

Would I buy again? Yes, absolutely! This is a fantastically priced product that goes a long way and does a great job without any adverse side effects and some very noticeable improvement to my skin. If a organic skincare product is this good, why buy something full of the unnecessary gunk instead?

Photo taken from Purity's website.

Pixi Perfumes

2010-02-08T22:58:00.003Z

A couple of months ago after wandering around Carnaby Street for a while I took a peek into the Pixi store. I'd seen it before but never thought about going in and recently discovered they're a makeup and cosmetic chain launched 5 years ago by three sisters who are Swedish makeup artists.

When I popped in I got round to sampling their perfumes and they were absolutely delicious! They currently sell three scents: Fig, Mimosa and Rose and the first thing you'll notice about all of them - which is really what prompted to me write about them - is that they're really different to what's out there on the market right now!

They're fresh and mellow, sweet but not sickly. I even quite liked the Rose perfume and to be honest, I'm really not normally a fan of any rose scented products. My favourite though was the Fig perfume - this one was really fruity but it seemed to have a hint of melon to it. At least that's the note I was picking up!

To be honest I wanted to buy all three but my bank allowance was a little bruised so I couldn't even take one away. Needless to say though, I've been thinking back to them ever since I did find one of the sampler papers the other day and it still smelt divine - so they certainly have lasting power. These perfumes are great for those who fancy something more natural and light to wear than the kinds of perfumes on offer by the likes of Estee Lauder or Ralph Lauren for instance. At £24.00 each I think they're excellent value so will be returning one day to get hold of my favourite!

Pixi's approach and philosophy on beauty and makeup is looking fabulous without a fuss and you certainly get that impression from their stores and their products. Their stores are very inviting and girly but simple and well laid out. The staff are really friendly and helpful and I managed to get chatting about the perfumes sampled with one of the assistants when I was there.

The packaging is also very simple but pretty and the overall feeling you get from in-store, their products and packaging is that of a slight girl's-first-love so to speak. It made me feel like being a little girl again discovering makeup for the first time. Everything's very sophisticated but innocent and sweet!

The only drawback is the price of their makeup though. That's what makes this brand anything other than a girls' first love - younger girls won't be able to afford their line because their prices are a little over budget. However they do sell makeup and cosmetics that would make excellent gifts and if you can't choose I highly recommend a gift voucher for this store as she won't be disappointed.

As for the quality of their makeup, I can't vouch for this yet as I haven't got round to sampling the collection. I will very soon though, because I love exploring the new and untried and giving you guys my honest opinion on them... So stay tuned as before long I will be giving their products a go!

IMATS and the Amazing Alex Box!

2010-01-29T19:15:00.009Z

On Saturday 30th January I got up as bright and as early as the birds and made my way to my first ever IMATs visit at London's Ally Pally! I was so excited and the makeup geek that I am, I even had a little itinerary of who and what I was going to see for the day:

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics' David Klasfeld - Airbrush Confidential
MAC's Terry Barber on Beauty in Video & Music
Alex Box
And lots of visiting - and potential buying at - makeup stands galore...

OCC David Klasfeld - Airbrush Confidential

David is a very humble makeup artist considering his resume covers Comedy Central and music videos for The Stills and Sum 41 to name only a mere few! He gave an excellent and very honest 101 on air brushing, in fact he made it sound so simple I thought I'd be able to pick one up and get going in no time, ha! Honestly though, this was a great seminar and a lot of very useful tips were given, many that all makeup artists should know!

MAC's Terry Barber - Beauty in Video & Music

Wow - the work that this man has achieved and the women he's painted, Terry too is very down to earth and incredibly talented. For his seminar he created a very Grace Jones-esque look that was inspired by the likes of Way Bandy's makeup work and 1920s glamour girls. He went through the look as he carried it out on stage in very thorough detail - how to shade and contour and how to work with the cameras and directors so you help them get the most out of the video in terms of the image created!

Alex Box

By far my favourite makeup artist of the entire event and day, I was so keen to see this lady and hear what makes her tick. I wasn't disappointed. She's so down-to-earth but very imaginative. You can almost see the cogs ticking over in her facial expressions, she's so extrovert but not in a crazy in-your-face way and the stories and advice she imparted were fantastic.

I was very much in awe of her as much as I am of her work. In case you're unsure as to she is, Alex Box is Creative Director of Illamasqua, a very new and different makeup brand. She is responsible for all their makeup imagery that you'll see on their website, branding and promotional material. For years now she's been creating astounding makeup for the likes of W, Stella McCartney and Vogue.

She's also just released a book with the famous photographer Rankin containing a year and half's worth of their beautiful collaborations. "Lost for words" doesn't even cover the emotion I get when looking at them! You can find more details on it here.

Aside from the seminars given there were also the entries for the Student Makeup Artist competition wandering around the venue along with their talented creators. This year's theme, in celebration of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was exactly that - Alice in Wonderland! All of the nominees were phenomenal but my favourites were the Queen of Hearts and Alice with mushrooms and butterflies emerging from crazy, glittery hair and fabulous tattoos reading "Eat Me"!

The stands exhibiting and selling were offering some amazing discounts on the day. I got hold of some of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic's AMAZING Lip Tars at £7 a tube! These are highly pigmented, rich lip paints perfect for video and photography. I got hold of some crazy colours and also their Clear Lip Tar for avante garde and fashion work. I've already experimented with them and they are brilliant, I'm so impressed - the colours are so vibrant and you can mix them together to create new colours!

New Year's Resolutions - Part 3 of 3: Improving your Beauty Routine

2010-01-28T00:12:00.007Z

Well this is my third and final instalment of the New Year Resolutions series. Hope you've all enjoyed them and that you may have been inspired by them to take action for 2010 so by next January you'll be looking to new resolutions rather than recycling the 'same old' stories. It's been fantastic putting these together and I aim to provide similar advice articles in the future, hoorah!

So for all you girlies looking to get your beauty regime polished and perfected read on...

Quitting smoking

This doesn't seem to really have anything to do with a beauty regime at first, but if one of your resolutions is to quit smoking this year then great! As a makeup artist it pains me to see girls with wrinkles around their mouths from all the pouting when sucking on a cigarette. Add to that flaking lips because cigarettes dehydrate the skin so applying lipstick becomes a total nightmare! Never mind the yellow nicotene-stained nails and fingertips, sallow skin and premature ageing in the longrun.

Even worse is the damage on the inside but if you can't quit for health reasons, quit for the sake of your appearance. Granted the media can make smoking look sexy, I'm not going to deny that. But I don't think it looks great when you look twice the age you are because you smoke all of the time. And the smell, ugh, really?! Ladies shouldn't smell like an ash tray, nuff said...

Taking your makeup off before bed

I'm often stunned at how many girls admit to not doing this - especially when they've been out for a night on the tiles. It can often be a real chore when you stumble back in during the small hours of the morning but trust me, one thing that will contribute to ageing will be leaving your makeup on every night. If you could see the damage you're doing to your skin you would feel very different about your approach to taking off your war paint!

In the short run, eye makeup irritates the eyes when you fall asleep - they try to rid the makeup themselves so that's why your eyes look sore the next morning. Makeup will only clog pores if left on the skin for too long and overall your canvas will become a lot more difficult to work with, trampling on of all your efforts when applying it if you're not keeping it in tip-top condition.

Cleanse, (tone), exfoliate, moisturise

Cleanse

There are still plenty of girls who use hand or body soap to clean their faces. Hand soap is far too harsh for facial skin. It will dry it out so much and in addition if you have sensitive skin then it will only add to your troubles. Invest in a good quality cleanser and you won't regret it:

Gel or clay cleansers work fantastically for oily and combination skins. Try Simple's range or pop into Lush and talk to one of their advisors to pick a cleanser right for you.
Cleansing creams, milks, lotions and almond oil are all brilliant for drier skins - you don't want to strip the skin of any oil because dry skins have less to spare so you need something nourishing and gentle.

Tone

This step's debatable. I've still yet to find a toner that doesn't strip my skin and make it feel as rough as sandpaper. Water is as good as anything but if you do want to try an official toner, make sure it's alcohol-free - I don't think alcohol is necessary in any toner even if you do have skin that leans towards the oilier side!

Exfoliate

This will keep your skin revived, glowing and soft. Especially during the winter months, a decent exfoliant will work a treat at ridding your skin of all the dead skin cells which only dull your complexion and cause makeup to clog and sit funnily on your face. I use one every day but if your skin's a bit more sensitive try exfoliating three times a week for a beautiful visage!

Moisturise

You may be 18 and not worried about wrinkles but trust me - don't skip this step out. The sooner you begin adding this to your daily routine the better you will feel in the years to come. Your skin begins to slow down its renewal process as of 18 years of age, so it's best to start to defend your skin from the elements and ageing as best as you can.

If you have oily skin don't feel that moisturiser will only aid the oiliness - on the contrary if you don't moisturise your skin will work harder to keep itself moisturised and produce even more oil. There are plenty of moisturisers and gels out there that keep the skin beautifully hydrated but sit under makeup well and don't add to the oil, in fact some mattify and help combat oil from disrupting your makeup!

Drink water

Yeah, I know, you've heard this one before, blah, blah, blah! But seriously try it and you might notice an epic difference in your skin! My skin is far more glowy and blemish-free when I keep up the water intake each day. With central heating, most places like shops and offices having air conditioning, etc. etc. a lot of moisture is lost from the skin and body without you even realising.

The difficulty with this one is fitting it in to our daily routines or even just remembering in the first place! The best policy is to bring a small bottle to work with you or fit it in your handbag on the go. You can always top it up and it's there whenever you need it. Having it sat on your desk or in your bag every time you reach for your keys/phone/makeup bag will remind you to keep taking sips - staying hydrated will become a walk in the park.

If you feel water's a little boring, there are plenty of flavoured waters on the market or you could always add fruit squash to yours each morning. Equally if you're not in the mood for a cold drink or fancy something warming then try green tea or fruit tea (with a hint of honey) - there's a huge selection out there from many different brands. The first tea bags that spring to mind are Twinings but my advice is to explore the other options out there.

Twinings' fruit teas smell fab but some can taste a little... bland. I really recommend giving Yogi teas a try. They're really unusual, taste lovely and are all organic - I love their Licorice tea and Chai teas! They can be bought online or from most health food stores and organice produce stockists.

Inspired by...

2010-01-24T15:01:00.008Z

I'm really into the new music video by I Blame Coco, I love the styling and Coco herself is very striking! In fact I thought to myself when I first saw the video that she really has a different, edgy look, kinda tomboy-ish - she could be a model... I swear I'd seen her face before.

Ha, little did I know she's modelled for Burberry back in 2008, oh and she's only Sting and Trudy Styler's daughter! Yup, makes sense now! The song's quite catchy, but I'm still not 100% sure about it and the video could be criticised for being achingly hip but I still like it!

And then there's Marina And The Diamonds' music video for 'Hollywood'. I've been hearing waves of whispers about this girl and how her and her band are the next big thing for 2010 but had yet to hear any of their choons. I LOVE her makeup and styling in this video, plus she's absolutely gorgeous. There's lots of pretty things in it that makes any girl want to shout 'Me, me, me!'

The video from I Blame Coco is for their up and coming debut single 'Caesar' (out Feb 2010).

Marina And The Diamonds' 'Hollywood' single is also released next month. Both videos can be checked out below...

Tag: Happy 101

2010-01-22T01:03:00.013Z

I was tagged by the lovely Georgie from So Full of Twilight... on listing 10 things that make me happy. I couldn't possibly narrow it down to just 10 things of course but in no particular order, these are 10 things that spring to mind right now...

Rules: List 10 things that make you happy, try to do at least one of them today, and link back to the person that tagged you. Then tag 10 other bloggers that brighten your day.

1. Makeup & Beauty - as Georgie said herself, I'm stating the obvious here, but yes, to say I'm obsessed would be an understatement. I love looking at it, buying it, using it on myself and others and I love what can be achieved with it. I love doing makeup on everyone, a lot of my friends and family think they ask too much of me when they ask for advice or ask me to do their makeup. I'd like to officially say here that I love nothing more than doing makeup or helping in whatever way I can in this area - so please, never hesitate to ask!

2. Creativity - very much ties in with the above, but creativity comes in all shapes and sizes. I don't just love being creative with makeup, I love being creative with fashion, in the kitchen, with others and when crafting bits and bobs myself. There's something intensely satisfying that comes from putting a vision into reality, especially with others who share in your vision and help execute it. Nothing or no one can take that away!

3. Inspiring people/places - I love people who inspire me whether it be from the clothes they wear, the attitudes they carry, the work they carry out, to the positivity they pour out and the warmth, kindness and generosity that they're capable of. Plus there's nothing more enriching for the soul than those places in life that we find fill us with hope, joy, awe or inspiration or all four and more... You know where they are, their your havens! There are a few places in the world that I will always return to simply because of the way they make me feel - I love that feeling I get from them and often experience it at sea!

