Winter Skin Saviours

When the decision to stay in alone with a mug of hot chocolate overrides going to the pub with the girls for a cider you know winter has set in. The best you can do is embrace the coldness like an old friend and take the opportunity to chill out and drink sh*t loads of hot chocolate - with added whipped cream. Now I know the media are trying to tell us November is the warmest it has been for years but I'm sorry it's still freaking freezing.

Although I do like the cold - when I'm fully prepared and wrapped up to every inch of my life - I don't like the effect it annually has on my already dry and sensitive skin. As a sufferer from Eczema, I have always been unfortunate in my skin in that it dries out really easily. A simple cold can leave Rudolph jealous of my gleaming beacon of a nose, and possibly not so jealous of the crusty bits that seem to take a lifetime to disappear.

As I became more aware in the correct way to look after your skin and treat it with the importance it deserves, I realised just how important it is to adapt your skincare regime to the climate around you. Going from a central heated office to the freezing outdoors is going to cause stress to the skin and leave it looking dull and dry - which is why it is so important to have a very moisturising skincare regime for the winter months.

Moisturising is the key part to your routine in the winter and you should do it up to three times daily. My favourite moisturiser for winter is Avene Hydrance Optimale Riche (£13.50). Now I just want to make it clear that I do work with Avene, but this in no way sways my opinion, nor am I writing this post on behalf of the company. This post is 100% my own view.

Phew now that's out of the bag...Avene is the perfect winter product. It contains the famous Avene Thermal Spring Water which is extremely gentle and soothing on the skin, and hydrates dehydrated, dull-looking skin. This product is available from Boots and is a winter must-have! I really do love it and find that it keeps my skin feeling comfortable and supple even on the coldest of days.

http://www.boots.com/en/Eau-Thermale-Avene-Hydrance-Optimale-Rich-40ml_1110295/

As part of your must-have kit for winter I also believe you should have a good eye cream to keep those peepers bright-eyed in those dark mornings. Use Clinique All About Eyes under the eyes each morning and night. This lightweight formula helps to diminish puffiness and dark circles. £23 available from most department stores and online http://www.clinique.co.uk/products/1683/Skin-Care/Eye-Lip-Care/index.tmpl

Another necessity for the winter is a good serum to keep your skin glowing - my favourite is Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum. This intensive rehydrating serum is perfect for even the toughest winters and will ensure your skin maintains its moisture levels to keep you looking gorgeous. It's pricey at £39 but worth it. http://www.clarins.co.uk/

Also invest in a good tinted moisturiser to keep a bit of a summer glow on your face, there's nothing worse than being caked in make-up with crusty dry skin hiding underneath - no amount of make-up can hide dry skin unfortunately. The best tinted moisturiser I've ever tried is Chanel Hydramax +Active Teinte in Sand (for fair skin). This moisturiser is great because it has SPF 15 in it and also great coverage. It has patented technology in it which means that the skin is able to hold moisture, so your skin is comfortable and moisturised from start to finish. The easy to apply moisturiser is the perfect product for me and even at £33.50 I will buy this product again and again.

http://www.boots.com/en/CHANEL-HYDRAMAX-ACTIVE-TEINTE-Active-Moisture-Tinted-Lotion-SPF-15-40ml-Sand_118764/

Hope this has helped ladies. Get glowing this winter! x

The Beauty List

Hello and welcome to another installment of The Beauty List. As I'm now saving for a mortgage - very grown up of me - I'm trying to not spend as much money on beauty products. So you may find that the Beauty Lists don't contain as many products as normal, saving money and all that.

First up this week...Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanner (£17). This self tanner contains Acacia micro-pearls which trap moisture released by the skin and expand in size like tiny microsponges, to fill in visible fine lines and pores. The caramel smelling mousse creates a perfect base to apply your make-up. I've wanted to try this product for ages and it did not disappoint.

Don't be tricked by its name though, the tan isn't instant - which I think is a good thing. It does however leave an instant perfect complexion feeling silky and smooth, but the tan develops on your face over a period of time. Overall great product, just don't overload it like I have! Currently sporting an orange face.

Get it today at a discounted price - http://www.feelunique.com/p/Clarins-Instant-Smooth-Self-Tanning-30ml

Secondly a treat for you all - 25% of amazing REN products!

