MAC Heavenly Creatures Fire Sign Lipstick

I seem to have gone a little lipstick crazy recently, still trying to find my perfect every day colour I suppose. I went into MAC to buy a birthday present for Miss F and accidentally came away with Fire Sign one of the new colours from the Heavenly Creatures collection. I had intended to try (and buy) Pleasureseeker, which I did love, but Fire Sign, the reddish-pink suited me more so that's what I came away with. It's really wearable and glamorous. It also wears off nicely which is something I always look for in redder lip colours. There's nothing worse than red rimmed lips... not a sophisticated look.

I really love the Heavenly Creatures collection - beautiful lip colours (great for bridal colours), and lovely mineralized blushers in really wearable mixed shades. The next thing I want to try out are the mineralized eye shadows, four colours mixed together in one pan ranging from the white, lavender and gold to amazing cobalt blues and golds. There are a lot of baked eye shadows on the market at the moment and many of them are much cheaper than these ones but the range and pigment of the colours are so appealing I just have to try them.

Lisa Eldridge Shopping in France - Friday Video

I'm going on holiday to France for the first two weeks in September and one of the things I'm really looking forward to is going to the French pharmacies to get some great products - stocking up on Bioderma and Embroylisse and trying out some new ones as recommended by the great Lisa Eldridge...

Maybelline BB Cream

Regular readers will know how I feel about BB creams (to summarise they are pretty good as a cheap tinted moisturiser/light foundation but they do not get rid of blemishes or having any of the attributes of the original Asian BB creams...) but I still use them pretty much most days because there are just so many on the market that I want to try them all to see if I can find the perfect alternative to a more expensive tinted moisturiser, especially when it's hot and I don't really want to be wearing anything on my skin at all.

A lot of the BB creams I've tried have been ok but I've found one that I love and have been wearing everyday and will definitely be coming on holiday with me (and to the hospital when I have the baby). For me the new Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream knocks all of the others out of the competition. It's a reasonable £7.99 for 30ml and rather than focusing on the the 'blemish' in BB it offers an 8 promises that I actually agree with. Imperfections look blurred (yes they do but the coverage is light enough that my freckles still mostly show through), a natural looking glow (very natural but not too glowy like the Garnier one), fresh feel (yes), compliments skin tone (well I've so far only tried the Light on me but it does match well), skin looks smooth (yes), hydrates (not the most hydrating by definitely not drying), protects with SPF 30 (which is the minimum I want on my face in the summer), oil free and non-greasy (incredibly smooth and light).

OK so only a few of those really match the whole BB ethos and the others are just positive attributes but I'd rather that to a massive lie about how it's going to sort my skin out. It's smooth, light finish is what really does it for me. My red patches are covered pretty well but it doesn't feel heavy and is quick to apply. If you go onto their website now you can order a free sample so you can try it for yourself.

5 Summer Pink Lip Looks - Friday Video

I'm slightly lipstick obsessed at the moment so I've got a whole lot of pinks that I'm wearing for a summery look, ranging from pale nudes to hot shimmers... excuse my big zoomed in face in the thumbnail

• Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream
• MyFace MyMix Foundation in 02 Fair
• Clinique Coloursurge Eye Shadow Duo in Victorian Pink
• L'oreal Superfine Liner Perfect Slim in Black
• Rimmel Matte Eyeshadow in Jet Black
• Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara in Black
• Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque
• Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 3 Medium
• MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy
• Marks and Spencer Limited Collection Bronzer in Light
• Collection Shimmer Shades in Way to Glow
• Collection Shimmer Shades in Blushalicious
• Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Warm
• Clarins Crystal balm in 02 Crystal Pink
• MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Fuscia Fix
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey
• MAC Lipstick in Lustering
• Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain

I've been desperate to try out the new Clinique Chubby Sticks but I'm trying to be good as I have quite enough lipsticks and babies aren't cheap but I couldn't resist the new Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain which looks pretty much the same but is a fraction of the price at £5.99 (Chubby Sticks are £16). Revlon do another Lip Balm Stain which comes with a stain pen at one end and a balm at the other but I noticed that quite a few of the balms had snapped off so I went for the big stick instead.

I really love it - it's easy to apply, the colour I chose (Honey) is gorgeous and quite natural and really non-drying on the lips. I wouldn't call it is a stain though, I have always needed to reapply when I've worn it, but maybe a little less often than a lipstick but the stick format makes it so easy to carry around and apply that it really doesn't matter and it wears off evenly so nothing to worry about on that front.

I definitely want to get this in other colours just because they are such good value for money and so easy to use but I'm also thinking I should maybe get a Clinique Chubby Stick too... just for a comparison. I used this all last week whilst working on a film set and could quickly re-apply without a mirror and be sure that it looked good.

The New Jergens® Moisturiser Range - Marie Clare Competition

I've just received the following information from  Jergens® about a new competition... I haven't tried their products yet but I'm going to...

To celebrate the launch of its new range of moisturisers, Jergens® is giving you the chance to visibly enhance your skin and showcase its radiance in Marie Claire.