4. My family, boyfriend and friends - this shouldn't really need stating but it's important to me so I will. Where would we be without loved ones?! They celebrate with us when we're winning and pick us up when we're down! I owe so much to them and couldn't, and more importantly wouldn't want to, imagine sharing my life without them. Despite the age gap between my sister and I we get each other so much and she's one of the wisest people I know even though she's only 20. My boyfriend is incredible beyond words. Oh and my little pet hamster, Chloe is the sweetest bundle of awesomeness!

5. Fashion - this one isn't so original as it would probably go on many a girl's list but I have loved it ever since I can remember. I used to be fascinated with my Mum's Vogue magazines when I was little and religiously watched The Clothes Show on TV when it used to air every Sunday. I love being able to play about with it and create new outfits from mixing and matching key items. And I love to read about and watch documentaries on designers to get a little view into their world and the way their minds work!

6. Travel - I haven't been to very many places outside of the UK. In fact, I've only been to Normandy, France and Berlin, Germany! As a result I've got a bit of a travel bug. Not so much that I could pack a bag and roam the world for several months but I could certainly get used to seeing the world one year at a time. I've always promised myself that one day I'll holiday somewhere where the sand is white - I'd love to visit the Maldives and Mauritius at some point. I really want to go to New York and I fell in love with Berlin so much when I went out there a couple of months ago that I'm going back in a couple of months!

7. Coffee - that sounds like I'm an addict but I'm not, honest! In fact I've always made a conscious effort to not drink more than two cups a day as I really don't want to ever get myself into a dependency on caffeine, ha! No nasty withdrawal headaches here, thank you. But yes, a good cuppa goes down a treat, especially over winter. Like some people love nothing more than a lovely cup of tea, I'm a coffee girl myself and love to give myself a coffee moment every day - it perks me up and warms the soul - a little like chicken soup!

8. Fantasy - I love reading stories and watching films that take me places - whether it be the bizarre or the fantastically fictitious. From Alice in Wonderland to vampires, Pan's Labyrinth and much more. Stories of make-believe are often the best medicine for relaxing and getting away from it all in inspiring tales and worlds!

9. Blogging - geeky, isn't it? Without sounding cheesy though, I do love writing, always have done and I think I always will. There's something really satisfying when it comes to sharing and writing about what matters to you - gaining a sense of achievement on completing and publishing an article and it's rewarding when readers stop by, say hi and discuss the articles further or enquire! I also love reading other blogs on fashion, makeup and life in general - the blogging community is so vast and varied now that there's tonnes of bloggers whose work I admire!

10. Being myself - as I've grown up I've realised how important it is to remain true to myself. Don't ever change yourself for anyone - unless of course you want to improve your attitude towards others or make yourself a more considerate person, etc. Self improvement is always great, but never try to appeal to others by being like them or imitating someone else because you feel you're not up to scratch. You're individual and unique, no one is like you and that should be celebrated! You're the best person in the world at being you so do it with style! As Judy Garland said: "Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else" - I think she had it sorted : )

I'd love to tag 10 others, but a lot of the blogger I follow have been tagged already and some may not want to take part which is fine! If you do see this and want to do your very own Happy 101 then of course please go ahead!

Image by 'Simply Dolce'

Product Review - Kings & Queens Caspar Myrrh Body Butter

2010-01-22T00:59:00.011Z

I had a tube of this in my bathroom up until recently. Originally I was in two minds to review it, but then one of my lovely readers, Amanda of A Fairy Cake Tale (check her blog out if you want the most awesome cooking recipes!) asked for some advice on body butters - how could I refuse?

Kings & Queens are a cosmetics company with a difference. They make very posh, swanky body butters, body milks, soaps, shower gels and even candles all with decadent ingredients that for hundreds of years have been celebrated as being fit for royalty - for kings and queens! Their collection is therefore designed, from their packaging all the way through to the smell and textures, to make you feel like a princess.

With this in mind, let's take a look at their product description for the body butter I chose - Caspar Myrrh and see if it's up to scratch:

A rich, luxurious body butter with intense fragrance enriched with a royal mix of pomegranate, blue Egyptian lotus and malachite extracts to maximize indulgence. The purple fruit of pomegranate ends in a crown-like top which is why it is shown on the coat of arms of many royal houses. The flower of the blue lotus was the most popular ancient Egyptian symbol of glory and eternal life for gods and mortals alike, while malachite was loved by princes across Europe. Kings & Queens products are free from mineral oil (synthetic oil from processed petroleum) and parabens (category of preservatives).

Rich and luxurious?

Definitely! This body butter is exactly that - buttery! But my only gripe, as is Amanda's and many others' is that some body butters take far, far too long to soak into the skin. If you're getting ready for a night out you don't want to be dancing around your room for 15 minutes waiting to get dressed because it won't soak in quickly enough!

Some body butters are so intense they're too heavy and concentrated for the skin to absorb quickly and effectively. This body butter is surprisingly good at soaking in quickly. It's nowhere near as fast as a lotion or a body milk but that's the price you pay for butters - the richer the moisturiser the more concentrated it is and the more time it requires to absorb. It needs a bit of work but if you put the effort in this body butter will have soaked in within about 3 minutes!

The reason why I wasn't going to review this product yet was because when I came to the end of the bottle I was unsure as to whether I'd try it again. I loved it but I'm impatient and sometimes I just want a body lotion that soaks in in 30 seconds. I thought I'd try something else and get back to it. Needless to say I want to buy more because despite the 3 minute wait it's still better than most body lotions and butters I've tried, doesn't leave the skin greasy and my skin felt baby soft after using it daily.

Intense fragrance?

Yes, most certainly! This moisturiser is obviously scented with myrrh - dried tree sap, used for its medicinal properties to this day and valued as much as gold during ancient times. The name Caspar is from the three 'Magi' or kings, who travelled to Bethlehem and gave Myrrh as a gift to baby Jesus.

It's a beautiful body butter perfect for the wintery months as the fragrance is heady and spicy. It may be too intense a smell for the summer months when you want something lighter, more citrussy or floral, but you can always try the other scents in the Kings & Queens collection such as 'Emperor Akbar Mango' or 'Sultan of Granada Lemon Flower'.

Pomegranate, blue Egyptian lotus and malachite extracts?

Yes (pomegranate's listed as Punica Granatum Fruit Extract), yes (blue Egyptian lotus is listed as Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract) and yes. This lotion also contains beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil - all known for their ultra moisturising properties, safflower seed oil and sweet almond oil. If you like your lotions to be synthetic ingredient-free then you may want to reconsider this product as it does contain a few artificial ingredients but...

Free from mineral oil and parabens?

... it doesn't contain a jot of parabens or mineral oil! I've counted three and sometimes as many as five individual parabens in some body butters on the market. Parabens are artificial preservatives that are now known to be carcenogenic. Mineral oil, as discussed in my article on lip balms and hand creams provides no benefits whatsoever and is a derivative of petroleum which is also bad for the body.

Overall...

This product is available online and in Superdrug stores, so as you can imagine it's not going to break the bank coming in at £4.50 on their website, but a few months ago I could have sworn I paid something in the region of £5 or £6. Some of their body butters do differ in price due to the ingredients used in each, but they're all very reasonable and suitable for all budgets.

The richness of this product means that a little goes a long way and you therefore get what you pay for. The seductive packaging, names, scents and ingredients do encourage you to try the entire range and I am contemplating trying out their other scented body butters and perhaps trying their shower gels at some stage.

I was really impressed with this body butter and as I said before, it soaks in really quickly compared to other body butters I've sampled. My skin became very soft after a week of using this and after three weeks it was beautifully silky and as I can get dry skin on my arms sometimes this was a complete treat for me. Since moving onto a body lotion from another brand I've noticed the deterioration in my skin once again so to be honest I'll be going straight back to this product once I'm through with my current one. What better testimony than that?

So if you're considering a body butter that doesn't take an age to sink in, give this a try and let me know how you get on - I always love to hear what you all think!

New Year's Resolutions - Part 2 of 3: Adopting a Fitness Routine

2010-01-21T20:50:00.009Z

Maintaining and even developing a fitness routine that we can stick to is often quite tricky. There isn't a one-size-fits-all when it comes to exercise. It needs to be fun to be maintained and enjoyed - 'enjoyed' being the key word here, what one person loves another may loathe. Otherwise it becomes as fun as poking your own eyes out with a fork.

Just because your friend loves hitting the gym every evening doesn't mean you should and because you don't you're 'lazy' or 'not getting into the spirit of things'. Not everyone likes to work out in a room full of mirrors stretching as far as the eye can see under the most unflattering lighting in the world. Each to their own as they say.

I've created a list below that isn't exactly revolutionary, but I break down each approach by showing you the plus sides to exercising in this way. So you'll be able to see which methods agree with your attitude and ticks your boxes, e.g. you may work in a very busy environment and like to exercise in private, treating your exercise time as 'you' time away from the madding crowds. So finding a jogging route that's off the beaten track may be more your style. Take a look at the ideas below and see what takes your fancy. It may also get you thinking about other forms of exercise which aren't here but still attract you...

Lose Yourself & Your Troubles: Jogging

For some people I know they love nothing more than to switch off, favourite music in their ears and pummel the tarmac for a good hour or so. It's not just their way of keeping fit and nimble, it's their way of dealing with the world - getting away from it all and coming back refreshed and rejuvenated. For them it's just like a form of meditation and it has been proven that exercise benefits the brain as well as the body!

The great thing about jogging is you really don't have to think that much. No need for inductions, rules or how-to's other than it's probably a good idea to warm up and cool down in between. So it frees your mind to wander, play and digest the day's events, problems and create solutions even if you're not actually thinking about anything in particular. Like sleeping on some things, sometimes your brain works best when it's left to meander and solves problems even while you're not thinking about them!

If you like this approach, then the more private your jogging route the better too. I was lucky when I used to jog I lived in a very remote village with backroads and lanes that wound on for miles often without the disturbance of a car or person in sight! This won't be easy for everyone but let's face it, if you know your town or local area well I'm sure you know some walks, roads or footpaths that are often quiet and out of the way. Just make sure they're safe and if you take this approach in a town or city don't leave the exercise until too late.

Variety is the Spice of Life: The Gym

You may want more range and diversity in your exercise routine in terms of pushing and strengthening different areas of your body. Access to all of the different equipment that strengthen, tone and sculpt your body will all be found in the gym. You'll also get access to professional help as well as all members get full inductions on where everything is, what's available and how to use the equipment onsite. In addition if you fancy the help of a personal trainer to drive you and maintain your routine then this would be a perfect form of exercise for you.

Not only that but you get what you pay for: You can really go to town with the facilities and treat yourself to different varieties of exercise. Some gyms also have pools nearby if you fancy a swim instead. And most if not all have sauners and steam rooms for winding down and detoxing afterwards. So if you like to do it properly and make a full-on ritual of it, the gyms really do tick all of the boxes.

This is however a committed form of exercise. Well, all forms should be but you do pay good money for your membership and the better the range of equipment and facilities the more hefty the fee. Make sure you're positive about joining a gym, ask around and see which ones are the favourites in your area. You don't want to join only to flake out on going after a couple of months and waste all of that cash. For those of you on lower budgets or a bit worried about fitting it in often enough, there are 'Pay As You Go' gyms popping up all over the place now, so do some research and see if one is in your local area...

Sweat it out in front of Your TV: Fitness at Home

I'm now giving DVDs a try since my usual excuse to exercise is "it's too cold outside" Fitness DVDs are great during the winter months because you don't have to trudge to a gym and you have the comfort of knowing that you can stay in indoors and get fit all without leaving the house! There's a great variety of DVDs available now, usually something to suit everyone's tastes no matter what you're in to:

Dance Music

The Ministry of Sound have recently released a fitness DVD "Pump It Up! The Ultimate Dance Workout". It's only £6.98 from Amazon, (that's less than a meal out!) and is crammed full of great dance routines.

Perfect if you like your dance music, but if you're not fussed about the tunes you still get to exercise to something a little different while someone instructs you. The exercises all vary in difficulty and length so you can choose which ones suit your mood and how much you want to be challenged.

Dance Moves & More

"Yoga Booty Ballet" is not just a funny name (in fact the name made me cringe at first), it's actually a really motivating fitness DVD with a twist. It's possibly a little cheesy for some tastes, but this video is great because not only does it guide you through dance routines to keep you fit, but it also teaches you how to pose in various yoga moves, works on your poise and offers meditation techniques.

If that's not enough, not only are there your standard dance routines included, but you can also practice ballet dance moves too - hence the title ; ) This DVD does require you to buy some weights before you get started as some of the exercises will use these.

Get Fit with Friends

Or you could opt for the Wii Fit - this is a bit of a serious investment, but unlike the gym it will only be a one-off payment! Of course if you already have the Wii console then all you need is the game and the Wii Fit Board - however it's a lot of serious investment if you don't have the console, in this case costing you around £200!

But the great advantages you get with the Wii Fit is that you can get fit with friends and family adding to the fun and could help you commit to a routine if you feel you need the additional motivation of extra company! You can practise and perfect yoga moves, aerobics, build your strength and balance.

Who Said it had to Feel Like a Chore?: Dance Classes

More and more people are turning to dance as their ultimate choice of exercise, because dance doesn't feel like exercise but still burns the calories. It's fun, it's sociable, it's challenging and can be very sexy - all of the things that a lady loves, n'est pas?! The options below are only a scratch on the surface of the variety of dance classes on offer but a great cross-section for all tastes...