Hurry the offer ends Tuesday! http://www.renskincare.com/

Enough said. xxx

Shellac You Are A Dream!

Day 12 of the Shellac manicure and my nails are still perfectly in tact and looking perfectly polished! The only bit I can possibly criticise is the nail growth by the cuticles looks a bit silly because my nails have grown a surprising amount on 12 days, which the manicurist said might happen.

So no chips, splits, smudges and it has helped my nails grow quicker! I repeat Shellac you are a dream.

Skin Treats from Betty Hula

As you may know I'm a bit of a sucker for anything that looks slightly Hawaiian and beachy, I'm completely won over if something has a slight hint of a flowery garland or grass skirt. So Betty Hula products already had a thumbs up from me from the creative and eye catching packaging, and I soon found out it gets better...

Betty Hula believes only in natural beauty and uses fair trade ingredients inspired by exotic Hawaiian scents. As well as looking pretty and colourful in my toiletries bag the body butters are some of the best I've ever tried. The key ingredients in Betty's range are Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil and Vitamin E with all different benefits to the skin the range is sure to keep your skin youthful and glowing. I have been trying the products for a while now and am impressed with the results so far.

The Champagne & Spice flavour Body Butter I've tried is a sensual smell, really rich texture - great for winter dehydrated skin. It's perfect for sufferers of stretch marks and scarring as the rich Shea Butter works its magic on your skin.

The Rum & Blackcurrant Body Butter (my personal fave) is an exotic and sweet smell, subtle enough for the day and apply again for a natural way to keep smelling gorgeous into the evening. I like to apply this after my shower while I'm still slightly wet as it locks in the moisture and keeps the smell fresher for longer.

As a sufferer from Eczema I have to be careful what I put on my skin and tend to stick to my favourites but these moisturisers enriched my skin leaving it nourished, feeling supple and healthy. I am extremely impressed with these products and at only £14.99 for 120ml pot it just keeps getting better!

Next I can't wait to try The Secret Oil from Betty Hula, rumoured to give you ultimate radiance from the inside out. This is one secret I will be sharing!

Available from Sainsburys nationwide and available online at http://www.bettyhula.co.uk/

Purple Haze

With the Christmas season fast approaching, a bit quicker than I would like, it makes me think towards glam party looks for the Christmas parties I'll be hitting up.

One look that I think is going to be quite key is using purple tones to define your eyes - especially if you have brown/green eyes. Use darker tones of purple the darker your eyes, and stick to subtle lilacs if you're a blue eyed babe.

*Top tips for using Purps eyeshadow:*

• To avoid looking red and bleary eyed make sure you use a good concealer first under your eyes (Benefit Eye Bright is great to rid the red)
• Keep the rest of your look pretty low key pairing with neutral colours, you can still go glam with neutral colours (gold and purple would be amazing for a discoteque!)
• Avoid pairing with pink blusher, fake the sunshine and sculpt your face with a deep bronzer (Givenchy are great for golden but subtle bronzers)

The must-have eye colour for winter is Nars Due Eyeshadow in Eurydice - an aubergine and graphite duo. This long-wearing, crease resistant eye colour is £23.50 available online or at most space nk stores.

The reason I think this eye shadow is so good is that it really does stay on for ages, and you can use it as a subtle shade or you can play with it and build up colour. Also can be used as an eyeliner if you use wet for more impact.

Make like Beyonce and Kim - Go purple this Christmas!

Graduation day

It can be quite difficult to find the right make-up for a big occasion, you don't want to to wear anything too different but you also want to make quite an impact with your make-up. As I opted to wear quite a shocking pink dress I decided to keep the face more low-key and natural. Here's the finished result and how I created it...

Firstly I took Clarins Flash Beauty Balm and put that onto cleansed skin to give me a more brighter and tighter look. Next I took Touche Eclat (No.1.5) and dotted it under my eyes, down my nose and just above my top lip to radiate my face. Touche Eclat is great for all occasions as it lightens up the face enhancing your eyes.

As I said in my previous blog post I used MAC Mineralize Satinfinish (NC25), I didn't use much foundation as I wanted a natural base - just enough to even out the skin tone. Next I took Benefit High Beam and dotted it where the light naturally hits your face - along your cheekbones and through the bottom of the eyebrows, gently rub this in to create a very soft sheen (AMAZING for photographs).

