Secret Gem!

With Christmas approaching I have tried to reduce my excessive spending so I can actually buy someone else something for once. With this in mind I had to cut back on my beauty buys this month, and so found myself searching high and low for cheap alternatives to my fancy faves.

Whilst searching for these bargain treats I have come across something very special indeed... A Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish dupe for £2.99!!! Not even kidding, it's amazing. I have inspected the ingredients list and it's pretty much the same thing and leaves your skin with the same radiant glow as good ol' Liz.

Ok so do you want to know what it is?? It's Superdrug's Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser. It's the stuff dreams are made of - cheap to buy but has the same effects as a cult classic. I have been very careful not to rave about this too soon, I have taken my time testing it out religiously day and night for two weeks and it's fair to say it is SHAmazing, in the words of the Scherzinger.

For £2.99 you really can't go wrong, it leaves the skin feeling gently buffed and cleansed and ready for the day. My skin looks brighter after using it and I've noticed my acne I seem to have recently is slowly disappearing. It even removes waterproof mascara!

The only negative I can possibly think is the cloth you get with it is quite scratchy on the skin, but I just use my Liz Earle ones instead. So ladies get down to Superdrug now because the price is going up soon. Only to £6.99, mind, still hella cheap!

Have you tried anything from Superdrug's own range?

I'm Penny And I'm A Lip Balmaholic

You know when you have so much of something it borders on ridiculous, well that's me and my hoard of lip balms. I just can't seem to help myself, these little lip treats just continuously call my name.

I only realised I had a problem today, when I rustled in my bag for a lip balm and realised I had a choice of six. SIX in one small bag.

I wanted to share with you why I love these little lifesavers and my faves at the moment, starting with my all time favourite Creme de rose from Dior. It is amazingly moisturising and gives your lips a nice subtle plump. It's the perfect base for lipstick and ensures that you can go all winter long without chapped lips. It's slightly on the pricey side, but it's a gem that I buy again and again.

Baume de rose from By Terry is also lovely, again on the pricey side but you get what you pay for. This balm feels very luxurious when you apply it and coats your lips in a rose smelling, almost glossy seal. It keeps your lips really nourished and healthy and is my desk side essential.

I also love a good Chapstick, they smell so good, look really pretty and are incredibly cheap so it doesn't matter how many times you lose it, you can pick up another.

I've also spotted another one I want to try in Holland & Barrett today, it was coconut flavour which instantly sold it to me and promised to nourish and protect the lips. Hello new lip balm, it's payday tomorrow!

Do you have a beauty addiction?

WANT THIS!

Five Minute Makeover

Nearly Friday guys, we're almost there! I think I might do a post soon about how to create the peacock eyes that seems to be the trend at the moment, TBC... I wanted to do a blog post today about my make-up essentials for on the go. As you know I commute to work, which takes about 2 hours each way and I often get asked how early I have to wake up. People are generally shocked when I say I get up 15 minutes before I leave and they don't understand how I have time to get ready. Well people, I shower and brush my teeth and literally do everything else on the train! So I wanted to blog today about the essentials you need to create a nice daytime look with minimal products in a short amount of time.

So, imagine me on a train... I would have cleansed my face in the shower with Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and moisturised with Decleor Aroma Purete, so my clean is prepped for makeup. Firstly I apply my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser in shade nude and I let this settle on the skin for a while before I apply my trusty Touché Éclat by YSL every where that I need a bit of radiance - under the eyes, bridge of the nose, chin and between the eyebrows.

Next I take my eye lash curlers (only cheapy ones from Primark) and curl my lashes to give maximum length. Using the mini Clinique high impact mascara in black I coat my lashes as much as possible to create a fluttery lash look.

Using my favourite bronzer, the bronzing pearls from Me Me Me I sweep the colour over my cheeks, across my temples and down the sides of my nose. I do this a couple times to ensure I look alive, using the Real Techniques stippling brush. To finish my look off I dot a few blobs of Benefit's benetint on the apples of my cheeks which gives them a lovely natural looking flush. I was never convinced by this product before, but I got it free in this month's InStyle magazine and LOVE it.

Altogether this takes about 5 mins and the products aren't heavy in your bag so you can carry them all day with no hassle. And there you have it, 5 minute makeup with 5 products.

Pale And Uninteresting

I really think I suffer with SAD, the dark mornings really affect me and come mid-October I'm depressed right through to April! I'm so much more of a summer person, I prefer the clothes and the whole 'look' of summer. I resent having to spend so much money to stay warm in the winter. If I was the PM I'd make sure everyone got Dune boots and Reiss coats for free - they're essentials!