Street Dance

Street dance is no longer restricted to the street, those hip-hop funky moves can be learnt by all now in the comfort of a studio. This is the modern dance class for those who like to shake it up a little! It really challenges you physically and allows for you to improve your overall posture and confidence when it comes to dancing socially on a night out!

Salsa

Salsa is brilliant for socialising and meeting new people. It's all about partnering up, swapping partners throughout the class session and learning together. It maybe not for the shy, but you do learn some very classy sashaying and for a lady whose maybe on the lookout for a date this is hot; for a guy - tell a lady you know how to salsa and she'll be putty in your hands!

Dance Aerobics

Dance aerobics is a workout for those who don't like to mess around and is not for the faint-hearted (no pun intended!) You'll really get your heart rate going but with the added bonus of doing all the exercises in time to music - warning: your instructor will drive you if they can see you flagging! These sessions are possibly best for those of you who like to really hit the ground running and perhaps maintain other forms of exercise during the week.

Tone Your Mind as well as Your Body: Yoga

Not only is yoga great for your strength and keeping you lean, it's fantastic for the soul! I know women who've done it for 20 years and more and they wouldn't stop doing it for the world. Someone once told me that she saw a sixty year old woman bend and flex so well and as a result it inspired her to be the same at that age!

Who says you have to be walking around with a zimmer frame and a dodgy hip by seventy?! If you start yoga now and maintain it for life, your body will thank you and reward you for it. Many people also do it for the sheer clear-out of negative energy that clogs their minds up (which in turn affects the body in multiple ways) and to keep a calm, positive outlook in the class and outside...!

If you're at all worried about the contortion and being able to push your body to those sorts of limits, you shouldn't be. Do ask around and get advice on teachers in your local area - see if you can get recommendations and why those people would recommend! A great yoga teacher will not push or punish but customise and assist, so that over time you get the knack and eventually achieve results.

Everyone learns and develops at different rates and the best teachers know this. Don't be afraid to muck in and have a go but learn that while your neighbour may be far more able than you, you will get it in time. If you can find classes that are divided into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced then even better.

The Urge for Snoods, Satchels & DMs...

2010-01-14T22:31:00.011Z

Items in this set:
Petite Breton Stripe Crop Tee
Julia Denim Mini
Doc Martens Strap Boot Black
Leather Square Satchel Bag
Cobweb Knitted Snood

I've been playing around with outfit ideas that incorporate some of my threads and my three favourite fashion items at the moment:

Snoods - yes, they're "in trend" at the moment so it's not very original and they're everywhere so getting your hands on one is very easy - too easy. But they're so inviting! I'm in love with the soft knitted ones - ultra pretty against English fair skins like my own!

Satchel = wants badly! I miss having a bag that I can sling over my shoulder and chest without fear of it falling off if I lean over/down/run around a corner etc. Something a handbag just can't offer... Plus I just love the whole leather satchel Parisian geek-chic thing. All you need to complete the look is a warm croissant and a big ol' bicycle with a basket... Oooh, I feel a trip to Paris coming on : D

And finally Doc Martens. Yes, I'm going to come out of the closet and say I've NEVER been taken by them, ever. I never got into them when they were all the rage at school (oooh, way back in 1995) and I hadn't taken to them since either. UNTIL RECENTLY!

I don't know what happened, it's like a Doc Marten bug bit me and I've got the virus. Or maybe I've been contemplating them since I saw this awesome lay-dee in the Sartorialist. I love the contrast of the dress with the boots and that trench, it takes a lotta guts to pull this off - she gets my salute!

What's your favourite items of lust-worthiness at the moment?

Under Construction!

2010-01-13T18:03:00.004Z

Hello Everyone!

This is just a *big* thank you to all of you who've left your love for my new header - yes, this is just a mere morsel-y taste of things to come!... It is slightly too far right for my liking and I'm trying to centre it at the moment.

Over time more new features will be added and the site will get a proper design overhaul so if you do see anything a bit squiffy going on, it's all constructional and will be fixed in due course!

Happy blogging : D

Amanda x

Product Review - Weleda Iris Cream

2010-01-07T13:33:00.012Z

This has been my moisturiser of choice for the past month as I wanted to try a natural, light moisturiser ideal for combination skins that doesn't strain the purse strings! This Weleda cream has been formulated to moisturise but balance the oil production in your skin - i.e. help your skin produce more in drier areas and less in oilier areas all with the help of iris that like lavender helps to regulate the skin's moisture naturally.

I've really enjoyed using a moisturiser that I know won't be plugging my skin with anything other than what it needs and it's nice to go back to nature and rely on something like iris to help combat problematic combination skin. Beneath is Weleda's product description so let's see if it lives up to their hype:

A refreshingly light moisturiser that is quickly absorbed... Suitable for vegetarians. Organic Jojoba Oil, biodynamic Iris Root extract and other pure plant extracts help support the skin's natural functions, leaving it feeling healthy, refreshed and smooth. Natural essential oils provide a light, fine fragrance. Tip: Iris Moisture Cream is also recommended as a base for make-up.

Refreshingly light?

Definitely, despite appearances with it looking more like a heavy cream and maybe feeling so to the touch, it goes on like a very light gel, you need only enough for your skin to suitably absorb and no more! A one pence piece-sized amount or less is all that you need to sufficiently moisturise your entire face.

Quickly absorbed?

Absolutely! Once worked in the cream sinks in beautifully and fast, leaving no greasy residue or build-up so it really is perfect as a daytime moisturiser and it leaves no nasty sheen either.

Suitable for vegetarians?

Yes, there are absolutely no animal extracts or derivatives in the cream whatsoever, so it's not only friendly to your face it's friendly to the environment and animals. You'll also be pleased to hear that it comes in a recyclable aluminium tube and cardboard box.

Organic jojoba oil, iris root extract and other pure plant extracts?

Yes, yes and yes. The other pure plant extracts are: witch hazel (great for oily skins and combating bacteria that cause blemishes), beeswax and calendula flower extract. On top of that there are no artificial additives - Weleda pride themselves on making products without synthetic fragrances, preservatives or chemicals.

Healthy. refreshed and smooth?

Yes, surprisingly, as when you've applied it it does such an effective job of soaking in that it almost feels like it might not do the trick of nourishing enough. But it always leaves my skin velvet-soft, non-slippery but the scent and the natural extracts make it feel like it's doing a great job without the horrible, unnecessary excess of artificial ingredients!

Natural oils provide light, fine fragrance?

Yes, there is no artificial perfume or fragrance in the moisturiser whatsoever so what you smell is 100% natural which is lovely because it really smells nice!

Base for makeup?

I would definitely say so. I still use a primer underneath my foundation but because the moisturiser is light and easily absorbed leaving no traces it makes a great base for makeup unlike some moisturisers that create an oily barrier slip-sliding your makeup half way down your face by afternoon!

Overall...

Suitable for all budgets retailing online at £8.95 but I swear I bought mine at a local organic store for £7.95, this moisturiser really is worth a try. It won't be nourishing or intensive enough for drier skins but if you suffer from oily or combination skin then you should definitely give this a go. Bear in mind with its all-natural ingredients its shelf life is only nine months after opening.

Would I buy again? Yes but my only concern is how this moisturiser might fair in the summer months - on days where I've been busy on my feet and got a little hot indoors the oil isn't quite kept at bay as my Mary Kay moisturiser used to do. So I'd need to wait to see how it copes. Bear this in mind as you may have to combine it with a mattifier if you want to keep oil at bay all day.

Product Review - Aveda Botanicals Kinetics Hydrating Lotion

2010-01-07T13:32:00.013Z

One of my friends used to work at an Aveda salon and as a result I've got a backlog of Aveda freebies stocked up in my cupboard. Today I'm reviewing their Botanicals Kinetics facial moisturiser - Hydrating Lotion.

I've been using it daily for over a month now but as my skin is combination I only use it as a night moisturiser as it's too rich for me in the day under my makeup. It's supposed to be one of their best sellers and I can see why: the product's very creamy and soothing as you put it on and the next morning my skin feels ultra nourished and velvet-soft, something I really appreciate with the sub-zero temperatures we've been having!

If you like your products to be gorgeously scented then this would be perfect for you as you can really smell the lavender and chamomile, it's quite strong, in fact I would go as far to say that this moisturiser has a fairly unisex scent - it's not too girly so you may find the other half borrowing it... However there is some synthetic fragrance in it so for those of you with sensitive skins I'm not sure how you'd get on with skin irritation! This product doesn't claim to be hypoallergenic so weigh this up if you're at all unsure...

So let's take their product breakdown as listed on their website and see if it does what is says on the bottle:

Nurturing your skin comes naturally with this quick-absorbing lotion—containing emollients derived from coconut, jojoba and other naturally-derived ingredients—that replenishes moisture with a gentle touch. Camomile and lavender blend helps promote a soft, supple skin texture.

Leaves skin feeling resilient and moisture-refreshed
Protects from dehydration
For all skin types

Quick-absorbing?

Fairly, but in the summer months I'm not sure it is as quick-absorbing as when my skin is on the drier side. If your skin is oily bear in mind it may take some working in, you may not like the texture or sensation so much as it tends to leave a layer for a couple of minutes.

Coconut, jojoba and other naturally-derived ingredients?

Check, check and check! This blissful moisturiser also contains lavender extract, chamomile extract, rosemary leaf extract and rice bran oil so it's full of natural derivatives. However the basic premise of Aveda's products is that they use the 'science of nature' but they're not without some artificial ingredients. However you will find these fairly minimal and there are no parabens in this moisturiser.

Soft, supple skin?

Definitely! The next morning when I wake after using this, it sounds cheesy but my skin really does feel baby-soft and very nourished. I had a few flaky patches from the chilly weather but they've completely gone since using this every night.

Resilient and moisture-refreshed?

This moisturiser has been a total god-send for me this winter. There have been a few occasions before I started to use it when my face has ended up very weather-beaten and dry from a day in blustery winds, crying out for moisture. As soon as I put this on it relieved the tense, tight feeling immediately and nourished so well that by morning it felt as if I had a new face, ha!

Protects from dehydration?

Absolutely. This lotion really has made a difference as in the day my skin feels a lot more protected even when I'm wearing a much less creamy moisturiser during the daytime.

For all skin types?

I wouldn't be so sure. As I don't have sensitive skin I can't vouch for this but I would warn those of you with sensitive faces to approach with caution. Equally if your skin's quite oily you may find this only exacerbates the situation!

Overall...

The lotion is a little on the pricey side retailing at £32.00, so it's certainly not for all pockets and possibly not suitable for those with sensitive skin, but if you have dry or combination skin I can really recommend this, especially as a night moisturiser or one for the winter months as you do really feel the benefit. Would I buy now that I've sampled? Seeming as I can really feel the benefits and you get quite a lot of moisturiser for your money (it's rich too so a little goes very far) then yes!

New Year's Resolutions - Beauty Inside & Out: Part 1 of 3

2010-01-05T17:50:00.016Z

I don't know about you, but I've got a HEAP of New Year's resolutions for 2010. They all vary in terms of subject: some are mental spring cleaning goals, others are career resolutions and one is keeping fit. Granted the last one isn't particularly original and I bet at least one of you out there is in the same boat!

The trouble is after a month into the year the good intentions are intact but the actual putting-into-practice isn't quite so much... We've all been there, but there are ways to make life a little easier when it comes to exercise and maintaining a really great diet.

So whether you're aiming to improve your diet, fitness routine or beauty regime - or maybe all three - here's one of three instalments to give you a helping hand so that by this time next year, you won't be rolling your eyes at the thought of you making the same resolution another year in a row. After all, your internal well-being means looking great on the outside will be a cinch ; )

Part 1 of 3: Improving your Diet

I'm not talking about hitting the Slim Fast. Or the Atkins diet. Or restricting yourself to blended juices only. I'm talking about healthy eating - not denial of certain foodstuffs, nutrients or anything that makes you happy! Diets don't work because they're not sustainable, they usually involve incredible limitations on what you can actually eat.

All that drudgery makes you feel you have a mountain to climb and often leaves you thinking more about the food you love but can't have than anything else. Never mind that most of these diets are incredibly bad for your body and mind. Sure enough, diets are often the first thing to go out of the window!

The essential point to remember is that it's all about balance. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "a healthy balanced diet"? Well not only does it address the balance of all the essential nutrients, but it's all about moderation. Everyone's different and you may want to adapt the following a bit to suit your lifestyle but here's my tips for maintaining a healthy body - and not going crazy whilst you do so:

Don't start off with the 'shoulds' or 'shouldn'ts' when addressing your eating habits - that sets things off to a very dull start and makes the whole goal feel like a chore. Instead look at what you enjoy from a meal, what keeps you going and what you can do without:

What foods do you really love?

You may really love a good steak, or fresh fruit, steak and ale pie or smoked salmon. I'm not talking about temptations like chocolate (yet!), I'm talking about food you can have every day that you love to eat.