Next to compliment my brown/green eyes I used Benefit's velvet eyeshadow in Rich Beach, giving a beautiful shimmery effect on the eyes. I then glided a brown liquid eye liner from Collection 2000 through the top lash line to give my eye a bit more definition for the photos. To finish off the eyes I used Photo Flawless Mascara, from 17, on the top and bottom lashes. I also brushed through the eyebrows with Benefit's Brow Zings shaping wax from my sexy eyes pallet defining the eyes and giving some shape to my unruly brows!

To finish off this look I sculpted my face by using a bronzer on my forehead, under my cheekbone and on my chin, using my all time favourite Hoola by Benefit and then I applied Coralista onto the apples of my cheeks to give me a fresh glow.

xxx

The Beauty List

Sorry I had to rush off so suddenly yesterday, but as promised here is the second half to yesterdays Beauty List.

As you all know it was my graduation on Friday and I was on the hunt for a foundation that had the lasting power to keep me looking glam all day long. My first thought was Chanel - as it usually is - but I'm also a huge fan of MAC and know that their foundations are always a winner. I wanted quite a subtle finish but long lasting, so I opted for MAC Satinfinish SPF 15.

The foundation gives a low to medium coverage that can be built up for more full coverage in the evening. It has light reflecting particles in the micro-minerals that blend beautifully into the skin, leaving a luminous look. Where normal dewy foundations tend to slip off your skin throughout the day this keeps lasting and has a beautiful glow in photographs. In my opinion this is the best foundation for dry skin, I was extremely impressed with its ability to rejuvenate my skin, give me a radiant glow and how long it lasted. It's £22.50 and is available online. And my ultimate favourite thing about MAC foundations is there is a perfect match for every-one's skin colour, depending on the warmth/coolness of your skin.

Lastly on my list this week is Shellac. I had a geleration manicure not too long ago, and I wasn't best pleased with it. I decided to go for a Shellac manicure to see if that version was any better, and so far, so good for Shellac. The geleration failed pretty quickly and started chipping and peeling within a few days - 3 days in and no peeling for Shellac yet. With its mirror finish and no nail damage underneath, Shellac already has my seal of approval.

My tip is you're looking to get a Shellac manicure is to pick a colour that you will be happy with for 2 weeks because this bad boy lasts! Prices start at around £20.

The Beauty List

Hey y'all and welcome to the second helping of The Beauty List. This week I'm going to be quick because I'm just popping out to buy some goodies for my trip to Butlins next week with the girls! Cannot wait for the tackiest trip of my life, lots of pics to follow!

This week on The Beauty List at number one is my all time favourite YSL Touche Eclat, £24.50. This wonder product has been a must-have of mine for years until I found a cheaper alternative in Collection 2000 for almost a fifth of the price of YSL. However, as much as you can try and tell yourself that cheaper is better there's no way it can rival Touche Eclat. It really is in a league of its own. It highlights, brightens, conceals - and looks beautiful in your make-up bag on its timeless gold pen. The pen gives instant radiance and is amazing on my hard-to-conceal dark circles. A must-have for all women in 7 shades. Available from most department stores and online - no excuse ladies!

Now my friends have turned up outside so I must dash but I promise to finish off the list later! Got so much more to say ... xxx

Versace & H&M

Instore next week!!! Can't wait, H&M is already an amazing shop in my eyes - probably my fave - and it just keeps getting better.

Will you be buying Versace from H&M? Keep me posted with any purchases xxx

Important Chanel Update!!!

For any-one who loves Chanel there's some very exciting news for you! They are bringing out a new foundation on January 13th called Perfect Lumiere!

The liquid foundation is set to give the same full and professional coverage as Pro Lumiere but is longer lasting. So basically perfection in a bottle. This does come at a cost though, prepare yourself...Pro Lumiere is being discontinued *sad face*

Go and buy as much you can ladies because when it's gone, it's gone.

Can't wait to test the new foundation! Penny xx

NEW The Beauty List

Welcome to the latest 'feature' on my blog. As my blog continues to grow (thanks for reading!) I've been trying to think of different ways I can keep you guys knowledgable about the latest and greatest beauty products on the market. I know I can be quite slack with my blog sometimes so I've decided to have a weekend review of products that I'm loving for the weekend. Every Saturday I will aim to give you a list of the best beauty treatments, techniques, products and tips - what a great excuse to buy more products!

