Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer

 Just a quick post about this fab buffer! Usual buffer style, use one side to refine the surface of your nail then the white side to polish for an absolutely superb shine! 400% more shine than your natural nail apparently, well I don't now about that but its certainly impessive and I've been rocking the no polish look a lot more since I've had it. Very impressed, and the results last for days and days with no need to re-buff.

 

You can also use to add shine back to your polish if it's looking a bit dull.

I love this so much and highly recommend it. At the time of writing I don't have a price but will update this post when I do.

Available from http://www.superdrug.com/ for a bargainous £2.99!.

*Disclosure - PR Sample

Pimpin' Out Beauty Retreat in Kent

I wanted to this post to help out a friend who's been an enormous help to me of late and so I'm giving the lovely Sarah of http://www.iheartcosmetics.co.uk/ a big pimp in two ways, if you live under a rock and haven't checked out her blog then you probably should do... but mostly I just wanted to pimp out her business to any of my readers who live in the Kent area.

http://www.beautyretreatkent.com/ is a mobile service and Sarah offers some fab treats that can all be done in the comfort of your own home, think Gelish nails, chocolate pedicures, spray tans, eyelash extensions, in fact there isn't much she can't do!

And while you're at it, you should probably go and check out her Facebook page too.

And finally, a personal little note to Sarah, thank you for putting up with my endless questions recently, I do appreciate it! xx

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - My Review

I can't believe that only recently I got the chance to try this iconic product out after I won it in a competition.

Surely it's got to be one of the most talked about beauty products of the last god, I don't know how long this has been out, it feels like a long time. If I hadn't have won it I probably still wouldn't have tried it!

So what is Beauty Flash Balm?

"An exceptional beauty booster which immediately eliminates all signs of fatigue: facial features appear rested and smooth. The cream in contact with the skin remains soft and pliable to fill out fine lines, while the cream in contact with the air sets to a firming film which gives skin a radiant glow. It promotes a radiant complexion and long-lasting, incredibly luminous make-up. The ideal treatment before a busy day or an evening out."

After cleansing you apply a thin layer all over your face (without massaging in) and immediately apply your make up and you can apply a thicker layer a couple of times a week and use it as a mask.

So my first thought was how would it affect my foundation. Well not all all, it applied just the same as it always does, no problems at all.

The long and short of it is that I find it really does give me a lumious kind of glow, nothing too full on, just a extra healthy looking glow and it's really lovely. I've not tried this as a mask yet but that's the next thing to try.

I was a bit worried at first that it might have been giving me spots, but I think it was coincidence, I've continued to use this and had no further problems. I don't wear it every day, just on the days where I've not had much sleep or I feel my skin needs a little bit of extra help.

Another thing I think worth mentioning is that it not only affects the appearance of my skin under make up, but that it seems to continue the good work into the next day so that I feel my skin still looks much better even when I've cleansed.

Nice one http://www.debenhams.com/  and thank you for the prize!

Lush Almond & Coconut Smoothie

Years ago when I was at the start of a Lush obsession that was to last a couple of years I tried the Creamed Almond & Coconut Smoothie and wasn't impressed. I was so unimpressed that I handed it to Daddy and instructed he used it for the kids baths.  It didn't smell of anything to me at the time and it didn't seem to do much of anything really. But let me explain, I liked my Lush to STINK (of nice things of course) but the more heavily scented the product, the more I loved it. My house smelled like a Lush shop. I'm not even exaggerating. There was stinky stuff everywhere. This little pot of Smoothie didn't stand a chance.

As time has passed and my Lush obsession has waned to a more reasonable level of just really liking some things they make, so my appreciation for the subtler things has become more refined.

Step forward the Almond & Coconut Smoothie. For the unitiated this little pot of goodness is a conditioning body wash. You lather it all over and wash it off again, just like a normal shower gel except this is full of extra goodness!

It doesn't smell like you'd expect it to, you don't open the pot and think it smells like coconut rice pudding, no it's very gently scented with Jasmine, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang and Labdanum and of course almond and coconut. It's rich, creamy, lathers up a treat and feels really soothing. I can't imagine what I was thinking when I donated my last pot to my kids, what a waste.