Once you've made a list of all these elements come up with recipes whereby you can include a good amount of vegetables or fruit around that particular food. For instance if you love a good steak and ale pie, you could have one a week but make sure you include three portions of veg - e.g. parsnips, carrots and leeks. Vegetables don't have to boring - you can sprinkle rosemary onto potatoes and roast them in the oven or glaze parsnips and carrots in honey for instance. Find a combination you love and sticking to eating the good stuff won't feel so tricky!

What do you need to survive a day on the go?

A big breakfast? A couple of snacks? A hearty lunch? I can't start the day without a bowl of cereal - if I eat anything else it never keeps me sated until lunch and I end up wanting to snack. You might however need to eat little and often to keep you going instead of having an official three square meals a day. Whatever you feel you need stick to. But any excess can be cut.

If you have three square meals a day you might not need snacks so often. If you feel sluggish or lightheaded without them though why not replace your packet of crisps with a packet of mixed nuts or replace your chocolate buttons with dried mango slices? Snacking can still be as tasty but less calorific!

Is there anything you eat that you feel you could do without?

We all do it now and then - eat or drink something so often we do it without thinking and if we did think about it a bit more, we'd realise that we probably don't appreciate or really need it. That cupcake after your sandwich - do you really need it? Or do you often sit at your desk afterwards thinking "Hmmm, I could have given that a miss"? Or when you do a supermarket run and you instinctively grab that chocolate bar - could you leave it? Or if you're going to do it, could you cut it down to once a week?

Don't go denial crazy!

Once or twice a week I allow myself something naughty. For all my efforts at staying healthy I think it's fine to have an indulgence every so often. Complete denial of my favourite treats has led to overcompensating later on - it just doesn't work. Whereas if once or twice a week I let myself have my favourite chocolate bar I don't feel guilty and it usually satisfies the craving until the next week.

You'd be surprised at how much you'll appreciate your treats that way, enjoy them more and don't end up feeling like needing one every single day! The point is you can eat the foods you enjoy - just work out what your favourites are and learn to work them in once or twice a week as rewards for anything - a promotion, jogging 3 miles rather than 2, being a great girlfriend ; )

Eat for your activity

By this I mean if you work an office job the chances of you burning off a lot of calories and needing to compensate for this are slim. You're actually better off with a smaller lunch and one that won't be so carbohydrate-intense - a huge baguette, pasta or a full-on bowl of noodles are all rich in carbs. Whilst tempting at the time they'll only send you to sleep half way through the latter half of the afternoon as your blood sugar levels crash.

Try eating a bowl of soup - without the bread roll! Chunky soups often fill the gaps fantastically, are low in calories and leave you feeling satisfied until dinner time. Or sushi is just as filling but great in warmer climates or summer months. You don't have to stick to salad, there are inventive ways to satisfy the hunger but without the regret.

However if you work outside, work out a lot or your job is physically demanding, you're going to need more than a bowl of cereal for brekkie, soup for lunch and a small dinner. You are more likely to need carbohydrates - a healthy pasta dish with mustard dressing for instance will keep you fuelled as you go. You may require a more fuelling breakfast too like granola, yoghurt and honey with a banana and hemp shake for instance.

In summary, the more you burn, the more you need - if you're eating more than you burn off look for ways to trim down your portions. If you're feeling fatigued but do a strenuous job then you may need to incorporate some healthy snacks in between meals to keep you going!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T23:13:00.005Z

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/holiday time and some fantastic partying when seeing in 2010.

I'm sorry that it's been so long since I posted - the Christmas hecticness and last-minute running around took more time than I thought it ever could... However 2010 will see All That Glitters evolve and offer you, my wonderful readers, more for your blog-reading time : )

You'll see some exciting new features coming soon here on All That Glitters as well as a bit of a spruce-up on the appearance front! So keep your eyes peeled as I reveal all very soon...

Here's to a year of fun, sparkles, happiness and wonderment! x

This Party Season's Makeup? Full of Sparkle

2009-12-14T19:44:00.006Z

Just like the fashion trend of sequins that I blogged about the other day and so very much love (in case you didn't get that the first time round) glitter's big in makeup this Christmas too!

So how do you achieve those sparkly peepers without looking too much like a Christmas tree? Here are a few tips and pointers if you want to go glittery while you partay...

1. Keep foundation fresh and lips toned down

Your eyes will obviously be the main spectacle for the evening/event so you want them to do the talking rather than anything else as well. Bright red lips added to the mix for instance will make you look far too overdone so keep lips on the subtle, sultry side. You don't necessarily have to go nude, you could choose a beautiful sheer berry shade that adds a pop of colour but isn't overpowering. Whatever the shade, make sure it's light or sheer.

What with the eyes being very heavily adorned in glitter you also want to keep your foundation, or your canvas looking as fresh and fuss-free as possible. Go as light as possible when applying your base as it will prevent your overall makeup from looking too 'perfected'. If you can get away with tinted moisturiser then go for that, if not try to keep the coverage as minimal as possible.

2. Use a base for the glitter to stick to

It can be a gel, a liquid eyeliner or if you have a safe and natural lip balm, use this on your eyelids to allow the glitter to stick to the areas you want it to stick to without falling over your face. Apply the glitter with your fingers to get maximum control of where and how much you put on. If you use a brush you might get too much fallout and it could go everywhere.

3. Pick one colour to focus on

Popular colours for this season are purples, blues and golds. Choose a colour to compliment your hair or eyes - if you have brown eyes purple will look gorgeous on you. If you have blue eyes then golds will really make them pop! Or simply just experiment and find what takes your fancy. By all means go multi-coloured with your glitter if you like but the really fresh, modern take right now is one shade all over the lids.

4. Do your eye makeup before anything else

This is a messy look so it's best that you apply your eye makeup and work on the glitter first, then apply your foundation, blush, etc. afterwards. This means that if you do get glitter down your face you can wipe it all off without worrying about ruining your base makeup and having to start all over again or reapplying in areas and creating an uneven base.

5. You don't have to go glitter-mad!

If you don't want to put glitter all over your eyelids for fear of it being too much for your features or you're not feeling quite that full-on then keep eyes neutral but simply add a lovely line of glitter eyeliner on your upper lash line. Choose neutral skintone shades and brown eyeshadows for your lids and then why not add a pop of colour with a lovely electric blue glitter eyeliner for example? You can create equally amazing impact even with a smaller amount of sparkle!

Now that you have the how-to here's a run-down on what you'll need for your look to help get you started...

For All-Over Glitter

For full sparkle, you'll need the following:

Choose a base that will compliment your choice of colour of glitter:
- Going blue, purple or green? Opt for a smoky base like a grey or black. MAC Carbon, Typographic, Print or their Paint Pot shade in Blackground will all work well. Or try one of the smoky shades in the Sleek makeup palette if you're on a tighter budget.
- Going gold, yellow or pink? Choose to wear browns beneath the glitter - a lovely wash of a light browns will be just right.
MAC's Clear Gloss, safe natural lip balm or even liquid eyeliner in a similar shade to your base will make a great ingredient for your glitter to adhere to.
For the glitter MAC make a fantastic selection of colours to choose from and whilst the price of a pot is a little on the expensive side (£15.00 a pot) you'll get heaps that will last you forever. If you really don't think you'll get through that much, try Helen E in selected Debenhams stores or online as these pots are smaller and much more purse-friendly.

Just the Eyeliner, please!

Pick two or three varying shades of brown to create a defined but natural eye. One highlight shade and one midtone will be perfect. Colours like MAC's Brule, Wedge, Shroom or Benefit's Birthday Suit will do the job nicely.
You can find wonderful, long-lasting glitter eyeliners from GOSH and Urban Decay at prices that won't break the bank. My favourites are Urban Decay's Catfight, Stagedive and Metal Head. I can't get enough of these brands' eyeliners as the colour impact is to die for and they really don't budge!

Image from Vogue.co.uk

Lip Balms & Hand Creams - What Works, What Doesn't & Why

2009-12-13T20:27:00.020Z

With the chill of winter making itself well and truly comfortable, skin starts to cry out for moisture: Lips become dry and cracked just when we need them lush for the many opportunities under the mistletoe. And hands turn flaky and leathery as soon as we start thinking about having our party manicures.

For years now I've constantly struggled to find a hand cream that actually does what it claims to. I've been using a hand cream that boasts to moisturise even after you've washed your hands - it's complete rubbish. As soon as I wash them, the silky smooth feeling that came with the handcream is down the sink and my skin looks cracked, dry and a complete state once more!

As of late my last lip balm had stopped having its desired effects as well. So recently I've been in a pretty poor state skinwise, ha! However having spoken with Gemma from Anderra and doing further research since I've discovered that many hand creams and lip balms on the market don't do their jobs because there are certain ingredients in them that only produce false or short-lived effects.

Take a look at the labels and see if you recognise any of the below:

Petrolatum or Petroleum

You may recognise this ingredient because it's the basis to Vaseline - something I've seen nearly every girl slather on hands, elbows, eyelids and lips. All this ingredient does is seal moisture out, it doesn't provide moisture to the skin whatsoever. Meanwhile it also seals out oxygen preventing skin from breathing and traps in toxins - not really what you want from a moisturiser!

It's added to cosmetics to make you think that it's doing its job when in fact once you wash it off the effects are gone. Further research shows that petroleum, like petrol, is carcenogenic. Remind me why we use this so enthusiastically?! I once opened an ancient tub of Vaseline at home a few years ago and remember it smelt like a petrol station. Trust me if you smelt an out-of-date tub/tin you'd think twice about using it anywhere on your body. I've therefore never felt compelled to use this. Ever.

Mineral Oil

This is a by-product of petroleum, therefore having the same effects and incurring the same problems. If it's in your hand cream and you're wondering why it's not really working for you, it's because mineral oil is simply greasy, but it has no benefit like bringing moisture to your skin.

Propylene Glycol

Another by-product from petroleum posing the same problems as the ingredients listed above.

Camphor, Menthol, Phenol

Added to lip balms for a cooling effect so you think that they're soothing the sore, chapped sensation you suffer in times of cold weather. You feel a tingling but all the ingredient is doing is drying out your skin further. So you reapply, reapply and reapply. Oh and then run out so you buy more of the product sooner. Clever maths from cosmetic companies...

Salicylic Acid

If you think you've seen this in acne treatments and skin care products for oily skins, you'd be right. It's a great exfoliant and is intended to dry skin rather than add moisture. Believe it or not though, this ingredient is added a-plenty to lip balms, drying and peeling your lips as you wear it.

Fragrance

Some fragrance, whilst nice for the senses, can dry out the skin, especially when combined with alcohol. If you have sensitive skin, fragrance can also irritate it. If you can overcome the temptation to have your lip balm or hand cream smell of fruits or an equally delicious scent then opt for the fragrance-free variety - it will be much gentler in the long-run.

Silicone Oil

This ingredient's added to glosses, lip balms and even lipsticks to make them stay put for longer and prevent pigment in tinted lip moisturiser, lip gloss, or lipstick from transferring. But like mineral oil it too locks out moisture and doesn't provide any benefit to your skin.

The Alternatives?

What then, do you use if your lip balm or hand cream has any of these ingredients? I've come up with a list of products for you to look into as great alternatives that will cure you of your dry-skinned woes without the nasty side-effects and many are even multi-purpose giving you more for your money:

Badger Balm Healing Balm

This one's perfect for people who work outdoors or who, like me, suffer from chapped, dry hands in the depths of winter. Full of wonderful ingredients like Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Beeswax it will provide the natural solution to your skin's upsets. Use it as a lip balm or moisturise with it, it really is multi-purpose because the ingredients are so safe and natural! This balm smells great too and comes in a massive tub - you can take a look here.

Alba Un-Petroleum Lip Balm & Multi-purpose Jelly

If you can't go a day without your Vaseline why not switch to Un-Petroleum lip balm? It's completely petroleum, petrolatum, paraffin and mineral oil-free making it much safer and does a much more effective job too : ) It also comes in a variety of scents including Cherry, Tangerine and Vanilla. The multi-purpose jelly can also be used to remove makeup as well as soothe and cure dry skin. Find more details at www.unpetroleum.com

Steam Cream

I haven't tried this myself, but word on the street is this is the new craze in skincare. It's becoming vastly popular because it provides much more effective moisturisation due to the way it's produced. Because of the use of steam in the manufacturing process, the emulsion is held together very loosely so that when you apply it to your skin it breaks down faster allowing for better absorption into the skin.

If that's not enough, each pot only costs £9.95 and also comes in many pretty boxes of different designs: you choose which one you prefer - it makes beautifying more fun and colourful! Not only is it safe for hands, you can use it on your face and body. You can browse and find out more here.

Lush Lip Balms

Last weekend I bought the Christmas edition lip balm 'Let Them Eat Cake'. It smells like toffee, vanilla or even Sailor Jerry's - when I use it you can smell it across the room - my boyfriend can tell when I've put it on, people ask me what it is all the time and the smell lingers long after you've left a room.