This Saturday its mostly about the lips, I'm loving Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick from Clinique, £16. The revolutionary gel formula gives the shine of a gloss, and the comfort of a lipstick. Butter Shine Lipstick is perfect for me because it gives great stand-out colour of a lipstick, but the gloss it gives makes the lips beautifully subtle. The colour I'm sporting at the moment is Pink-a-boo, a very girly baby pink that goes great with bronzed, glowing skin. It's a very 'Barbados' look I think, chilled and tanned! The coverage is sheer to moderate. For lips tips from Clinique themselves follow this link http://www.clinique.co.uk/cms/expert_tips_trends/library/articles_lip_tips.tmpl

What else I'm loving for the weekend is Catwalk by Tigi Salon Series Salt Spray, £9.99 from feelunique.com. With naturally wavy, thick, unruly hair it can take a while to control my locks in the morning! But then the miracle that is Salt Spray was delivered to me. I really really love it and would recommend it for all hair types. Even the finest of hair will see results from this product with the right amount of scrunching.

Spray the product into wet or dry hair and scrunch the hair. If you apply it to wet hair, then rough dry your hair while scrunching for the best effect. As a beach bunny I love this spray because it's such a natural and effortless look that does just make you look like you've spent a day at the beach. The spray gives volume and definition to your tresses - all round great product.

Next on The Beauty List are some brightening eye drops from Vital Eyes, £2.49 from Boots. Working in an office with computers and aircon every day, and being really prone to gross Conjuntivitus, my eyes always seem to be quite red at the end of the day. This is not a good look for me! Getting really fed up of looking tired and ill all the time I decided to try out some drops. What a difference they've made! My eyes almost instantly seemed brighter and whiter, taking away the bloodshot, tired look.

A definite winner for those who work with computers all day, and suffer from tired, dull eyes. The drops contain natural plant extracts and soothes away redness leaving brighter and more sparkly eyes!

That is all from The Beauty List this week, ciao for now I'm going to go and *research* for the next Beauty List.

Penny xx

P.S Just one more thing before I go, how amazing are these lips??!

ConGRADulations

Woop woop! I graduate next Friday - Check this 11/11/11! Cool eh? As cool as the date may be, I'm having a few wardrobe issues. Do I play it safe and opt for a smart black workwear dress...or do I try to jazz it up a bit and go for brights. I think the latter is my preferred option,  have you seen that ugly gown we have to wear?!

I've seen the most amazing shoes though from Dune - leopard print courts. However at £80 I might have to put that dream on hold. It's OK though I've seen a second pair in Topshop for a fraction of the price...£65. Clothing aside I'm also having a mare with my make-up look I want to go for on the day.

I need a foundation that will stay put for the whole day but I don't want it to look like I'm wearing a lot of make-up. Think I'll stick to my trusty Barry M coral lipstick to brighten the place up though. In the days up to graduation I'll be testing a number of different foundations for the big day and will give a round up in the next week or so. I'll be getting my hair dyed darker and a spray tan for the event and I'll be sure to post a pic so you can see the finished look!

Stay tuned for lots of pre-graduation rambles...
Penny xx

Lips to die for

So in my attempt to be a bit scary this Halloween I decided to opt for a cheap and easy option - Wear nice clothes but vamp up the makeup.

Although it's lazy you still get to look a bit nice on halloween! So I was on the look out for a dark purple, almost black lipstick and was expecting to have to turn over a few stones to find one. I was surprised when purple seemed to be the no.1 colour this month with offerings from Mac, Revlon and many more. Sticking with the earlier criteria of cheap I chose to go with Kate Moss' Lipstick from Rimmel, and got sucked in at the counter and also bought a dark berry - for blogging purposes of course.

The Kate Collection from Rimmel

If you're looking for an affordable but amazing lipstick then I recommend Kate's collection. The limited edition lipsticks are the iconic lasting finish lips, but with a slight glossy finish. It has long lasting power and gives really great colour and is a great price at £5.49.  With seven colours to choose from you're guaranteed to find one to match your complexion, and outfit! I opted for no.4 which is a grape colour, and amazingly smells like Grape too. The purple is gorgeous and I will definitely be wearing it long after Halloween! Available from the usual Boots or Superdrug, picks yours up at lunch tomorrow!

Mwah! xx