Anyway, I digress, I was saying how much I hate winter, the pale, pasty look just doesn't work for me so this winter I am going to make a conscious effort to stay tanned! This might look odd for the middle of winter so I'm going to do it gradually, using a very light colour so it looks as natural as possible.

The best product for this type of tanning is the St. Tropez Naturals Self Tan Lotion, which gives a really subtle glow. You can just apply this like a moisturiser after a shower so there's minimal effort and no excuse to be pale!

If all else fails I will get a spray tan, I cannot be doing with another pale winter!

Are you a summer or winter person?

Give Your Eyes Some TLC

Your eyes are a huge tell-tale sign of what you're thinking, how you're feeling and how old you are - so it's important to look after them. I have particularly dry skin under my eyes so I use an eye cream to add moisture to the delicate skin, but I know a lot of people are unsure whether they should be using an eye cream or not, so I thought I'd do a little run down of some of the creams I've been using recently and why they're good and maybe not so good.

I do think it's important to use an eye cream from your twenties onwards, just for preventative measures! You can get some really amazing affordable creams on the high street, as I'm about to show you.

First on my list is a cream I'm not too keen on, it's Burt's Bees radiance under eye cream. Anything with radiance in the title I'm immediately sold, but this one didn't perform as well as I would have hoped. I bought it on the promise that it would lighten my under eye circles but I didn't notice a difference at all, it felt nice on application though. It has a pearlescent type glow to it and I think it would be lovely for younger skin that just needs a bit of a perk, but my under eye circles are too dark and it just didn't really do anything for me.

Next I've got the Monu Eye Gel, which was lovely in the summer. It is really cooling and soothing on the eye so perfect for taking on holiday with you. It's not greatly moisturising so not a favourite of mine, but the cornflower extracts really work to soothe your eye and reduces any puffiness - great for a hangover!

This next one is amazing for more mature skin, ladies who are worried about crows feet will love this! It's Dr Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Eye Perfect, which works in 15 minutes to fill out your crows feet. I've tested this on my mum this morning and it actually works! And it's only £8.99 from Holland & Barrett, bargain.

I've been using another one from Dr Organic as well which is the Royal Jelly Eye Serum, this is lovely and moisturising and is perfect for those days when your skin really needs some rejuvenation. The royal jelly is deeply moisturising and works wonders on my crusty under eye area - gross but true.

One of my favourites is Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream, this is soothing, brightening and lifting and is made from 99% natural ingredients, which is a winner for me because my eyes are so sensitive. After I've used this my eyes feel bright and tightened, which is great for my early morning starts. It has hyaluronic acid in, which isn't as scary as it sounds - it's a natural filler that boosts the moisture in your skin and fills out any wrinkles while it's at it. This is slightly pricey at £20 from Lookfantastic.com but it is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone.

I also love the Clinique All About Eyes, which isn't in the picture, but it's so lovely! It has a gorgeous creamy texture which feels really luxurious when you put it on and it does everything it claims to, my under eye circles were definitely reduced. Again, I think that's quite expensive at around £20 but it's worth it. I really want to try the new one from Clinique so once I have tried it I'll let you know what I think.

Generally I think it's really important to use an eye cream, but it's equally as important that you don't use too much, which will leave you with greasy, heavy skin under the eye. Apply a small dot on your ring finger and dab onto your other ring finger. Start by gently dabbing into the outer corner of your eye socket and follow the cheekbone down gently pushing the cream into your skin. You don't need to go too close to the eye as the heat from your eye will draw the cream in.

Do you use eye cream? What's your favourite? x

From left to right - Monu, Dr Organic, Balance Me, Dr Organic and the little pot is Burt's Bees.

By Terry Hyaluronic Face Glow

Each month, on pay day, I tell myself that I will be good and won't buy myself any makeup or skin care that I don't need. But then every month, I manage to convince myself that I do need just a couple things and end up poor by the end of the first week. October has been no different.

On Saturday morning, before my bf had even woken up I bought the By Terry Hyaluronic Face Glow. I felt like I was doing something really naughty but like the best naughty things, it felt so good! Credit to space nk, the product arrived yesterday with a couple freebie bits (blog to follow).

Now this product was £44, ouch right? I thought from things I've heard about By Terry that it would worth it, but I have to admit the jury's still out on this one.

I bought it on the promise that it offers full correction without a heavy feel, and erases open pores, wrinkles and blemishes. I love the texture of it, it's a whipped mousse that blends nicely into the skin but I don't get the coverage I thought I would. My pores and blemishes are still pretty visible but my skin does look 'perkier'.

They say you can use it under foundation also, to add to your coverage and give you a glow so I'm going to try this and report back.