The great thing is that the fragrance is derived from completely natural ingredients - if you can smell sherry, it's because there's sherry in the lip balm. And vanilla absolute. But instead of useless, cheating mineral oils this beauty saviour has organic olive oil in it - a favourite natural moisturiser, hoorah! This one comes thoroughly recommended (I bought two pots to see me through the year). Get yourself down to your local Lush store or shop online at www.lush.co.uk

Green People Help At Hand

For those of you who like your hand creams to do their job but not be heavy or greasy this one is the answer. This light hand cream contains Geranium and Lavender to help your skin return to its former glory. This one's completely organic and is free from all preservatives and other synthetic ingredients. You can find out more at Green People. As testament to its effectiveness, this is out of stock until January on Green People's website! If you want some now however you can find it on other online stores like There Must Be A Better Way.

Lush Helping Hands

This hand cream is also ideal at this time of year because of its ultra soothing and nourishing ingredients. A popular product among nurses and those who work outside due to all of their exposure to detergent and the great outdoors. Many claim this to be their saving grace when all other hand creams couldn't even come close. Coming in at only £5.94 a pot I think that it's at least worth a go. Try www.lush.co.uk to get your hands on some or pop in-store for a sample!

Smashbox Hits UK Stores

2009-12-09T21:53:00.007Z

There's so many US brands that I've wanted to be available to us in the UK so we don't have to keep paying international shipping (or even to get my hands on at all if they don't sell internationally!) Usually when they do finally make the leap across the pond, they land in the London flagship department stores though. Well finally Smashbox are well and truly settled in House of Fraser stores across the UK.

Smashbox make great makeup, slightly on the more pricey side but do have some really handy cosmetics like their foundation primer that comes in different undertones depending on what you need to achieve. For instance they sell a green primer that counteracts any red patches in the skin so you achieve an overall even undertone when you apply your foundation.

The selection of their products available in-store is fairly limited compared to that of their London branches, but for those of you who have been long awaiting their arrival and live nowhere near the UK capital you can now finally explore their goodies : ) With any luck, as the counter establishes itself more, House of Fraser will expand the stock available.

You may remember a while back I reported that another US brand i.d. Bare Minerals had come to the UK? Well their counters are even bigger than they were a couple of months ago and seem to be doing fairly well for themselves which hopefully means they're here to stay. I think I also spotted Make-Up Forever or MUFE in House of Fraser in London the other day which means with any luck, they'll hit other UK branches in 2010 - watch this space...!

For those of you who haven't heard of MUFE, they make fantastic liquid mineral foundations and also make superb HD foundations for those of you who like to look good for the camera or who work in the makeup artist industry for film, camera and television.

So if you want your Smashbox fix or even to try them out for the first time, you now need internet shop no more!

Breakfast at Sotheby's

2009-12-04T00:55:00.012Z

One of my favourite all-time style icons is Audrey Hepburn. I absolutely love her in Breakfast at Tiffany's and I hear that Roman Holiday is a must-see too. Miss Hepburn's most sought-after dresses are up for auction at the world-famous Sotheby's, London on Tuesday the 8th December. It's reported that items are so rare now that previously some have been sold for 1 million dollars!

All proceeds raised from the sale of the pieces will go to the Audrey Hepburn Children Fund and Unicef. I myself will have to merely be a window-shopper this time, like the beautiful Miss Holly Golightly at her favourite jewellers!

Here are a few pictures from the BBC News website of the dresses up for auction and a few inspiring shots of the lady herself...

Do You Tweet?

2009-12-03T23:53:00.008Z

I've now opened up a Twitter account. I thought it all seemed a little unnecessary at first (she says, eating her words) but I'm noticing much networking, mingling, sharing and many discoveries are being had among the people who use it so what the heck!

If you're a Twitter-er then please come along, follow and say hello - in the meantime I'll see you on the other side : )

Say hello here.

Video Shoot: You Heard Nothing Promo Video

2009-12-02T15:18:00.010Z

You may remember a couple of months ago I mentioned I did the makeup at a casting session for a promotional video to be filmed the following weekend? Well the video was sent out onto the Worldwide Web for all to see last night and I wanted to share it with you all here too.

If you haven't heard of You Heard Nothing, they're a group of DJs and VJs (Visual Jockeys) who hold immensely awesome club nights where you'll hear a mix of indie, electro and rock. Between them, the Surgery productions and Skidoosh, starring the very lovely Alessandra Leonie and makeup by me, this promotional video was born.

It was so much fun making it, coming up with the makeup and seeing it go through the motions in post production. And if you're wondering what the super crazy, rock-your-socks-off track is it's 'Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues' by Fight Like Apes. Their songs are so much fun - their gigs are even crazier - they're a must-see!

So without further ado I present to you You Heard Nothing's first promotional video - enjoy!

You can find You Heard Nothing here.

You can find Fight Like Apes here.

Happy Birthday to Me & Exciting News...

2009-12-01T20:58:00.008Z

... Well Happy Birthday to All That Glitters that is! Yes my blog is one year old today - hoorah!

It's such great timing too - what a way to celebrate it with a blog award but also more importantly a huge, big thank you to all of my followers and to those of you who leave comments and enjoy my scribblings!

Whilst I'm here celebrating the birthday joy I'm going to let you in on a surprise too: I've been thinking, planning and daydreaming away for a few weeks now about new ideas and directions in which to take my blog. As a result All That Glitters will be going through a dramatic overhaul very shortly - the full fruits of my labour should be all ready to see early next year during January/February time : )

Don't worry I'll still continue with all of the original content like makeup reviews and so on so you guys won't be losing out on that, but there will be further features added to those that currently run.

For now that is all I'm going to say because I don't want to give away too much (trust me, I'm fit to bursting to tell you all, but surprises are fun.) Needless to say I'm very excited and can't wait to share with you the new sparkly format that All That Glitters is going to take on!

Now over to you - is there anything you would like to see more of in my blog? More fashion? More makeup reviews? Let me know in the comments below.

*Blows out her Birthday Blog candles*

La Parfumerie - part deux

2009-11-30T16:25:00.014Z

As promised, this is the second part of my perfume rundown featuring the other half in my collection...

Estee Lauder Pleasures

My first ever perfume - I think it's about 10 years old now, but it's still fairing well! It's not my favourite these days but I think that's more because I've changed a lot and so have my tastes. That and I think since it was first brought out perfumes have vastly improved. But getting to the point this fragrance is perfect for those girls who love their florals. Their are hints of sandalwood and rose in this fragrance. I think you could wear it day or night really, but I choose to wear it in the evening because I feel it's a little on the stronger side (that maybe because my bottle's matured though.)

Kylie Minogue Couture

I'm still not sure about the celebrity movement in the perfume industry. I can't decide whether they've cheapened it by all cashing in or made perfume more attainable and accessible to everyone. Sometimes the fragrances produced are blatent copycats of brilliant designer fragrances but with a celebrity's name plastered on the front of the bottle. It's one way to make money for them I guess, but I don't think they're all of high quality. I once smelt one celeb perfume that was so close - correction - too close to Ralph Lauren Blue. I wasn't impressed.

Nevertheless there are three perfumes in my collection that are celebrity fragrances. Before you call me a hypocrite, they were all given to me! The first, being Kylie Minogue's Couture, came free in my goody bag at the Clothes Show Live this year. I actually quite like the fact that it comes in a roller-ball bottle so I can roll it onto pulse points. It means I can put more of a specific amount just where I want it as opposed to a spritzer/atomiser (I think however this version might only be for the sample bottles which is a shame). Despite my doubts of celeb scents, this is my favourite of them tried and tested so far - I find it works well both day and night and makes me feel really uplifted and ready for anything.

Christina Aguilera - Christina Aguilera

This perfume is lovely, sweet, soft and very feminine - the lace print detail on the bottle and sexy black ribbon around the neck perfectly match the undertones in the scent as when I wear it I feel very classy and ready for a night out on the tiles. Definitely a night number for a lady who likes to have fun!

J Lo Love at First Glow

Bought for me for my 21st birthday *sigh* Whilst I'm really not sure about the name, this perfume is perfect for younger women and teenage friends/relatives - the bottle's pink and very girly with a sparkly mobile phone charm wrapped around the neck of the bottle. It's a very musky scent without being heavy so it makes a perfect daytime perfume, brilliant for heading out for lunch with friends or family or wearing to work.

Ralph Lauren Ralph Rocks

Surprise, surprise, yet another Ralph Lauren fragrance! This one instead is a fruity, citrusy version of the original Ralph Lauren Ralph scent, which I can also thoroughly recommend. Whilst the original is a bit headier this one smells delicious, I think it actually makes my mouth water a bit. This might be owing to the orangeflower overtones. This too would make a perfect scent for a younger woman or even a teenage girl as the scent's fresh and light and the packaging reflects the citrusy notes - it's wonderfully bright and therefore would make a very fun perfume to give away!

There we have it - 10 scents trialled, tested and highly recommended. These perfumes often come in sets at this time of year, perfect for gift-giving. They often come with accompanying moisturisers and shower gels which mean you get more bang for your buck and your loved one gets three gifts in one - triple the fun! If you have any questions about any of the scents please feel free to post them in the comments box and I'll get back to you.

For more perfume perfection, check out the December issue of Vogue magazine feature on the language of perfume and also the Vogue TV 'making of' video 'The Sound of Scent' - if you can stand to watch lots of beautiful perfume bottles be smashed into a gazillion pieces for art that is...

The Sound of Scent

La Parfumerie part un

2009-11-29T23:49:00.017Z

Over in one corner of my bedroom the view represents something like a perfumery - there are now 10 bottles of fragrances adorning my chest of drawers, some with their accompanying moisturisers (scattered in amongst a hair salon's worth of hair products, but that's for another day!)

I realised that I've never done a perfume review or run-down so I decided that today's post would change all of that, especially as perfumes make great Christmas gifts for loved ones and ourselves of course! Seeming as there are 10 scents to cover I thought it best I break the post into two parts. Today's will be covering the first five scents; tomorrow's post will break down the remaining five.

First thing's first, you may be surprised to find that I haven't got any of the classics like Calvin Klein's CK One, a Jean Paul Gautier number or a Georgio Armani fragrance. I couldn't figure out why I don't have a Chanel number either.

The other day whilst in House of Fraser I popped over to the Chanel counter and picked up Coco Mademoiselle and remembered why... For some reason Chanel fragrances remind me of unpleasant perfumes that smell too alcoholic - the type our beloved grandmothers might wear - contraversial, yes, but I'm afraid it's the first thought that jumps to mind when I smell them. It's such a shame because every woman should have a Chanel scent and I want to like them but they've never agreed with me...

Ralph Lauren Blue

This has got to be one of my all-time favourite fragrances. There's something about Ralph Lauren's collection that I love, love, love! I don't think I've ever tried a scent of theirs that I haven't fell in love with. To be honest, if I didn't have so many perfumes to get through I'd have tonnes more from the collection like Ralph Lauren Romance, my Mum has a bottle and it's so beautiful!

As for this scent it's musky but light and sexy and makes a perfect summer time fragrance. Sometimes, depending on my mood I feel it's best for evenings rather than daytime because it can be too heavy but in small doses it's still very versatile. The men's cologne version is heavenly as well so if you're hunting down a cologne for your other half, etc. then I thoroughly recommend this one. I have an ex who wore this and it's so dreamy - it sounds mad but if I ever detect it in a crowd it makes my heart skip a beat and that's a testament to the cologne not the ex...

Ralph Lauren Ralph Cool

This one is a fresh, breezy, woody alternative to that of the original Ralph Lauren Ralph scent that tends to lean to the more youthful side. This is one of my favourite daytime scents, especially for work for some reason and seems to last the day as you wear it. A great quality scent in a very pretty pink bottle!

Benefit B Spot

This was thrown in free when I nearly cleared Benefit's counter of all their stock. The branding and idea behind this scent is to apply it to any of the areas of your body that work well with perfume - normally seductive points like the decolletage, the stomach (try it) and even the backs of your knees! It's very fruity and for some reason it reminds me of honeydew melons and has a musky undertone. It's quickly become one of my favourites, I wore it a lot on holiday this year and now it reminds me of Brighton - fun times!

DKNY Be Delicious

Smells like apples. Which is hardly surprising considering their marketing campaign was full of apples and the bottle is designed to look like one. In fact I still think that this is one of the most original and prettiest fragrance bottles I've ever laid eyes on. This scent's perfect for daytime and is a very fresh, summery scent. It's not too girly either, I feel it's quite the sophisticated number actually. There's also a nighttime version available which is equally as delicious, just a bit sweeter!

Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise

You may remember Madonna starring in the advert for this particular fragrance a few years ago. The bottle is as multicoloured as the advert was and a very cute teardrop shape. The scent's quite heavy so I tend to turn to it less than my other perfumes; I've taken to wearing it at night now, but when I do get it out again I always fall back in love with it! This scent is possibly the most floral in my entire collection - there are notes of orchids and honeysuckle in it making it rather delish : )

Tag - Blog Award!