Oh and as an added bonus this is the absolute bees knees for shaving too. At £7.75 for 250g this is a really delicious shower treat I can afford to regularly get, not that you'd need to since a little goes a long way.

Definitely a rave review for this gorgeous product.

*Disclosure - PR Sample

Yes To Cucumbers!

I've never tried anything from the Yes To brand and Yes To Cucumbers is the latest range to be added to the brand, which I was given the opportunity to try out. Accepting these PR samples was a slight error of judgment on my part actually since I cannot bear the smell the cucumber. I know thats a bit odd, I just don't like the smell, never have, I don't want my skin to smell like my toddlers all time favourite snack...

Anyway, I'm going to be professional and leave my thoughts on the smell of cucumber to one side and assume readers will have more sense than I when choosing products!

I think most of us  know the cooling properties of cucumbers and it's this that soothes and reduces redness and irritation. All of the products are 96% natural, paraben, petroleum and SLS free. The cucumber works in combination with Anti-oxidant rich Green Tea and moisiturising aloe vera.

I was sent the Daily Calming Moisturiser (£12.99). This moisituriser is light, definitely soothing and banishes my dry patches. I personally prefer a slightly heavier formula that offers SPF and anti aging properties, but this feels light, cool and soothing, as intended. I think this would be fab for younger skins and I'll be passing my bottle on to my sister who suffers eczema as I think this might work a treat to calm her skin. It's a lovely moisturiser, just not ideal for me.

The other product I was sent was the Soothing Eye Gel (£12.99). Well we all know about cucumber and eyes don't we? Using slices of cucumbers to reduce puffyness is an age old tip passed through generations I believe. Now you don't have to lie down with salad on your face! The Soothing Eye Gel is cooling and it does immediately reduce puffy eyes.  Again, this product is very nice and I'd recommend it for anyone who suffers with puffy, tired eyes, and younger folk. For me, as with the moisturiser, I like anti aging properties in my skin care but if I was 20 again (and I could bear the smell of cucumber) I think this range would be ideal.

Definitely a range to look at if you like natural products, that do what they say they will, without being blinded by science. Also in the range are facial wipes, a mask, a cleanser, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner.

Available via http://www.victoriahealth.com/.

Helen's Beauty Blogger's Best Things

This week on Beauty Bloggers Best Things is probably the UK's best known Nail Bloggger and one half of Just Nice Things, Helen. I'm a long time reader of Just Nice Things which is a great balance of beauty and nails. I can't really believe there is anyone out there not already reading Helen and Sheenie's blog, but just in case you're not, please go and follow here http://www.just-nice-things.co.uk.

It's also worth mentioning that Helen is partially to blame for my ridiculous obsession with all things Nars at the moment. My bank account does not thank Helen for this.

Moving swiftly on!

Can you talk me through your daily skin care regimen, which products you use and why?
OK. I’m hoping that the majority of you don’t put the phone down on me right away here, but I don’t really have a skin care regime. Eeeek!

I have chronic psoriasis and as a result have to be extremely careful with what I choose to put on my skin. I’m not one of those bloggers who you’ll ever see reviewing reams of skin care products because, quite frankly, I’m too scared. I don’t want to use anything that might upset the balance of my skin and that’s that. So, as a result, I remove my make-up with Tesco unfragranced baby wipes (I know, I know) and have a quick rinse with cold water. Once a week or so I apply a Montagne Jeunesse face mask and I’ll occasionally use Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish but not too often. I’m not much of a one for moisturiser but I do drink a lot of water though.

So you might not want to kiss my face when you meet me, but hey - it works for me, it’s cheap, and I tell you one thing as well – I get approximately one spot every six months. God knows what I’ll look like when I’m 80 though.

Phew. That felt a bit confessional. Forgive me, beauty addicts but I have sinned. Every day.

What shampoo and conditioner are you devoted to?
I love to try out new shampoos and conditioners but again, like the skincare thing, it’s kind of hit and miss as to what will work for me and what won’t. Some things make my scalp crawl, and others are great. I’m a big fan of anything by Tigi, and I’ve also recently discovered a brand called Healthy Sexy Hair and I love their stuff too. MOP is brilliant as it contains no parabens or sulphates but I find need a change once in a while.