It's good for a natural day time look but I don't think it fulfils all its promises - an ok product but I don't think I would buy again. Still a Laura Mercier girl through and through!

Just put it on again to double check I'm not giving a false review, but no, I'm not sold on it I'm afraid. Teaches me for impulse buying!

Have you ever tried it?

Ps sorry for the shoddy photos!

Get Flushed!

I have been searching for orange blusher for what feels like a decade, desperate to recreate that summer glow of flushed cheeks on bronzed skin. Ok, so it's a little late for that summer glow now but I was still excited to find this gorgeous palette by Sleek Make-up at a pretty cheap £9.99.

It's called Lace and it is a trio of orange, flamingo pink and rose gold - it is so amazing! The colours are so pigmented you really don't need much on your brush, meaning it will last me an age - hopefully until summer so I can finally do my 'orange glow' look!

The colours look bright and scary but you can build up the colour to what you feel comfortable with.

Have you tried anything from Sleek?

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous" - Coco Chanel

My First Facial

As a treat this month, I booked myself in for a facial on Saturday morning at a lovely local salon. I've never had a facial before but have always wanted one, however something else has always come up so I've never been able to spend my money on it. This month was different - September was a tricky month for me so I took the opportunity to treat myself and booked myself in!

Oh.my.god. It was incredible, 1 hours 30 minutes of heaven! They started with a back diagnostic to see what problems they could pick up from my back, they then cleansed, toned and moisturised my face using decleor products. The mask was next, followed by a lymphatic drainage massage and hand and arm massage - amazing!

I went into the salon thinking I had dry and sensitive skin, but was told I had classic combination skin - I've gone years buying the wrong products! After using the right products for just one day, my skin already feels so much more comfortable, the under the skin spots have reduced and my skin looks healthier.

I've booked myself in for another facial next month, I'm determined to be able to go make-up free by Christmas!

Sanctuary 5 minute thermal detox mask

I bought this the other day because I've noticed I have lots of under the skin spots that need to be banished from my face forever. I can't really afford to get a clarifying facial right now so I opted for an at-home treatment instead.

The mask is seriously relaxing and I'm getting sleepy just talking about it again. It heats up on contact with your skin so it relaxes you as it opens the pores to deep clean your skin. The charcoal and kaolin clay draw out any impurities and the essential oil myrrh soothes the skin. You're advised to use this mask twice weekly but I can't stop using it! If I've had a stressful day at work (every day) out comes the mask.

I've been using it for about a week and a half now and I've noticed the little blighters on my forehead are coming to the surface, finally.

For £10.20 I would recommend this mask for it's purifying and detoxifying qualities. Love it!

Clinique Chubby Sticks

I've been intrigued by this product for quite some time now but have never got round to actually buying it, but after being tempted by the bonus time gift at Boots, I finally bought one, OK maybe two.

I have to say I'm now hooked on these gorgeous lip crayons, they give so much colour but it's not too strong. It's perfect for me because I love a gloss that has bold colour, without looking dry and crusty (which I find happens with most lipsticks).

The chubby sticks have shea butter in them so they're really moisturising for the lips, perfect for all year round. It would be a bonus for them to have an added SPF but you can't win 'em all. Overall a great product that I'm pretty hooked on. I have it in oversized orange and wopping watermelon, which is my fave, but there are SO many other colours to choice from, from purples to nudes to cherry reds, you will find a colour to suit your skintone. For £16 I think they're a bit of a bargain. I think this is perfect for a bride who doesn't want the sticky residue left over from a gloss but still wants a strong wash of colour on the lips.

Here's a little tip for you when trying to find the right lip colour for you... Put the tester colour on your fingertip, this is the place that is most like your natural lip colour. Hold your finger up against your face. If you look washed out its a no no!

Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo & Conditioner

When I was a kid, I was the one with the Tina Turner 'fro, there was always one and unfortunately it was me. It was the time before straighteners, so you can imagine my distress when trying to calm the frizz and flyaways circa 1999. All we had was bloody crimpers! *shocking*

What I'm trying to get at is because of this distress early on in my life, I'm always on the hunt for new ways to tame my do. The latest find is by Organix - Brazilian Keratin Therapy. This wasn't overly expensive at £6.99 a bottle and it's really delivered amazing results. After one use my hair feels really sleek and smells gorgeous. It has coconut oil in it to nourish the hair so this gives off an amazing smell. It's also rich in keratin proteins to strengthen the hair, along with avocado oil to smooth the cuticle for added shine. The packaging doesn't look too thrilling but trust me, all the good stuff is inside! I would highly recommend this to any beauties with curly, wavy, frizzy hair or just in need of a good strengthening treatment. I got it from boots, but you have to search for it because the poor little devils are on the bottom shelf. Boo!