2009-11-28T15:16:00.008Z

I'm very honoured and flattered to report that I have just been awarded an 'I Love Your Blog' award by the very awesome Georgie at So Full of Twilight Dreams that Glitter! Thank you Georgie, I'm really pleased to gain wonderful feedback like this, it means so much to me and I'm so excited to see that people are enjoying my blogging adventures - it comes at a very awesome time as my blog is very nearly 1 year old : )

And here it is:

To accept this award: Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So now that I've been tagged I'm to nominate, in no particular order, 15 other brilliant fashion and beauty bloggers whose blogs I love and follow:

1. Boho Market

6. Kandee the Makeup Artist

7. Pixiwoo

8. La Petite Fashionista

9. Future Hippie

10. Misschievous

11. A Brilliant Brunette

12. The Nie Nie Dialogues - Stephanie Nielson isn't a beauty/fashion blogger but she is an incredible woman with a beautiful zest for life and a heart-melting blog! Before and even after her accident she has always been and still is such a positive person who has endured so many challenges, but still sees the beauty in life and feels grateful. She truly is one of the most inspiring people I've ever came across!

13. Petrilude

14. Fashion Toast

15. La Vie en Rosie!

Thank you again Georgie! And do check out Georgie's blog - she is the beauty and cosmetic knowledge queen: So Full of Twilight Dreams that Glitter

Trend - Sequins Galore!

2009-11-26T00:02:00.009Z

It's not the first time I've admitted out loud that I'm a bit of a magpie when it comes to fashion, beauty and... well just generally! If it sparkles I want it and I've been loving the sequin trend that emerged this Autumn/Winter. They're everywhere - over blazers, leggings, hats, you name it - it sparkles. And apparently this party season we're going to see more thrown over dresses and handbags - you can't really avoid them, but really why on earth would you want to?!

Here are a few of the style inspirations that I love when it comes to rocking the sequinned goodness of this winter...

What's your favourite trend of the season?

IMATS Tickets Now Available!

2009-11-23T23:41:00.011Z

A few months ago I posted about IMATS or the International Makeup Artist Trade Show that visits London every January. Well I can now tell you that tickets for the event are available online on the IMATS website!

Tom Savini has been announced as one of two keynote speakers giving seminars at the 2010 event. Not only is Tom an actor, stuntman and director but he's also famous for his Special Effects makeup artistry on horror films such as Day of the Dead and Dawn of the Dead, both of which won Saturn Awards for Best Makeup Effects. He also runs his own Special Effects Makeup and Digital Film courses.

The second keynote speaker will be Bill Corso. His previous accomplishments have been personal makeup artist to Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and transforming Jim Carrey into Scrooge for A Christmas Carol, the Grinch and Clint Eastwood for a scene in Bruce Almighty! More featured speakers are to be announced soon...

In addition to the many seminars and classes being held over the event, there will be a fashion show, signings, a student competition and hundreds of makeup and beauty retailers, colleges and professionals all coming together to celebrate and share in the magic and beauty of makeup artistry and Special Effects makeup. Dermalogica, London College of Fashion, MAC and Cinema Makeup School, to name a few, will all be selling and exhibiting.

To keep an eye on all of the updates, schedules and further info keep checking in on the IMATS site over the next two months - I can't wait to go and see it for myself!

You can buy a day ticket for £33.00 (students get a £5 discount so gain entry at £28.00) or if you'd like to attend the entire weekend's seminars and makeup action then a two day ticket will cost £55.00 (or £48.00 if you're a student). Child discounts are also available, you'll find details on their website.

Jamu Beauty Treatments

2009-11-21T19:05:00.006Z

Today I was treated to the most amazing facial EVER! I went down to a beauty salon called Jamu where I had a Cetuem Purifying Therapy facial. I'd never used Cetuem* products before but Jamu uses their line on all of their facial treatments offered.

All of the products used on me smelt and felt amazing, so much so by the end of the facial I wanted to see what was what for myself. Just as I thought it might be all over, yet another gorgeous tonic/lotion was luxuriously massaged into my skin. By the time it was done I'd nearly melted into the bed! The products and oils smelt heavenly, I keep thinking about them now...

Not only did I think that this is the best quality facial I've ever received - Jamu offers a very relaxing atmosphere with star treatment - I also feel it's the best-value facial I've ever had. Many a salon I've visited in the past has advertised it's facials as 50 minute facials for instance, but being the truly value-seeking warrior that I am I've often noticed that they don't even reach 30 minutes! (If you're spending good money then of course you'll want to get the duration that's advertised or it's not a fair service). At Jamu you get the treatment you deserve.

Your facial will be specially tailored to your skin's needs. You'll also get to choose your favourite scented oils as part of the experience. I'd love to tell you more, but I don't want spoil what's in store, needless to say it's enough to make you feel like a goddess so try it for yourself!

You'd normally receive this treatment for £45.00, but from now until Christmas they told me that all facials are half price at £22.50. If you're suffering from Christmas shopping stress or your skin's in a bit of a state but you have the office party to attend, then get yourself down to Jamu for a pamper extravaganza!

Jamu is also currently offering many other pre-Christmas deals including:

Book a Jessica Nails manicure, get your toenails filed and painted for FREE
Book a Jessica Nails pedicure and get your nails filed and painted FREE
Book to have your party makeup done, get your nails filed and painted FREE
Book to have eyelash extensions and have your nails filed and painted FREE

I wish that there was a Jamu salon in every town so that you could all experience it, but you'll need to be near/travel to Kingsfield, just outside of Woking. However of course if you're ever in the area you now know who to call...

To book your treatment call 07810 427600. I'll be certainly coming back for more...

*Cetuem offers a number of skincare products, nail enamels and holistic hair care products. You can find them online at cetuem.com

Backstage at Victoria's Secret

2009-11-20T14:26:00.009Z

I love lacey underwear. But what do I love more? Lacey underwear plus gorgeous hair and makeup!

Tommy Ton, creator of Jak & Jil's fantastic fashion blog, has captured some amazing moments on camera at Victoria's Secret's fashion event and has posted them for all of us to enjoy. I think that these are some of the best captured backstage photographs for a fashion show I've ever seen - pure love!

Go to jakandjil.com for a peek behind the scenes. If that's not enough, enjoy more of Tommy's backstage photography on the Style.com feature Touched by Angels - seventh heaven hair and makeup!

Image source: Tommy Ton at jakandjil.com

A Day in the Life of Peter Phillips...

2009-11-18T21:57:00.008Z

Ever wondered what an 'average' day would be like for Global Creative Director of Chanel? Well now you can be the fly on the wall, following the creative makeup and styling adventures of Peter Phillips during the Fashion Weeks of the world's fashion capitals!

Vogue followed Phillips around for 6 whole months on camera documenting his work backstage, his business meetings, and all of the planning and collaborating for this year's shows. The video diary comes in two parts 'Beauty by Chanel - Episode 1' and 'Beauty by Chanel - Episode 2'.

I love these videos as they're a fantastic insight into all of Peter Phillips' creativity and hard work that we eventually see in the final outcome on the catwalk. Being able to catch a glimpse as to how he works and what makes him tick is for me an amazing opportunity!

The videos also fairly represent the chaos behind the scenes when putting together something as huge and carefully crafted as a fashion show - the highs, the madness, the tears, the panic but overall the crazy and amazing rush that seems to buzz around only backstage at a fashion show...

Click on the link below to be taken behind the scenes:

Beauty by Chanel - Episode 1

The makeup magic continues in Episode 2:

Beauty by Chanel - Episode 2

NARS 15x15

2009-11-16T23:01:00.011Z

You may have heard that Nars turned 15 years old last week. To celebrate 15 years of going strong, Francois Nars launched the 15x15 Project featuring 15 different looks on 15 famous and beautiful faces such as the gorgeous Amber Valetta, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Marc Jacobs. All looks were created for each of the celebrities and photographed by Francois (of course)!

If you have a spare bob or two, the 15x15 Project has been beautifully catalogued together in a gorgeous, glossy book full of full-page photographs taken during the project. You can grab it for $80, but in the comfort of knowing that all proceeds made from the sale of the book will be going to charities that have been chosen by the 15 celebrities featured. Be quick - it's only available for 30 days.

Check out the website, it really shows off the makeup beautifully and is good fun to navigate through!

https://www.15x15project.com/

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARS!

Shingai Shoniwa

2009-11-12T00:00:00.009Z

AKA the lead singer and bassist from the Noisettes. Great voice, beautiful woman, fantastic fashion sense - it's quirky, bold and full of colour!

I first laid eyes on her in a photoshoot for ASOS earlier this year. The photos of her made me stop in my tracks as I leafed through. She really stood out to me because I felt like the outfits she was wearing would be the type of things she'd normally wear. She just seemed to look incredibly comfortable in them and it all really worked...

I also love the way she carries off her makeup. She's not afraid to don on some fantastic neons, glittery shimmers and anything that screams 80s and she looks fantastic in them!

Here are a few photos to demonstrate why I think she makes such a great inspiration for fashion and style...

Ossie Clark

2009-11-06T10:07:00.008Z

Today, for no particular reason, other than my love for his work, I just wanted to share inspiration from one of my favourite designers in the world - Ossie Clark.

The peak of his career was during my favourite era- the 60s and 70s. I love everything about the designs - the paisley, the floaty fabrics and bias cuts that were so hugely flattering for women's figures. For me, his work epitomised the 'free' feeling of the swinging 60s! For some romantic reason I've often been drawn to this decade...

Ossie, who's real name was Raymond, was also a 'Northerner', born in Warrington and raised in Oswaldtwistle (where my Mum went to school, haha!) which inspired his nickname "Ossie". He grew up creating dresses for friends and family and his talents were spotted early on by his Art teacher who gave him Vogue magazines to further inspire and indulge his creative flair for fashion.

Unfortunately when fashion moved on well into the 80s Ossie lost everything when his line just wasn't appealing anymore. His personal life had also been fraught with difficulties in love having gone through a reported turbulent love affair with David Hockney and divorce from the love of his life Celia Birtwell. His life tragically ended in 1996 at the hands of a former lover.

This year's recession has also affected the rebirth of the Ossie Clark brand and sadly the label has closed after no less than 12 months' trading. I wonder if we'll ever see someone have another attempt at reviving the label when the economy has picked up... Or maybe, like many great creations, it should be left in the past and be remembered and treasured for what it was...

Here are a few pictures and pieces that I really love - I hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

The Sartorialist

2009-11-04T21:34:00.009Z

Okay so I admit it: I've only discovered this guy recently. In the past couple of years I've heard references to him banded around more and more. And then recently I kept hearing about him everywhere - videos, fashion blogs, you name it...

Then the other week on one of my many book store visits to the fashion and makeup section I found a book: 'The Sartorialist' and I finally discovered who he is! I've since found his much talked about (and adored by many) blog and have already recognised some of his shots, the guy is hugely talented, I can't believe it's taken me this long to find out about him properly!

I love the fact that he takes to the streets to find everyday people like you and me and finds beauty and style and a unique edge in them - it's very refreshing and inspiring to see everyday people dressing fantastically, flawlessly and sometimes very charismatically and The Sartorialist, or alternatively Scott Schuman captures these people indefinitely through his lens!

If you haven't seen his work then you can follow his blog at http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/. Scott also films and writes for Style.com, has a monthly page in GQ magazine and many other recurring guest blogs. Check him out, his work is amazing!

Olive Oil - Not Just for Salads

2009-11-02T15:48:00.011Z

My hair has been suffering from dry ends recently. I'm not sure why, it might be that I'm using a hairdryer and hair straighteners on it every day now combined with the fact that it's cold outside now so on goes the central heating!

For a long time I've heard about the benefits of olive oil on skin, hair, nails - you name it. To cure my dry ends I'm using olive oil to work through my hair from my scalp to the tips. Here's a quick how-to and a rundown of the uses of olive oil when it comes to your beauty regimen...

What you'll need:

Half a cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or a little bit more if your hair's quite long). Now it must be Extra Virgin Olive Oil as this is olive oil in its purest form. Any other variants are likely to have additional, unnecessary nasties in them that might irritate or cause problems, plus if you can find organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil then all the better!
Shower cap/plastic bag
Comb
Shower

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on the hob or heat it in the microwave in a mug. Don't let it get too hot, you want it warm so that it's soothing, you don't want to burn your scalp! Check the temperature and if you can keep your finger in the oil for longer than a few seconds it's jus

t right. If not, let it cool...

2. On dry hair take your comb and dip it in the oil and then run it through your hair in sections. Make sure you get all the ends well and truly smothered as these are the parts that really need the benefit most!

3. Don on your sexy shower cap/plastic bag over your hair* and have your normal shower. The steam and heat from the shower will allow the oil to fully sink in and condition your hair, much like when you have a deep heat conditioning treatment at the salon when they wrap your hair in a towel.

4. After 5-10 minutes take off your shower cap/plastic bag and pour shampoo your hair as normal (don't rinse out the olive oil yet). It may take an extra wash to remove traces of the olive oil but the results are well worth the effort! Et voila - sexily soft hair that you won't be able to stop touching!

*Hairbrush/loofah for singing purposes is entirely optional ; )

And for other beautifying purposes...

Nails

Not only does olive oil soften the cuticles (making them tidier and easier to shape and trim) it strengthens your nails. Strong, fracture-free nails and tidy cuticles - yes please! Either use olive oil like a handcream before bed rubbing into nails as well as your skin and don on a lovely pair of silk gloves. Or use it as part of your manicure when prepping your nails before painting.