When skin has a gorgeous radiance you can’t help but show it off. Jergens® is giving you the chance to make a beautiful difference to your skin and see it at its most stunning in a fabulous Marie Claire spread.
Jergens® Facebook fans are being invited to sign-up for the chance to visibly transform and showcase their skin, with the ‘Style Your Skin’ application over at Facebook www.facebook.com/JergensUK.
Three lucky Jergens® fans will be chosen to enrich their skin with Jergens® unique and new moisturisers, before being beautifully styled and professionally shot in their own photo shoot.  As a result these winners will end up enjoying the opportunity to show off their new radiance for everyone to admire in the pages of Marie Claire.
Jergens® body moisturisers are uniquely created to make a beautiful difference for your skin – a difference you can actually see, feel and experience. That’s because it’s not enough for your skin to feel its best – it should look its best too!  As beautiful skin is the foundation for any outfit – everything else is mere accessory!
The NEW Jergens® Range consists of:
·        Jergens Daily Moisture – For 24 hour hydration, enriched with Silk Proteins and a citrus extract blend. Transforms dry, rough skin into smooth, visibly healthy skin.
·        Jergens Ultra Healing – A deeply hydrating moisturiser with Vitamins C, E and B5. Penetrates below the surface of extra dry skin, making it looked quenched and moisturised.
·        Jergens Soothing Aloe – With Aloe and Cucumber, this fast-absorbing moisturiser quickly replenishes moisture and soothes dry skin caused by the elements, leaving skin looking and feeling beautifully refreshed.
·        Jergens Skin Firming – Go beyond mositurisation with visibly firmer skin. With its exclusive Firm Perfecting™ complex, containing collagen and elastin, this moisturiser tightens skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite.
·        Jergens Cocoa Butter – A rich Cocoa Butter body moisturiser that gives your dry, dull skin a radiant sheen that makes it look and feel instantly more beautiful.
·        Jergens Original Beauty Lotion – This classic Cherry-Almond scent lotion moisturises dry skin, leaving it looking and feeling softer for 24 hours resulting in skin that is beautifully soft.
To take your first step to showcasing your beautiful skin in your own photo shoot appearing on the pages of Marie Claire, simply head to www.facebook.com/JergensUK upload a full length photo of yourself and tell us which part of your body (arms, leg or shoulders) you are most proud of and why? Submit your answers and details and you’ll be in with a chance of winning! – Good Luck.

The new Jergens range of Moistuirsers are available from supermarkets and high street chemists nationwide from July 2012, with prices starting from £3.49(RRP)

To find out more about Jergens®, go to www.facebook.com/JergensUK

Spring Wedding Guest Make-up - Friday Video

This is a summer wedding guest makeup look that I did on my sister recently when she was off to a daytime wedding in typically English summer weather. She doesn't like being filmed so it was very nice of her to agree to do it. I used a mixture of what was in her makeup bag and what was in mine as we were both staying with my mother for the weekend and I wasn't planning to film a video. I found everything I needed which made me wonder slightly why I heave my heavy kit around everywhere!

• Origins Youthtopia Moisturiser
• No 7 Airbrush primer
• Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid foundation
• MAC eye kohl in Powersurge
• Barry M Eye trio eyeshadow in Tes 1
• No 7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow in Truffle
• MAC eye kohl in Teddy
• Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque
• Clinique All About Eyes Concealer in 01
• Sleek Makeup Contour Kit in Light
• Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Innocent Peach
• Natural Collections Powder in Warm
• Maybelline The Falsies Volume Mascara
• Revlon Lustre Lipgloss in Nearly Nude
• L'Oreal Lip Pencil in Rosewood
• Nails - Boudoir by Ciate

Noble Isle

I realised when I went to put labels on this post (which I do at the start to stop myself forgetting at the end) that I never really write about bath products (I didn't even have a label) mostly because I have to say I'm never that fussy about what I put in my bath. I usually use Sainsburys own brand which is perfectly fine and occasionally treat myself with some Florris bath oil I got as a birthday present. When I received this Noble Isle bath and shower gel in my GlossyBox I nearly gave it away as a little house gift but at the last minute decided it was the perfect size (the GlossyBox smaller size) for my swimming bag so in it went.

For two weeks running we must have sounded like a (bad) tv advert for Noble Isle. Firstly, Libby and I oohed and ahhhed about how lovely smelling it was and the week after when my sister joined us she commented on the gorgeous smell and we said 'that's just what we thought!' The smell is Summer Rising Cornish Hedgerows - a quite masculine mix of elderflower and gooseberry with 'clean notes' of moss, orange blossom and cut grass.

It's the strength of smell I love about this, something which I find is often lacking from bath and shower gels aimed at a unisex or female market. And yet when you've used this its not overpowering on your skin - and this has been approved by three pregnant women with oversensitive senses of smell. For £20 I think this is incredibly well priced - cheaper than Jo Malone or other higher-end competitors but I think that Summer Rising is every bit as yummy smelling and therefore a great, and patriotic (all their fragrances are inspired by the British Isles), option for a lovely house gift for someone. I like it so much I might buy it for myself - from someone saving for a baby and spending any spare money on makeup that really is saying something.