Have you tried anything else from Organix? X

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge

This product has been a summer essential for me so far, if we can say this is summer? Who knows. I tend to regularly change the products I use, as I get bored quickly and find something that is temporarily better than the last. This is a shallow beauty habit I know but I can't help it, I get tempted too easily.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that my Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge has stood the test of time with me, lasting an approximate 3 months, which is pretty much a record. This is a cream blusher that can also be applied on the lips - a great holiday multi-tasker.

I have dry skin so I especially like a cream blush, I think they make you look like you glow from within giving a subtle flushed colour on the apple of the cheeks. Also, this product stays put for about 5 hours so it has great staying power, you will only really need to reapply once in the day.

There are lots of different colours in the range, including a gorgeous fuchsia pink, my favourite is fresh melon which is a natural peachy nude colour. Great for an every day summer look, I seriously love this product.

Holiday Beauty

This is how you do beach beauty. Grace Kelly is the epitome of glam and looks effortlessly chic on the beach here. If only we all looked like that, eh?

Unfortunately no matter how hard I try I will never look like that on the beach, but if you want to attempt Grace's effortless beach look you will first of all need a classic white bikini, ideally 50s style. I have yet to find one so please let me know if you find an amazing one!

A moisturising red lip butter with SPF is key to the look, alongside waterproof black mascara and gel eye liner along the top lash line to create a more feline look. Grace is very fair so lots of sun protection is a must here and only use bronzer to contour your face.

Where are you going on holiday this year? X

Camping Essentials

I went camping this weekend, making the most of the amazing weather, so I thought I'd share my camping essentials with you.

Most important thing I took was my Avene SPF20 emulsion, I think this is a must-have as I was sat outside all day. My friends who weren't wearing an SPF all burned and are now a lovely lobster colour. 80% of ageing is down to sun damage so I don't need any reminding when it comes to sun protection!

I also took my klorane dry shampoo, for obvious reasons I didn't want to look like a grease ball so my trusty klorane kept my tresses looking clean.

My other essential was a new product I've been trying. It's the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi moisture mist. I've been using it on my hair and it leaves your hair feeling incredibly soft and looking bouncier. I used this on my hair in the evenings when I needed it to fight the frizz - tents give me the worst frizzy hair. Think Monica from friends.

My last item I depended on over the weekend was my new Monu eye gel. This is really soothing for the under eye area so perfect for early mornings and late nights. It helped me to look awake and was cooling under the eye, reducing any puffiness. Overall a great thing to have in a sweltering hot tent!

What are your camping beauty essentials?

Me Me Me Goddess Rocks

I've never used anything from this brand before but will definitely check out the rest of their range soon. I can honestly say this is one of the best bronzers I have ever used, giving a subtle shimmer it is perfect to use on your cheekbones to give that post-holiday glow.

While other matte bronzers are fab for contouring your face, this one really is all about making you look like you've just stepped off the plane from st Tropez. You can build it up to the colour you desire, but I think a light shimmer is all you need with this product. Lightly dust anywhere the sun would naturally hit and you will be a bronzed goddess in no time! Love it! P.s Cags from Made In Chelsea is a fan! Available from Superdrug.

Tanning Treasures

I thought I'd share with you some of my tanning heroes, some old, some new - all amazing and I recommend to anyone going on holiday to invest in these treasures to emphasise your tan.

Firstly it's my ultimate favourite, the beauty of all beauties that is Hoola from Benefit. This bronzing powder will leave you looking sculpted and burnished to perfection, a real holiday essential that will boost your natural tan for the holiday pics.

I also rate the Clarins self tan mousse for the face. This is a very subtle colour that you can build up to create the natural glow you want, also leaving your skin feeling smooth and hydrated. Use this everyday as part of your holiday routine and you will really notice the difference!

Everyone going on holiday should have prepared the little pale limbs with some glorious St Tropez! Good ol' Millie Mack uses this precious stuff and I wouldn't ever be without it. I'm loving the naturals range for sensitive skin, still giving a good depth of colour giving a healthy glow to my otherwise Casper esque body.

Also on my list is Butter LONDON on the nails in shade Tutti frutti - a very vibrant coral. This bright colour will make your tan look deeper and will make you feel more summery, so I advise you wear it whether you're on holiday or not.

What are your tanning treasures? X

Chantecaille Rice and Geranium Foaming Cleanser

Every month I get a beautiful glossy box with lots of beauty goodies inside. Recently I've been getting bored of the products in the boxes but then I got sent the Chantecaille foaming cleanser. I don't tend to go for foaming cleansers, I'm more of a Micellar water kind of girl due to my dry skin, but I thought i'd try this one out because I love other products from the lovely brand.