Skin

Cleanse: Olive oil makes a very effective and cost efficient makeup remover. If you've got tough eye makeup on or can't get away with using most cleansers on the market as they're too harsh on your skin - try olive oil. It's gentle, won't sting if you get a bit in your eye and dissolves makeup a treat! It certainly saves you from scrubbing at your skin over and over as with some cleansers which in the long run only causes premature ageing and wrinkles (and in the short term makes your skin angry and red).

Moisturise: Not only that but it has very good moisturising properties. Many women from the Mediterranean swear by olive oil as Mother Nature's very own moisturiser - and the results show! It's better on drier skins but if you have combination skin it might be better to use this on areas of your skin that are drier rather than the oilier patches. It's also best to use it at night as it may be too heavy to sit underneath your makeup during the day.

Exfoliate: Combine with natural rock salt (for body scrub) or sugar (for hand and facial scrub) and you can make your very own natural and fantastic exfoliating scrub - perfect for soft hands, a polished body and a glowing face. Everyone will want to know your secret...

Face Mask: Mix the olive oil with honey and an egg yolk, beat together until all are mixed well, apply to face, grab magazine, glass of wine and lay back for 15 minutes - let nature do the hard work for you!

And of course to eat:

Include it in your diet and feel the benefits too - olive oil is abundant in anti-oxidants and vitamins ideal for optimum health. Replace your normal margarine/butter with olive spread, your vegetable/sunflower oil with olive oil for cooking and baking, drizzle it on salads, and use it with balsamic vinegar when eating a good crusty bread for a delicious starter to any 3 course meal!

Olive oil - the possibilities are ENDLESS! ; )

The Mission to find a Face Primer...

2009-10-29T14:21:00.016Z

A few weeks ago I was asked to review a face primer - specifically one of the new Urban Decay face primers that came out recently. I didn't rate it at all. Not one to leave it at that I wanted to seek out an alternative that could come in handy for all you makeup lovers. I chose to buy and trial Too Faced's Primed and Poreless Face Primer.

Could I find it at any of the Too Faced counters? Nope. I tried Boots, Debenhams and even online stores that sell Too Faced (which isn't many at the moment). None of them had it in stock. I then checked the shelf labels at the counters to see if it was supposed to be in, hoping that they were perhaps awaiting delivery but none of the shelf labels listed the primer at all. It would appear that no UK Too Faced counter/online store sells the face primer... Bizarre.

Now I'm feeling sheepish for saying I'd buy it and review it before I even got my hands on it. Having said that, considering practically all of the Too Faced range is available in stores you'd think that the primer would be too...

I'm very sorry for not being able to deliver the review, but I promise the quest hasn't stopped there! I will continue to search long and hard for an alternative primer to Urban Decay's but in the meantime I can't recommend enough the GOSH primer that I myself use everyday to keep my foundation in place!

But I didn't want this post to be all bad news. Instead of reviewing their primer, I decided to get my hands on one of the Too Faced eyeshadow kits. They look so cute in all of their packaging and this one in particular just drew me in. I must say I'm pretty impressed...

Too Faced's Natural Eye Kit

Natural eyes, whilst many of us want to achieve them on a day to day basis, can be quite difficult to achieve. Well this is where this kit comes in handy. All the eyeshadows come in a box and when you lift the lid you'll discover 9 different eyeshadow colours, along with 3 different helpful cards telling you how to complete various looks depending on what you're after and the occassion.

The eyeshadows are nicely laid out together so you know which shadows to use for each look. Of the looks available you can choose from:

Day
Classic
Fashion

'Day' is the nudest look, and the eyeshadows needed for this look are the top row within the box. You'll find a lovely cream colour 'Heaven' for the highlight, a nice nude brown shade 'Velvet Revolver' for the lids, and a lovely coffee colour, 'Sexpresso' for the accent shade.

The second row belongs to the 'Classic' look. Here you'll find 'Silk Teddy', a shimmery soft pink shade to go as a highlight, 'Pushup' and 'Erotica' as your shade for your crease.

The final row as you may have guessed is designed for the 'Fashion' look. These three shades consist of 'Nude Beach', 'Honey Pot' and 'Cocoa Puff'.

The first thing you'll notice about these shades even by just dipping your finger in them and not using a primer or base is that they are really pigmented and are of very high quality. I was really impressed with the strength of the colour achieved, so with an eyeshadow base you really don't need that much to achieve the look you're after. They also blend beautifully and their lasting power? Perfect. They don't budge at all.

I'm perhaps not so fond of the shimmery highlight colours as the other shades in the kit but that's just down to personal preference really.

The kit retails at £22.00 which isn't very cheap but you do get 9 eyeshadows for that price, all neatly and well presented within a box which is very light and compact and you could easily take

it away with you on holiday or for that weekend away! Plus with the added bonus of the cards you can really learn from them again and again and perfect those natural peepers.

I really love this eyeshadow set and to prove it I keep using it time and time again both on myself and on others so it really has become a staple in my kit.

Body Confidence

2009-10-27T23:58:00.011Z

Okay I admit this is a bit of a copy-cat post because Georgie from So Full of Twilight Dreams That Glitter posted about this yesterday. However I strongly support this cause and want to do my bit in spreading the word further!

Recently the lovely and charismatic Gok Wan from Channel 4's How to Look Good Naked and Shona Collins, winner of Miss Naked Beauty 2008, have set up a petition to Number 10 to get Body Confidence on the National Curriculum to help teenage girls gain and maintain confident and positive thinking when it comes to their bodies and self esteem.

I'm sure that some, if not all of you girls out there remember that your teenage years are pretty tough as you're at your most vulnerable, impressionable and therefore likely to develop bad habits when it comes to your attitude towards your own bodies. Or you may be a teenage girl and would really like help in addressing this.

I think that it's a great petition because if it can help teenagers develop a positive sense of self earlier on, those good mental habits will stay with them for life!

I'd really appreciate it if you could help and sign the petition online today. It's currently the 4th biggest petition on the Number 10 website, but if we can get it to be number 1 then all the better! It only takes a few seconds and your signature will make all the difference!

Please pass this onto friends, family and colleagues - let's get the word out there : )

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/bodyconfidence/

Thank you so much! x

Awesome Vintage Shopping & Cupcakes To Boot!

2009-10-26T23:05:00.010Z

Sunday afternoon was truly delightful! The sun was shining, and the Autumnal weather was just about mild enough to be pleasant and off we went to the Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair - so much fun in one afternoon.

All the vintage stalls were wonderful, a lot of them had such lovely owners running them. Some of the sellers were really chatty, helpful and informative - one of them even told me that one of my buys was a genuine 60s number - this is the one that I'll be wearing for Halloween as Twiggy ; )

And on top of all the fun with clothes, when you needed a break or a sugar/caffeine boost you could even grab a cupcake and a pot of Fairtrade tea, with a lovely performance of classic songs like Marilyn Monroe's and the by one of the lovely girls at Pop-Up-Shoppe tea shop! What more could you ask for?!

I had such a lovely time and without a doubt I'll be returning to shop there again when the Fair returns next Spring (I think they return in April, but I'll keep you posted).

Here's some snapshots of some of the items I bought - check out a sneak-peek at the 60s dress for my Twiggy outfit and the cute spotty 80s number, so fun. Oh and I couldn't resist -I threw in one of my new ruby red ballet pumps that the courier delivered today, yay!

The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair

2009-10-24T01:23:00.008+01:00

I'm very excited - tomorrow afternoon London plays host to the largest vintage fair in the UK: The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair. You'll find 50 stalls of vintage joy offering vintage clothing, accessories and even homeware from the 1920s right through to the 1980s.

The Fair has been going strong for four years now and is so popular because it's an opportunity for anyone to come along and search out for some great quality vintage bits and bobs at really affordable prices - perfect when your wallet's feeling the pinch from the current recession!

Don't worry if you don't live in London though. The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair tours the UK and sets up its stalls in different towns and cities at different times of the month. The Fair will be visiting the following places in the next remaining months for 2009 - look out for a town near you:

October '09

25th - London

31st - Lincoln

November '09

1st - Cheshire

21st - Cambridge

22nd - York

28th - Durham

29th - Newcastle

December '09

5th - Liverpool

6th - Leeds

12th - Norwich

As for tomorrow's fair it starts at 12pm and goes on till 5pm and takes place at the Sustainable Studios, 65-71 Scrutton Street, London, EC2A 4PJ. Let the scouring for all vintage goodness commence!

For more information visit http://www.vintagefair.co.uk/

How to Master False Eyelashes

2009-10-23T12:27:00.009+01:00

Well Halloween is only a week away and with that I've been planning my costume for Halloween partydom! I decided as I love her look so much and seeming as she turned sixty this year, I've picked Twiggy as my star of choice for playing dressup : )

Twiggy was famous for her massive false eyelashes so I'll be using these as part of my completed look next Saturday... But falsies can be very tricky to master - worry not! The very lovely Victor C from MAC has given us his top tips in a brand new video on how to apply, disguise and get the best out of your false eyelashes!

What you'll need:

Eyelash curler (MAC's is great)
Black mascara of your choice
False eyelashes of your choice (false eyelashes are sold at many different places as well as MAC stores, you can find them at Superdrug or Boots, Sallys or other makeup counters. They also vary in price, it really depends on what you prefer. Ardell make great false eyelashes at purse-friendly prices!)
False eyelash adhesive (should come with your pair of false eyelashes!)
Black eyeliner gel (I can thoroughly recommend MAC's Blacktrack Fluidline for this)
Small angle brush

And here's the link to Victor's video - he gives some great sneaky secrets on how to make your false eyelashes look seamless:

False Lashes with Victor

In the meantime I'll be working on my Twiggy look for next Saturday, I'll take some photos and I'll be making a tutorial for you guys to recreate your very own Twiggyness! Also I promise I haven't forgotten the Aviator look and the Eyebrows tutorial either - my silly camera is still being a massive nuisance which means they're going to take a little while to put together.

Funnily enough the boy found a fantastic camera yesterday - we're thinking it's time to ask Santa nicely for one hehehe...

NOTD - Ruby Red Slippers

2009-10-21T22:10:00.013+01:00

I love Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and her amazing Ruby Red Slippers! Once I spotted a girl wearing an awesome pair of sparkly, ruby red ballet pumps. I really wished I'd asked her where she'd bought them from! Since that day I've been endlessly searching for those shoes.

I have a pair of red patent leather ballet pumps and I'm often asked if I click my heels together will they take me home, haha! But I often think back to those sparkly ones that I saw once upon a time and daydream - I find plenty of ruby red slippers with heels, but I preferred the ballet pumps and believe me, if you'd seen this pair you'd have preferred the non-heel variety too!

My search continued... UNTIL TODAY! My saviours of the Ruby Red Slipper Mission? ASOS (see piccie above for the prettiest pumps I think I've ever owned, hehehe). I think I'm going to have to write to them to say how much I love them for coming to my ruby red rescue!

As an ode to those pretty shoes, today's Nails of the Day are sparkly and red just like them. The nail polish I used here is an old brandless bottle that I wouldn't be able to tell you where to find it. But you'll be pleased to hear that Barry M offer an exact replica called Red Glitter for £2.95 a bottle - hoorah!

Lush - A Few Reviews

2009-10-17T17:13:00.016+01:00

Seeming as their sister brand (B Never) is saying a fond farewell to us all at the end of the year, I thought I'd celebrate my favourites at Lush to take our minds off the very sad news! I love Lush and their products because they make such fun cosmetics for all ages - it's like being a kid again when you get to try all of the different types of textures, smells and sensations. And because their products are so different from your average cosmetics and toiletries on the market, it makes preening and cleaning yourself that bit more special and fun!

I've got a list as long as my arm here people, so if you're thinking of making a Christmas list for yourselves, then you better get scribbling...

Cupcake Fresh Face Mask

It smells like chocolate icecream, looks like chocolate icecream so it's got to taste like it, no? I don't know, I can't say I've tried but what I can say is that whilst I can't recommend you taste it I can recommend that you use this all over your face every week if you suffer from oily or acne-prone skin.

This face mask has been specifically designed with teenagers in mind. It's perfect to soothe breakouts and prevent new ones. The main ingredient that you may mistake for chocolate icecream is Rhassoul mud which is responsible for soothing angry red blemish-prone skin...

Whilst my skin isn't so teenage anymore, I do have skin that leans towards the oilier side and I also suffer from clogged pores. So I use this mask on my T Zone once or twice a week. It has peppermint oil in it so it's slightly cooling and when you take it off your skin's left feeling really smooth, soothed and soft. You'll also end up with a slight whiff of chocolate on your skin so don't be surprised if people start to drool after you!

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

It's pink, has sparkles in it and smells divine - what's not to love?! In fact I wish my blog came with Smell-o-Vision, I don't think describing the scent can do it justice. The first time I smelt this I got very excited, haha! My sister had received a bottle one Christmas and I decided I just had to have some too. Except by the time I trotted along to Lush I'd missed out and found out that this beautiful shower gel is only limited to the Christmas period.