What about your top three make up brands generally speaking?
Easy peasy.
1) Nars. Anyone who follows me on Twitter will be aware of my predilection for Nars. This is a proper obsession. I mean, who else was crazy enough to do a post featuring 28 Nars EOTDs? (http://www.just-nice-things.co.uk/2011/02/21/the-story-so-nars/) I can’t stop myself from buying their eyeshadows – it is a slippery slope.
2) Illamasqua. A proper British brand, which launched around the same time as Just Nice Things was starting out. I am in awe of their ethos, marketing, products and team. I’ve always felt a lot of synergy with the brand and I was lucky enough to have Halimah from Illamasqua do my wedding make-up last year.
3) OK so it’s not strictly make-up but I have to say OPI here. The reason the blog was born. I have more OPIs than any other brand of nail varnish. I love their colours, names and quality. I love a lot of other nail varnishes as well (you may be aware of this), but I always reach first for an OPI and get ridiculously over excited every time they launch a new collection.

Ok some specifics now!

What is your favourite foundation and why?
Youngblood mineral foundation without a shadow of a doubt. I resisted wearing foundation up until last year as my skin was always clear and I didn’t really feel I “needed” it. Also, I loathe the slappy wet feeling of liquid foundation on my skin, and what love about Youngblood is that it’s light, finely milled and a little goes a long way. I was introduced to Youngblood and it really is “my skin but better” and it doesn’t irritate me in the slightest. I reviewed it here (http://www.just-nice-things.co.uk/2011/04/20/youngblood-mineral-foundation/) recently and someone actually accused me of airbrushing my face in Photoshop (which I honestly hadn’t – I don’t even have Photoshop) So that’s good enough for me.

What is your favourite mascara and why?
Max Factor Masterpiece Max. I remember getting my first one in a Christmas stocking one year and I’ve been a slave to it ever since. I must have used it for about a decade now? I adore big fat lashes and I love the way that the brush is the right size, and that the content doesn’t clump but is thick enough to build and isn’t soaking wet. I hate wet oily mascaras that are all slippy and don’t dry. I always think a mascara is at its best stage after it’s been open for about a month, and Masterpiece Max has the perfect consistency as far as I am concerned.

What one product do you think every cosmetic aficionado should have in their collection?
A good highlighter. I swear Nars Albatross changed my life. Instant cheekbones and a shimmery lift that just makes your face glow (in a good way, not in a sweaty way). I also use it as an under-eyebrow highlighter every single day, sometimes adding a dab of Illamasqua’s Breathe pigment for added glimmer if I so desire.

I also think anyone who paints their nails needs a quick drying topcoat. There’s no way I’d ever have survived the first week of establishing myself as a nail blogger (changing my polish daily) without having something to take the pain out of waiting for something to dry. And I don’t even think that Seche Vite is the best one out there, but you’ll have to read this post (http://www.just-nice-things.co.uk/2010/10/25/quickdry-topcoat-comparison/) to find out more about that...

I love finding new blogs so please before you go, please recommend three of your favourite bloggers.
I’ve recently gone back to avidly reading the blogs that inspired me to start Just Nice Things all that time ago:
http://www.body-soulbeauty.com/ Mary is one of the kindest people I know and her blog always keeps me entertained of a lunch hour
http://nixxysnails.blogspot.com/ Nixxy is the most talented writer I know. Go for the nail reviews, stay for her hilarious writing.
http://getchanailsdid.blogspot.com/ Brooke is one of the original and best nail bloggers. And she’s back blogging again, which makes me so happy.

Oooh thanks Helen! There's one blog there I don't already follow so I'm off to follow now! I'm also off to google Youngblood. Sounds nice and although I'm drowning in foundations at the moment, my sister is after a new mineral foundation...and I'm saying nothing about your skincare regime!

Thanks for taking part, it's been a pleasure.

As always, if you'd like to take part, just drop me a line to charlie@ladyofthelane.com.

Soap & Glory Flake Away - It's not you, it's me.

Argh, I've been meaning to write this review for a long long long time.

I like Soap & Glory products generally speaking, they don't blow me away but I like the smell and they do what they are supposed to do.

Even so it pains me to write a not great review of a product but when I buy something with my own money and its a let down... well sometimes it's good to share.