I was really impressed with this cleanser, it was very luxurious to use with gentle rice bran buffing away at dead skin cells so you look more radiant. It smelt great and left my face squeaky clean, also the geranium has antibacterial properties so it would work a dream for those unsightly blemishes. It's a bit pricey but I would say it's worth it if you're looking for an effective and gentle foaming cleanser.

Butter LONDON

I am a huge nail varnish fan and will rarely be seen without polish on my nails so I'm always keen to try the latest colours. I've recently tried 2 new colours from Butter LONDON, both of which I'm a huge fan.

I tried bossy boots which is a pistachio green type colour, great for a neutral shade and my favourite colour at the moment, trout pout - a great pinky coral colour so I can pretend it's summer.

What I love about these polishes is they give you the mani look as if you've just stepped out of the salon. The colour glides and doesn't chip easily, very impressive polishes!

Wedding Make-Up

As you know I've recently been a bridesmaid at my best friends wedding. It was a beautiful day and I could not stop crying - which is embarrassing. But none the less it was a fab day and I now feel old because I have a married friend. Weird.

A lot of my friends were asking me how I did my makeup on the day, so I thought if they're interested then you guys must be. I tried to keep my look quite low key but really accentuated my eyes to keep it very natural but still glam for pictures.

I started off with my Laura Mercier primer, all over my face to keep my foundation in place for the whole day. Credit where credits due my make-up did not budge the whole day so I would 100% recommend this primer. Next I took my Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser to give my skin a natural glow. This tinted moisturiser gives a good coverage but looks very subtle - perfect for a wedding. I used my garnier under eye concealer to take away the darkness under my eyes and concealed any imperfections with my MAC studio fix concealer. I don't normally use powder but I just lightly dusted a bit over my face for staying power. Next I built up a bit of colour on my face with my Benefit Hoola and my Real Techniques stippling brush, just buff it into the skin for an all-over colour. 

For the eyes I used different shades of brown to define my eyes, starting with a light brown (almost cream) I took it all over the lid and in the inner corners. I then used a charcoal brown colour in the outer corners of my eye and slightly under the eye along the waterline. I then used a chocolate brown colour in the socket line of my eye creating a shadow and also took this along the waterline underneath my eye. Using a slanted eye shadow brush I used the chocolate brown colour along my lash line, and then finished it off with a liquid eye liner in Brown (obviously waterproof!). Use eye lash curlers for more definition on the eyes and finish off your eyes with lashing of waterproof mascara. I used my Lancome Hypnose which did not move all day despite the floods of tears.

I wanted to have quite a natural glow about me so I used my ME ME ME bronzing pearls all over my face - these are amazing and I will write a blog post about this separately, it is by far the best bronzer I have ever tried, and I have tried a lot. I then used my Bobbi Brown  Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in fresh melon which perks up any complexion. To finish off my look I groomed my eyebrows with the Benefit Browzings wax which darkens them slightly and ensures they stay in place all day. I didn't want a lot of colour or emphasis on my lips so I just had a light gloss on them using my Clinique Moisturising gloss in Mango. And there you have it, a really easy and natural look for a wedding.

James Read - Tanning Guru

Recently I have had a few tanning mishaps, the worst being the 'Ross from friends tanning booth' that left me with hands that looked like I'd been rubbing cheesy doritos in between my fingers - no doubt my worst tan to date.

Unfortunately I had to be a Bridesmaid at my best friends wedding with these orange stained hands, luckily though my friends had all followed my 'beauty pro' advice and had equally as orange hands from the tanning booth. No more tanning disasters, I told myself, so I went on a quest to find the 'holy pale' - basically I thought to myself I'd try and stay a natural skin colour for a while, but truth be told I'm not loving it. I want to be tanned and I want it now, which is why I got so excited when I heard that the tan guru himself, James Read, was bringing out a self-tan.

The range boast 11 products, including gradual tan, wash off tan AND a BB face tan and face tan pen (which is what I'm most excited about). It claims to perfect skin tone, cover imperfections, hydrate, illuminate, and protect skin from the sun with a suncream, all while giving your skin a natural glow. It's £22.50 which isn't too bad for a product that I'm pretty sure is going to be amazing.

I have yet to try these tans but as soon as I do I will be sharing all.

I'm back!

So I know I've been away for a while but I intend to make up for this with a huge truck load of blogging over the next few days. I have been testing so many different products so have plenty to tell you guys about, so let's get going!

