FIVE TO TRY

Barry M Surfboard Nail Polish

I’d been struggling to find the perfect nail polish for this not so summery summer we’re currently experiencing in London. Barry M Surfboard is the perfect soft pink with a hint of lilac and really inoffensive, plus it lasts surprisingly long!

Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara

I’m not usually a huge fan of waterproof mascara but as it’s summer I think it’s good to always have a tube to hand, in case of water flights, beach trips or hayfever. I love the original Better Than Sex Mascara and have been loving this one over the last month. I don’t think I would ever switch full time over to the waterproof one as it is so much harder to remove but it held up really well with my extreme hayfever yesterday, the rest of my makeup didn’t do so well. I’ve made a whole video dedicated to this mascara so check it out here.

Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate

A few months back I had a skin consultation in Kiehl’s Regent St, where they recommend lots of products to help improve my dehydrated skin. One of the recommended products was this Kiehl’s oil which helps correct the visible appearance of Skin Fatigue. I’ve been using it on days that I feel my skin needs some extra TLC and have found it to really help make my skin look more glowy and healthy!

L’Oreal Cushion Foundation & Cushion Bronzer

I’ve been raving about this to anyone that will listen as I just think it’s the perfect, lightweight, buildable, summer product. The foundation is nice a glowy, just how I like it but can easily be powdered down for a more matte look. The bronzer adds a really natural looking glow/tan to the skin which I just love and can be really intensified with a powder bronzer.

Collection Deluxe Lipsticks

I always say that drugstore nude lipsticks are just as good as high-end ones and these really prove it. They remind me a little of the MAC Lustre finish lipsticks, they’re relatively sheer but buildable with an almost gloss finish. I love this sort of finish when the rest of my skin is quite matte and I think in nude colours it can look really beautiful (I would go for matte bold colours). The three that caught my eye are Baby Doll, Chicago and Liberty as they’re all beautiful, everyday nudes. I would even say Chicago is a great dupe for MAC Patisserie which is one of my favourite ever lipsticks!

Chanel Christmas Brush Set

Apart from the Chanel No.5 Body Oil (lovely), the only other Christmas offering from Chanel is the Les Minis de Chanel Brush Set that includes the brushes above and comes in a mesh bag with a giant circular mirror. It’s actually the same as last year’s Chanel brush set so it would have been nice to see something different. But, there it is.

They sold out in double quick time last year – even at £76 – so I’m flagging it up now. The Chanel Christmas Brush Set will be available at Selfridges (W1), Harrods, all Chanel Boutiques and the Chanel Parfums Espace. The sets launch on 4th November.

Tame the Mane, Beat the Heat, Fight the Frizz

We love summer: the beach, the patio dinners, and the sundresses. The humidity, however, is not our favorite. Fighting the frizz is a challenge.

If you have naturally soft, manageable hair year-round you’re blessed. However, if you have something that resembles a lion’s mane like I was gifted with, here are some great tried and true hacks on how to beat the heat this summer.

In the shower:

• Use a smoothing shampoo conditioner. Going back to basics, Herbal Essence’s Smooth Collection is a fantastic (and super affordable) go to.
• Rinse with cold water! I can’t stress this one enough. It seals the cuticle preventing static and poof. You’ll feel the difference in your hair immediately.

After showering:

• Don’t towel-wrap your hair. Instead, squeeze access water out in sections using a towel. Blotting will gently dry your hair without causing friction which leads to a static and breakage.
• Comb using a wide-toothed comb.

Products:

• The real key for avoiding frizz is finding an anti-frizz serum or cream. My tried and true favorite product is John Frieda’s Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery serum. Distribute a couple of pumps through your hair while it’s still wet while focusing on your trouble areas (for instance bangs or side pieces that frame your face). This serum is also great for touch ups throughout the day on dry hair as well – just use more sparingly.