The blurb goes something like this:
"Transforms your scaly legs from reptilian to radiant. Nothing eliminates dry surface flakes as fast as Flake Away™. For superhero-strength skin smoothing spa body polish with Shea Butter, sweet almond oil, peach seed powder, sea salt and sugar.."


Now then. Lets start with the positives because there are some. It smells nice. Synthetic and not totally up my street but it's a clean, perfumey kind of a scent and it's nice. It's a great consistency. I like scrubs to be scrubby. I don't want a few random jojoba beads dotted in a cream, I want to feel like I'm sloughing away the dead skin. This is gritty (without being harsh) and feels utterly fab.

The negatives, it's a oil base I think. Not unsual,  I've used oil based scrubs before with no bother. But this isn't like other scrubs.

You're supposed to scrub until the salt and sugar have dissolved and then rinse away. I find that nearly impossible although you can get most of it dissolved. No the real problem is the oil, whatever grains are left on your body, or get rinsed from one part of your body past another, stick. So you can expect to find grains under your armpits if you've done your shoulders, trapped in any hair you may have on your body (not that I have much I hasten to add), stuck in your bum (not literally in your bum but I don't want to go into too much detail....) and so on. And although you may be stood under a constantly running shower, they just don't budge. And you don't know they are there until you start drying and its gritty. Which isn't pleasant.

I want to love this product, it smells good, it is just the right consistency, it leaves my skin soft and smooth but I cannot stand the hidden grains on my body that just don't budge because they are stuck to the oil residue on your skin which is presumably doing it's moisturising thing.

I know people LOVE this brand and I know people LOVE this product and I can't help but wonder what on earth I'm doing wrong because it really does seem to be only me that has this issue! I won't be buying again thats for sure.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Kiss Elixir & Devilish Nectar

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win one of ten prizes from Rouge Bunny Rouge in return for your honest feedback direct to them by email. Which was very nice indeed.

Not only did they send the product they wanted my thoughts on (Kiss Elixir Lip Balm) but also enclosed a Devilish Nectar Lip Potion as a reward/prize with no review required. But I'm a blogger and far be it from me to pass up the opportunity to write a review for my blog!

So first up, lets look at the lip balm.

I've included a picture of the box because, well, the packaging is so whimsical and beautiful it seemed wrong not to include a picture of it. I did bin it but I nearly kept it! The Kiss Elixir balm itself is tiny. I have to say this from the off. It's £18 too. Yes a little goes a long way and when you read on I do rave about this, but its with the caveat that the price is extraordinary as well as the product.

So Kiss Elixir is filled with macadamia, jojoba and avocado oils, a dollop of vitamin E and if the smell is anything to go by, lots and lots of honey. Gorgeous gorgeous honey. Apparently there's also some mint in ther but I can't taste it. Now the big thing about this product is that it really helps and soothes my lips. More than any other I've ever used. I've tried so many lip balms, either they make my lips dryer or they do nothing. Carmex is my go to brand as it does help, but now I realise that there are better products and I'll tell you why. At the first sign of dryness I put a small amount of this on (it is slightly sticky but I don't notice it being a problem and rather than disappearing off my lips it seems to sink in). I have no idea if scientifcally thats possible but thats just how it feels to me. The results are soft supple lips and the miracle bit? I don't reapply, I don't need to. The effects last on me for two to three days. So perhaps that warrants the price tag, you can afford to buy it because you're not having to slather it on every hour or two. One more point of interest is that this stuff contains no water, most lip balms do which possibly why most lipbalms make my lips worse. A very beautiful product. 

The product I was sent as a prize for being selected was the Devilish Nectar Lip Potion. Please please enlarge the second picture and the third.

Firstly, the packaging, it comes all packaged up like a little treasure, gorgeous. Again, this is TINY. It's absolutely tiny and its £24! It's much much smaller than your average lipgloss and I don't unfortunately have the actual weight. Anyway, it's no ordinary lipgloss, it's a plumping lipgloss with a small amount of shimmer and glitter but to all intents and purposes it's transparent on the lips.