Earlier in the year I went to an event for CEW (UK) which stands for Cosmetic Executive Women. It was a product demonstration evening in which products were displayed on tables and you had one bag to go around and squeeze in as many products as possible. It was amazing! From that evening I have been lucky enough to try so many fantastic products which I will buy time and time again, some of them were the winners of the prestigious CEW Beauty Awards 2012, which is thought of as a 'Beauty Oscar'.

One of the products that I tried and loved was the Olay Regenerist Renewal Elixir. It is an anti-ageing serum which you put on your cleansed skin at night. It claims that you will see hydrated and smoother looking skin after just one night so I was initially sceptical. However I woke up after using it on the first night and was pleasantly surprised at the results, my skin felt tighter but didn't feel dry at all. It was moisturised and without sounding big-headed it was pretty radiant! The product renews your skin while you sleep and boy does it do a good job. Overall a fab product that I will defo buy again when this runs out. I'm a firm believer in starting a good anti-ageing routine from an early age so please don't think this product isn't relevant for you because I think age 18+ you should anti-age your skin. Think Helen Mirren - that could be you if you start now!

£29.99 from Boots.

Sorry!

Hi everyone I'm so sorry that I've been rubbish again at not blogging. Work has been hectic so when I come in I just go to bed! But this is all about to change now I have an iPhone! As you know I have a pretty long commute everyday so I'm going to try, if I can keep my eyes open, to blog on the train to work.

I haven't taken any pics yet of the products I want to tell you about but that's what I've got in store for my boyfriend tonight! So as of Monday I'll be ON IT!

I have SO much to tell you guys about I cant wait. Have a great weekend everyone cx

Classic Beauty With Smashbox

I have so much good stuff to tell you guys about, I'm so excited! I had a bit of a splurge on cosmetics recently so I have loads of posts to do but my first and foremost is about Smashbox goodies.

Now Smashbox is a tricky brand, it has a troubled past - one which I think they would like to forget - because of an incident that happened in the past many beauty editors turned their back on the brand and so Smasbox was rarely featured in the press. Lauder has recently bought the brand which may mean things will start to look up for them though.

With this knowledge aside I have to say I think Smashbox produce fantastic, high-quality, long-lasting cosmetics. I have recently tried a few more products and they do not disappoint. Smashbox are professonals in studio make-up and apply make-up to the stars in LA. Because of this their cosmetics have to stand the test of time and be able to hold up against gruelling conditions on a photoshoot, like harsh lighting.

I tried the products from the Girls on Film collection, which is gorgeous nudes, browns, peachs and greys - basically pallettes that accentuate every feature perfectly because it's all similar colours to your skintone. The Blush Rush was lovely, a great texture in the silky powder blusher. Not too heavy but pigmented enough that the colour looked really radiant on the skin. I tried it in Pose but there are so many colours to choose from to suit every skin tone. The award-winning formula is packed with Vitamins A and E so your skin is left feeling and looking really healthy and glowing. The blush also had a swivel mirror in the packaging which was great for applying my make-up on the go - it's the small things in life that please me! It was £16.85.

I also tried the Lip Enhancing Gloss in Overexposed. I love this gloss, it's very sheer and pretty - the perfect lip colour to partner with any eye make-up. Overexposed is a nude-peachy colour and is great for making your lips look smoother, plumper and just generally more gorgeous! £11.75

I'm really impressed with Smashbox and will be purchasing more goodies from them in the near future, I'm dying to try the primers!

Penny xx

Plans for a summer body

Summer fun

At this time of year I am usually eating carbs galore and fattening myself up to avoid the chills outside. This year, however, I've decided to be responsible and not hate myself and my body by the time summer arrives. I am prepping my body ready for the summer, so it's in with the healthy eating and out with the multiple Mcdonalds. It should be very interesting.

As part of my campaign for a fit summer body I'm trying to rid myself of cellulite. 70% of cellulite occurs because of your lifestyle, however 30% is genetic - so unfortunately it may not be totally treatable but I'm going to get rid as much as I can. For this I am testing two products:
1) Tisserand Detox Massage Oil
2) Nivea 10 day Cellulite Serum

While using these things I will also be walking lots, as this really helps to reduce the orange peel. I've also reduced my caffeine intake and have started drinking hot water and lemon. I'm a new woman already!

I'll let you know how I get on, by doing weekly updates in the next four weeks. I've tried taking pics but my camera is RUBBISH! Just take my word for it when I update you next!

I want this hair!

I am on a mission to achieve this sexy hair like Brigitte. She is pretty amazing and I'm not suggesting I could ever get my hair to look anything like that, but I'm certainly going to try! To be continued...

Say Hello To Spring Lips!

In my early morning slumber I have noticed that it is getting considerably lighter outside a lot earlier than usual, which I'm sure I'm not alone in being extremely excited about, am I right fellow commuters?