Well I'm not going again another a year without it so I'm all stocked up now. I love that it leaves you feeling young again - it smells like all the naughty sweets you used to love as a kid and the smell lingers on your skin and in the bathroom long after you've showered. You can also use it in your hair if you like and you can buy it in three different sizes 100g, 250g and 500g. If you haven't smelt this yet then I'm sure when you do you'll be stocking up on the largest bottles to last you until the next Christmas... Snow Fairy is available to buy now!

Ocean Salt Facial Cleanser

It's like rubbing the contents of a cocktail bar... ON YOUR FACE! There's salt, lime and even vodka in this heavenly facial cleanser. It works as an exfoliator and is ideally best for those of you with oily skin. This is the best exfoliator I have ever used on my face and I mean EVER! Not only is it really fun - when you open the tub you'll see big, blue, beautiful chunks of sea salt and then if you delve in you'll notice the mousse-like cleanser all mixed in underneath! It's also really good at controlling oil, unclogging my pores and making my skin super soft! My skin hasn't been in this good condition for a long time, I love it and will definitely be stocking up on this in future...

Curly Wurly Shampoo

There's no chocolate or caramel in sight but if you open up the tub you'll find a very fun coconut mixture inside. I dare you to turn the tub upside down - with the lid off! No it doesn't move - at all. This is a solid shampoo and as you'll see if you scoop some out, it contains tonnes of dessicated coconut. All you need to do is wet your hair, grab a small amount of Curly Wurly and rub it in your hair and voila - as if by magic, it bubbles up and creates a wonderful lather leaving your hair feeling silky soft!

Designed for those of us with curly hair (hence the name!), it's great at curing the dried, dull texture that curly hair can suffer from time to time. If you have processed hair then this shampoo will work wonders for you too! If you want to follow up with a conditioner too then you can buy Coolaulin - a similar mix but with creamed coconut and lemon juice for added shine - this conditioner is however a liquid and comes in a bottle.

Paris Fashion Week S/S 2010 Favourites

2009-10-15T20:53:00.026+01:00

Going through some of the shows from Paris Fashion Week I couldn't help but fall in love with two collections most of all, the first being Chanel's collection. This was a really fun and sweet range and the show itself revolved around a barn where Lily Allen sang with her band especially for the show (dressed in Chanel of course)!

The clothing and even the makeup were all really pretty, soft and feminine! And clogs made an appearance as the shoe of choice for the show - I'm not sure about clogs and I wouldn't choose to wear them myself, but they worked on the catwalk nevertheless...

I also really want to get my hands on the new Chanel nail varnish colour for Spring/Summer 2010 - grey. It was all over the catwalks and makes for a really different and classy nail polish colour. Plus you know it'll go with pretty much everything : )

And my other favourite was courtesy of John Galliano. Those dresses... Those hats... That makeup! And squee - how do they make those super awesome gas bubbles that were being showered all over the catwalk?! They were amazing - when the lights shone through them they looked otherwordly (see the video at Vogue.com).

I would have loved to have been there to see the show and better still - to have been backstage to see how everything was crafted together! John Galliano shows always look so much fun both on the catwalk and behind it.

As well as the bubbles being otherwordly, the makeup was fantastic and really magical, not necessarily one to be worn out on your average day, haha, but I found the colours and creations really inspiring nonetheless... Then I found out that Pat McGrath was responsible for providing it - I should have guessed, the lady's a genius!

Photoshoot Photos - A Taster!

2009-10-13T00:07:00.006+01:00

Well I have some very good news this time round - the pictures from the Berlin photo shoot are baaaack! So I wanted to share a few of them with you all so you too can take a ganders! There are plenty more, but I'll be saving a few for my website which is under construction at the moment (by my lovely friends at Toggle)...

In the meantime I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed being a part of creating them. Thank you once again to Enemy Artists for being amazing hosts and hostesses and to Oded for letting me join him on this fantastic opportunity - here's to many more! x

Prescriptives To Go

2009-10-12T13:21:00.014+01:00

I can't keep up with this - more bad news from the makeup and beauty industry! I read today that Estee Lauder are closing down their global Prescriptives brand. Estee Lauder's CEO and President Fabrizio Freda announced on the website that this has been due to the fact that the brand's "long term business model is no longer viable given the current market environment”.

You may remember my post on Prescriptives' Flawless Skin SPF 15 foundation... I love this foundation and I'm actually due to buy a new bottle since my first purchase in April (yes, that's a whole 6 months' use!) is just about to run out. The great thing about this product is it's not yellow-undertoned - my shade is in Vanilla which is a Red/Orange undertone - making it perfect for someone like me with fair skin, but skin that can tan a little in the summer!

Equally their Flawless Skin concealer which comes with an SPF of 25 is the creamiest, most pigmented concealer I've ever tried - it's my cure for sleepless nights and their tell-tale eyebags and it perfectly hides the odd blemish! This too is still lasting the mile in its pan six months in...

Once again if you want to stock up on any of your favourites, or you may even be curious about Prescriptives for yourself and wish to give them a go, now's the time to do so (of course I can't hold any responsibility for any addiction you may develop and then live to regret, haha!) You have until 31st of January 2010 when all Prescriptives counters will close. You'll still then have a chance to buy from their website until all stocks run dry!

If you have any questions or problems then Prescriptives have opened Freephone numbers to all UK residents: 0800 088 4168, Republic of Ireland: 1800 936 080 and 877-819-2968 for North America customers.

*Starts to tuck away a Winter squirrelling fund for all closing makeup brands* Please, for the love of my purse, no one else close down too!

http://www.prescriptives.com/

Bye Bye B Never...

2009-10-11T14:47:00.010+01:00

Well I'm certainly not the first to be announcing this really sad news, but I wanted to let those of you who may still not know. Georgie of So Full of Twilight Dreams That Glitter broke the bad news just under a week ago. You may remember my post on the magic of B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful - Lush's sister makeup and beauty brand? Well unfortunately after this Christmas B Never will be no more : (

The company have made the decision to pack up shop after all these years, they won't be going into liquidation, administration or anything nasty like that but instead Lush will be absorbing all the assets. I'm really going to miss this brand - I loved everything about them - their awesome products with amazing names and super gorgeous and fun packaging, philosophy, branding and the stores were like candy shops!

But in true B Never style this Christmas all the stores will be going out with a bang and celebrating their wonderful six years of trading with YOU their loyal fans - so gets yourselves down to your local store and if you're not very local to one then it should still be worth the trip to your nearest. Their UK stores are in Covent Garden, 332 Oxford Street (the one off Carnaby Street isn't there anymore so don't go over there by mistake!), 29 High Street, Poole, Dorset and 21 Commercial Street, Leeds. And if you're in Tokyo, Japan or Vienna, Austria then you too can find your way to your local store for a fun-packed Christmas/Goodbye Do!

In the meantime if there's anything you would like to stock up on before B says goodbye then get online or head to one of the stores because as their website says all their products now really are collectable!

I'll be stocking up on the glitters, concealer and bath products, yes please!

www.bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.co.uk/

A/W Hair Colour? As Red as the Autumn Leaves

2009-10-07T22:01:00.007+01:00

Recently I've been toying with the idea of getting my hair coloured just for a little change! I haven't altered the colour of my hair for about 4 years now. I used to bleach my hair with a home bleaching kit and let's just say my poor hair suffered big time. Hair dressers nearly went white with horror as they saw that my hair was in such bad condition because the kit was practically cleaning bleach in a bottle!

Since then as you can imagine, I've developed a bit of a phobia of dying my hair, especially as now my hair's in the best condition it's been since I was little! But I had been toying with going brunette/blonder... As you can probably tell from my photo, I'm a strawberry blonde so I was very happy to see that this year's A/W hair colour trend is... RED!

Red hair is so beautiful, coming in all sorts of shades. It's fiery, passionate, romantic, heart-stopping and very symbolic of Autumn when the leaves turn all shades of golden and red! Some of the prettiest/most handsome people I've met/known have gorgeous red locks and there are some beautiful models and actresses that have emerged on the scene in recent years making red hair very popular - Lily Cole, Nicole Kidman, Isla Fischer and Debra Messing to name a few!

So if you are a natural flame-haired mademoiselle (or monsieur!) celebrate your lovely locks as many a fashionista will be rushing to the salon paying good money to imitate your colour this winter! Here are some of the amazing, inspiring photos that I've come across demonstrating that red hair can really be the best hair colour around ; )

Back from Beautiful Berlin!

2009-10-05T22:40:00.011+01:00

Wow... I'm now back from Berlin and what can I say? It was amazing - especially East Berlin, that side of the city was definitely my favourite! We went to so many places that I couldn't possibly fit them all in here without turning this post into a traveller's guide, haha!

The architecture's breathtaking, you'll notice a stark difference between East and West! Without sounding cheesy I think it's a great example of how fantastic things can come out of the ashes of bad times - East Berlin has had such a tough time in the past and now I think it's the prettier side of the city : )

I think it was also quite an apt place to be considering the current times of the recession - it shows that positive things can come out of the bad! And we also happened to be there on Germany's biggest holiday of the year - Unity Day or Tag der Deutschen Einheit, celebrating the year (1990) that the East side of the city was reunited with the West.

One thing I noticed about the girls in Berlin is that there are some who rock the 1920s look so, so well - they look so cute, but I never had the chance to stop them in the street and ask them for a pose (I need to work on my broken German, haha). I've promised myself that in future I will get piccies!

The photo shoot was so much fun and Oded captured some amazing moments. It was held for Enemy Artists, a label that currently resides in Berlin, and one of their signed singers and her producer. The artists' name is yet to be revealed and the album's currently in production! Of course as soon as more is revealed on their progress I'll let you all know : ) The entire team were all so lovely and made me feel very welcome, it was so lovely to be shown around Berlin and thank you so much for allowing me to join you out there for an amazing weekend!

I'll have shots to show you all very soon, just hold on tight and I'll post them as soon as they're available! And as for Berlin, I have to go back again very soon, I didn't see nearly as much as I'd have liked (so much to see, so little time!) - it must be done!

(In the meantime this is just a little piccie of me fashioning a lovely German shopping guide, hehe!)

*All That Glitters*

The Glitter and Gore – A Make-up Artist’s Heaven!

‘You’ve Got That Feeling’ Music Video by Natalie Ross

All Things Lush and Beautiful

Behind the Scenes!

New Obsession for 2011: Rings, Rings, Rings!

Fashion Toast for Breakfast, Anyone?

Presenting: Ladies & Gentleman

NOTD: Barry M Nail Polish in Strawberry Ice Cream

Inspired by... Alex Box by Rankin

De-Tox the De-Caf Way with Yumchaa...

Product Reviews Ahoy!

New Year, New Start!

In the Market for a New Ring... Or Two

Now on Model Mayhem!

Outfit of the Day - Flowers for the Lady

Boots No. 7's 75th!

Product Review - Boots Botanics Face Nourishing Eye Makeup Remover

The Maca Experiment

NOTD: Topshop Nail Polish in Hopscotch

New Love/Inspired by...The Noisettes Ever Fallen in Love

Topshop Makeup Launches!

Product Review - Benefit's Realness of Concealness

Coming Up in April on All That Glitters...

Alice in Wonderland

Urban Meadow

Blog Awardness!

Product Review - Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer

Fashion & Beauty Shoot

Inspired by... Jonsi

Ladies who Lilac!

Long Time, No Post...

Product Review - Purity Facial Wash

Pixi Perfumes

IMATS and the Amazing Alex Box!

New Year's Resolutions - Part 3 of 3: Improving your Beauty Routine

Inspired by...

Tag: Happy 101

Product Review - Kings & Queens Caspar Myrrh Body Butter

New Year's Resolutions - Part 2 of 3: Adopting a Fitness Routine

The Urge for Snoods, Satchels & DMs...

Under Construction!

Product Review - Weleda Iris Cream

Product Review - Aveda Botanicals Kinetics Hydrating Lotion

New Year's Resolutions - Beauty Inside & Out: Part 1 of 3

Happy New Year!

This Party Season's Makeup? Full of Sparkle

Lip Balms & Hand Creams - What Works, What Doesn't & Why

Smashbox Hits UK Stores

Breakfast at Sotheby's

Do You Tweet?

Video Shoot: You Heard Nothing Promo Video

Happy Birthday to Me & Exciting News...

La Parfumerie - part deux

La Parfumerie part un

Tag - Blog Award!

Trend - Sequins Galore!

IMATS Tickets Now Available!

Jamu Beauty Treatments

Backstage at Victoria's Secret

A Day in the Life of Peter Phillips...

NARS 15x15

Shingai Shoniwa

Ossie Clark

The Sartorialist

Olive Oil - Not Just for Salads

The Mission to find a Face Primer...

Body Confidence

Awesome Vintage Shopping & Cupcakes To Boot!

The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair

How to Master False Eyelashes

NOTD - Ruby Red Slippers

Lush - A Few Reviews

Paris Fashion Week S/S 2010 Favourites

Photoshoot Photos - A Taster!

Prescriptives To Go

Bye Bye B Never...

A/W Hair Colour? As Red as the Autumn Leaves

Back from Beautiful Berlin!

All That Glitters