Pretty and Pink

I remember it perfectly, I was six years old, it was summertime, the brand was “Tinkerbell peel off” - the colour was fushia pink. 

Perhaps this is why I always associate pink nail varnish with happiness, in adult years it has often been the first bottle I reach for when in need of cheering up.  I am relentless in my pursuit of the perfect pink nail varnish. 

My latest perfect pink is not an expensive brand at all.  Fushia Hype - So Laque by Bourjois.   At only £5.99 it is affordable with a fantastic consistency  –  not too thin and not too thick.  It is easy to apply – gliding on perfectly.  The varnish has a gorgeous  glossy high shine and dries in about half an hour.

My top tip is to apply basecoat before applying the colour and apply top coat every day to help prevent chipping.

LET'S FACE IT

Coco Chanel once said that “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty you get the face you deserve”.

Having turned 33 and with this quote in mind I zoomed off to find the perfect potion to help benefit my tired winter skin.  Well….any excuse to buy!

Browsing in SpaceNK I spied “DR BRANDT’S ANTI OXIDANT WATER BOOSTER”.  Packaged in a medicinal looking bottle this is a super power which helps increase skin’s health.  For such a small bottle it is brimming with goodness “3 potent anti-oxidants, green tea, white tea and grapeseed extract” to be precise.  I bought it without hesitation and banished the scepticism slowly creeping in.

I put one dropper of the “blueberry anti oxidant water booster” into my morning glass of water or into my juice.  You can also add it to hot water. 

After just three weeks my skin has become less dry, much clearer and it looks less tired too.  I couldn’t think of a better £30 spent and this is definitely one potion I shall continue to use all year long.  I may not stop my skin getting older but I choose to fight the “free radicals” all the way there!!

FAKING IT

At this time of year when Barbados eludes me and the dark bleak january days go on and on and on and on...I keep a very humble looking sachet in my make up bag.  TAN TOWELS are the perfect way to gain a subtle touch of colour. I don't covet the "Only Way is Essex" look. 

They have the appearance of wetwipe, they have no mess, no funny odour and no streaking. They are a speedy and a much cheaper alternative to the fake tan creams.  If your face is a little dry, very gently exfoliate and allow your moisturiser to soak in before applying. Apply by wiping gently on your face, if you rub hard you may end up with too dark a colour so less is more here! Wash hands after application. It really couldn't be simpler. Carry on with your usual make up routine a minute or two later.  After a couple of hours or so your healthy glow begins to show through. A must have for every winter make up bag!

Soap & Glory

I can't recall the amount of times I have received hand soap "gift sets". These well meaning presents are swiftly dispatched into my underwear drawer serving their purpose as glorified scented draw liners very well.  Not meaning to sound ungrateful, it's just in this day and age, especially living in London the only hand soap I use is the anti bac hand gel. I was unaware my usage had grown into habit, until one day whilst having dinner with my father I unwittingly whipped out my anti bac hand gel in front of him, squirting it onto my hands all the while talking to him about something entirely unrelated as he watched the rather odd ritual unfolding in front of him.....

So.....it was with some caution that I opened the box gift set of soaps by CONNOCK LONDON. I am glad that before banishing them to my drawer I smelt them.  To describe it is almost impossible but once the scent from the soaps hit my nose I was under its spell. Amanda Connock  knows what she is doing and she is faultless. Her debut scent is subtle, elegant, unflowery and I wanted to smell it again and again.  The purity of smell is reflected by the simple square shaped soaps.  One wash of my hands and my bathroom was filled with a heavenly creamy aroma, the kukui oil left my hands soft and not dry.  Even when the soap isn't used the aroma fills the room. The underwear drawer's loss is my gain.

To my delight there are five other products in this delicious new british range..... So I guess you could say I have swopped one bad habit for a brand new addiction.

You can buy these from http://www.beautique.com/ and they retail at £25.55.