Having to leave my house at 6.30am each morning does not fill me with joy, I have to admit, however these brighter starts are definitely going to help the situation. So to celebrate I thought I would reflect my brighter mood with brighter make-up and so I have recently been experimenting with the Collection 2000 Cream puff.
*Warning, you will want to buy this product*

As a make-up lover I am actually quite shy when it comes to lip products. I tend to be safe and stick to gloss as the colour and texture just seems to flatter my lips more than a bold, matte lipstick. However I LOVE this cream puff. I applied it just before I walked into the office at 8.30 and it was still perfectly in tact at around 11! As it is a cream based product it goes on very smoothly and moisturises the lips, giving them a soft velvety feel. It leaves a powdery finish, which I thought would draw attention to my dry, slightly chapped lips, but it didn't stick to the dry patches - it simply glided over them leaving highly pigmented colour behind.

It is available in four shades but my colour of choice was fairy cake - a coral shade that brightened up my complexion (great for all skin tones). It's only £2.99 so I will definitely be getting this in all shades! Huge beauty bargain here ladies! Available from Boots and Superdrug. Oh my goodness, I nearly forgot to tell you about the amazing smell of it - vanilla essence lingers on your lips which could attract many potential suitors. I have to admit I've tried a number of products from Collection 2000 and I'm impressed with the quality of the products for the small price you pay - definitely worth heading to their stand on your lunchbreak for a little look.

Top tip - To prep your lips beforehand make your own lip scrub by mixing olive oil and sugar. Rub gently onto the lips, et voila beautiful lips ready to be coloured in!

Penny xx

The Beauty List

Good morning lovely people hope you have all had a great week so far. Mine has whizzed by, as they usually do working in the wonderful world of PR! It's been about three weeks since I returned from Center Parcs I don't think I've actually told you guys about it.

I definitely recommend you go...if you're a billionaire. No but seriously it is amazing and so tranquil - just what you need in January after going back to work - but it is ridiculously expensive. One chinese takeaway between seven people cost £85! Shocker I know. Luckily they had rapids that were absolutely amazing so I was a little fish all week and just chilled in the pool and rapids all week. This was bliss for me because as my close friends I do love a good swim!

While I was away I stripped myself bare of all make-up and stayed like this all week. While this may have been  a bit traumatising for most people who had to witness this mess, for me it was bloody brilliant. My skin feels so much better for it too. I highly recommend going a week free from make-up, or maybe just a weekend - it does wonders for your complexion. I felt radiant and my skin seemed to have a new lease of life!

However I did have a few little helpers along the way to achieving this. Now I do work for this next brand but in no way does this mean I'm biased - I really do love this product and all the following views on this product are my own. It's the Avene Moisture Mask.

It has been my best friend in these winter months. You plaster it on to your skin and leave for 10-15 minutes, after this time you tissue off any product that hasn't been absorbed by your skin. My skin leaves no sign of it being there after 15 mins which shows just how much my skin needs that moisture! After doing this treatment by skin feels so supple and comfortable, it looks instantly brighter as if it has just had the best nights sleep. It's a must-have for this freezing February we're having.

Available from Boots for just £11.50! http://www.boots.com/en/Eau-Thermale-Avene-Soothing-Moisture-Mask-50ml_1225228/

Second on my beauty list this week is a foundation, which if I'm totally honest I didn't have high hopes for. Call me a snob but I tend to stick to foundation from the counters not the shelves, simply just from past experience I do find they're genuinely better. However this foundation is a close competitor. It's the Ageless Elixir from Maxfactor - 2 in 1 foundation and serum, I used colour Natural 50.

It is a fantastic product that I really do like - it gives flawless coverage and you really don't need to use that much. As you all know I like my foundation to be as light as possible, and Maxfactor do a great job of giving you enough coverage to be called a foundation but it's so light and blends well it would look to the outside eye that you don't have anything on.

The smell of it is gorgeous too, it's very fruity and summery and with SPF15 it will be a great foundation for summer. The foundation + serum mix means you have a great look today, and the serum is working on tomorrow. At only £12.99 it's a beauty bargain.
http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-Ageless-Elixir-2-in-1-Foundation_1222533/?cm_re=c9094_rot1-_-product-_-max_factor_ageless_elixir&cm_sp=brand_treatment-_-c9094-_-c9094_rot1

That's it from my Beauty List - I have so much more to tell you about but I think they all deserve a blog post of they're own!

Penny xx

Introducing the Bed Head Street Squad...

For my first blog back after a little break I wanted to introduce to you the new kids on the block...the Bed Head Street Squad! These guys are a unique mix of people who have been put together to be the eyes and ears of Bed Head to help lead the way in hair trends and product innovations. From a make-up artist to photographer to the stars these guys are a unique mix of raw talent, not to be messed with.