THX TRAVEL HAIR STRAIGHTENERS REVIEW

I am a terrible packer. I mean truly awful. I tend to pack way to much or nowhere near enough. And I never leave enough space for the really important things, like socks… and hair straighteners. I usually remember the latter as I’m doing a final visual sweep of my bedroom and by that point my overnight bag is already so full that there’s no way to squeeze them in. So the idea of travel hair straighteners is one I should have cottoned on to a long time ago!

THX (or Total Hair eXperts) have brought out some amazing candy coloured hair straighteners that are not only great for styling your hair but also look super pretty.

THX TRAVEL HAIR STRAIGHTENERS REVIEW

The THX travel hair straighteners are light enough to sling in a bag, but sturdy enough that you aren’t worried about them falling apart after a few uses. The ceramic-coated plates are smooth with no snagging on your hair, and they have a variable control so that you can decide exactly how hot you would like them to be, all the way up to 210°C.

I took them away with me to Scotland and they dealt with the horrible drizzle and kept me looking smooth and sleek, as you can see from the photos below:

You can purchase the straighteners from Tesco HERE and, even better, they are reduced from £18 to £12. No, that is not a typo. TWELVE POUNDS. Flipping ridiculous. And they have other really sweet colours so you should have a nosey!

NEW – No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum

The big beauty story of the week is going to be the launch of the No 7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum. The reason a new No7 Serum is big news is, of course, because their Protect and Perfect serum was shown to clinically work in a landmark episode of the BBC science programme, Horizon.

The Triple Action Serum is the latest edition to the Lift & Luminate range and Boots say this is their most effective serum yet. It’s for those who are 45+ and, as the name suggests, addresses 3 signs of ageing – lines/wrinkles, lack of firmness and uneven skin tone.

The key ingredients in Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum are:

Matrrixyl 3000 Plus (a peptide of amino acids linked to carbons for enhanced penetration)

A firming complex containing Hyaluronic Acid and Hibiscus

A pigmentation complex containing Vitamin C

The serum has a smooth/silky texture and absorbs straight away. It does contain fragrance but the scent is very subtle. For best results, it’s recommended that it’s applied twice daily.

I’ve only used the serum for a few days but I like it and I’m going to continue with it. Inevitably, there’s now a big marketing machine behind the No7 serums but a huge amount of scientific research goes into them and they’re worthy rivals to serums that cost several times the price.

The results of a consumer trial of 1,500 women are:

After 2 weeks 87% agreed their skin looked younger

After 8 weeks 80% said their skin had not looked or felt so good in a long time.

The hashtag No7 have given this new launch is #readyformore and the idea is to reflect the fact that women over 45 lead very fulfilling lives. To further represent this they’ve partnered with Alessandra Ferri, the Olivier award winning prima ballerina, who returned to dancing at 52 after a break of 7 years.

PERFECT SPRING FACE

Today I’m sharing my favorite products for getting the perfect spring face.

FOUNDATION

After my skincare routine (blog post coming soon) I use my Clinique superbalanced foundation with a flattop buffing foundation brush.

POWDER

Then I apply my +tarte cosmetics smooth operator finishing powder with my huge all over powder It Cosmetics brush. This is by far my favorite step because I am in love with the Tarte powder and the brush, the combination of the two blurs pores and gives such a smooth finish. If you haven’t used an It Cosmetics brush yet I highly recommend it!

HIGHLIGHTER

Then I apply a highlighter, lately it’s been my +H&M highlighter in shade shimmering beige. I have been using my +e.l.f. Cosmetics small stippling brush to apply this and love it. Shop e.l.f. Cosmetics now. FYI I am currently obsessed with highlighters! More about highlighters here.

BROWS

Then, for this natural look, I have been using just my Maybelline brow gel in clear to comb and set my brows. This gives a nice light hold which I love.

SHADOW

For eyeshadow I have been using my Maybelline color tattoos in shades barely branded and black orchid. I absolutely love these and recommend them to everyone! I just use either my finger or a shadow brush to apply these. These also work as shadow primer/bases.

SET

I use my +NYX Cosmetics matte finish setting spray next. I spray about 5 times all over from an arm’s length away.

LASHES

To finish, I use my +tarte cosmetics lash curler and Clinique high impact mascara!