Using their knowledge and expertise these guys have collaborated to create a new and innovative lifestyle blog reporting on the best that urban living has to offer. Check it out!
www.bedhead.com/streetsquad

Back soon!

Hello lovely readers, I'm so sorry I've been neglecting you all recently - Don't worry I've got lots up my sleeve to bring to you! I've been completely rushed off my feet recently but I will be back blogging again soon.

Stay with me! Penny xx

Mermaid Chic

Have you ever watched The Little Mermaid and been jealous of her beachy locks? Gorgeous flowing hair down her back with a slight wave to it. I certainly have, look at it!

Well this product I'm about to talk about creates the mermaid chic effect and I LOVE it! I've had it for a few months now and every time I've used it I think to myself how amazing it is, and how I must remember to blog about it. Well here goes, it's the Tigi Catwalk Session Series Salt Spray (£9.99).

This has to be one of my favourite hair products of all time, I have blogged about it before but I wanted to do it all over again. If you are a beach bunny who loves the laidback chic look then this is definitely the product for you. I love looking glam but I like it to be pretty effortless which is why I love dry shampoo and other quick fixes. This spray is so easy to use to create the beach bed-head look with tousled locks a mermaid would be jealous of, or you can use it to give your hair texture in a chic up-do.

Not only does it give you beautiful waves but it fights frizz and humidity, and gives your hair definition. A definite must-have for the summer.

For me it scores 10 out of 10 for its ability to give you fab hair in a second.

Available from http://www.feelunique.com/p/TIGI-Catwalk-Session-Series-Salt-Spray-270ml

Penny xx

Just Peachy

Hello everyone, and how is 2012 treating you? Mine is not too shabby so far, and I'm off to Center Parcs in a weeks time! I'm off to a great start for a fun and exciting 2012, and I'm even more excited after having just read the latest Vogue. It seems that the trends for 2012 are absolutely stunning and I cannot wait for the sun to come out to showcase all the beautiful colours. There's a multitude of different looks for spring, all beautifully feminine but my personal favourite is the pastel shades that light up any dull January.

Jason Wu and Dior have shown some fabulous designs but unfortunately quite out of my price range. However, one way that we can all achieve the runway look this spring is to adopt the peachy cheeks that the models were sporting on shows for Stella, Versace, Louis Vuitton and many more. It is a fantastic way to brighten and lighten the complexion in exchange for the usual bronzing powder. Flattering for all skin tones and warms the complexion.

Dust a peach tone into the apples of your cheeks and take it up towards the hairline, lifting the cheek bone and sculpting the face. YSL have brought out a gel cheek colour that looks very natural but if you are going for a more pronounced look then opt for a powder, Luster from Nars is a gorgeous apricot colour that would look great on any-one.  Pair with a dewy foundation base for that fresh glow, my favourite is Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint (£21), providing a radiant base.

Comb a light layer of mascara on for fluttery lashes and there you have it, a simply beautiful look for spring 2012. For that added oomph be brave with bright lip gloss.

Penny xx

Get your 2012 face on!

Happy new year everyone! I hope you all had an amazing evening, I started 2012 as I mean to go on with a fried breakfast! Every year I make resolutions I know I will never keep so this year I'm just not going to bother with them. Although having said that, I am trying to save to move in with my boyfriend later in the year. We want to get a mortgage together which means save, save, save. At a recent appointment with the bank my boyfriend and I were very embarrassed to find out we spend approx. £500 on food in a month! How cringe to have to tell your bank that most of our money goes to Nandos.

As one of our spending cuts we saved money this NYE and went to a good old-fashioned house party, which no doubt meant today was going to be a complete write-off. I was right, here I am now watching Richie Rich curled up in my duvet with a face mask. I thought I'd do a quick blog about rejuvenating your skin after a rough night.

I always recommend taking your make-up off before bed (but I know this isn't always possible!) and drink water before bed, and as soon as you wake up. Your skin will be dehydrated after a long night so you need to put the moisture back into your skin. I use an Avene water spray to perk my skin, the fresh water is soothing and anti-irritating - perfect for hungover skin. This next step is cheap and easy, I slap on Nivea creme onto my face and just let it slowly soak in. It's so thick it leaves your skin feeling plump and hydrated. I wouldn't recommend this as a regular beauty routine because it's too heavy to use daily on the skin and will leave you with those annoying under the skin spots, but when your skin is thirsty it is great to use once to inject some moisture into your tired skin. It leaves you with a glow as if you've had 8 hours sleep, and at only £1.11 you can't go wrong!