Cardomom, cloves and chilli work to plump your lips and jojoba softens. It tastes and smells lovely as a result of the spicy essential oils but as a plumper this didn't do much for me, well you can see from the picture. I think there was a slight tingling and plumping but not much and the instructions call upon you to apply more to keep increasing the effect, but for such a small bottle and at such a great price I'm too afraid to keep reapplying!

The other thing is the glitter, if you have looked at the lips photo in detail, you'll see what looks like random red specks of glitter on my lips which I'm not a fan of but it's so sparse and tiny, it makes no bones.  I can't in all honestly recommend this product as it didn't work well for me and I think its very over priced, that said I'm clinging onto  like it was a precious jewel and I kept the box of this one, it's so pretty and its a nice gloss. I'm saving it for special occasions. :)

Honestly, both of the products are gorgeous, but the lipbalm I would consider rebuying, the Nectar, I wouldn't, I will however clutch it to my breast for all eternity whispering things like "my preciousssssss", because it's that pretty :)

*Disclaimer - product sent for review purposes but not for my blog, because I won a competition.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm having a day off today as it's my birthday, I'm enjoying a large cappucino and a chocolate croissant instead of writing my blog. Bliss!

I did want to share with you my best presents.

These beautiful gold and silver rings courtesy of the very talented and beautiful Lydia Niziblian.

 Please do check out her beautiful jewellery, all made to order and including bespoke designs.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Yves Saint Laurent Pure Chromatics Eyeshadows

I couldn't believe my luck when the YSL Pure Chromatics Eye Shadow Palette in No5 cropped up on one of Goss Make Up Artist's legendary blog sales and no one had bagged it before me.

The Chromatics palettes are designed to be used wet or dry and I LOVE the fact that each palette has a bright shade and having previously looked at the palettes this one was calling my name (along with a few more!). So I was completely thrilled to get this.

I had it in my mind that I'd like to use the two neutrals and the dark colour wet and add the hot pink dry so it was softer but anyway, more on that later. To the swatches! The top blobs are wet and the stripes below are dry and I've include two pics because I couldn't decide which was best ;)

 I'm always afraid of pressed products that suggest they can be used wet because when they dry you sometimes get that shiny hard surface over the top that you have to scrape off? That's not the case with these, they are very very soft. Almost slightly wet already, a new consistency for me and very nice. The shades are gorgeous and rich and consistent in that each applies the same and there's no dud :)

I applied these dry yesterday and took about 50 photo's. Those that weren't blurry or washed out by sunlight just didn't capture the colours at all so sadly I have no pictures of them in use. They were very pretty though and blended well but they were very very shimmery and by the time I took my make up off last night there were specks of shimmer everywhere. I'll have to have a go with Primer potion and see if that helps, am also wondering if there may be less travelling shimmer if they are applied wet.

All in all a gorgeous palette and one I'm delighted to own but I certainly wouldn't pay £37 for it!

Revlon Colorburst Lipglosses - Gorgeous!

I absolutely loved the Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks. Loved them, so it's no surprise that I really rate the Colorburst Lipglosses too. 

The colour range is great, the wear on them is average, but the colour packs a great punch which is fab since so many glosses I try really are on the sheer side (which I like too but it's nice to have some real pigment!) and they aren't too sticky, I couldn't say in all honesty that these weren't sticky at all but I actually find a lipgloss thats a bit sticky at least tends to have a bit more staying power, never too sure if I'm imagining that though and at £7.99 each they won't break the bank either.

The three shades I have are Pink Ice,  Crystal Lilac, Hot Pink and Bordeaux which look like this:

Pink Ice:

 Crystal Lilac:

 Hot Pink:

 Bordeaux:

Gorgeous colours. My fave out of the four is Crystal Lilac, you should be able to see if you click the image to full size that it's full of subtle lilac duochrome but otherwise looks like a fairly nude lip. Very nice.

Available from http://www.boots.com/

*Disclosure - PR Samples

Samantha's Beauty Blogger's Best Things

Before I start with this week's fab BBBT, I just want to remind everyone why I do this!

I do it because as consumers and in particular avid beauty product consumers we're all interested in the best products on the market and there are certain things we seem to spend our entire lives searching for as holy grails, like mascara's and foundations. Not only that but most of us like finding new blogs to read. So given that Beauty Bloggers are so obsessed with products and blogs, who better to ask for their favourites and to add more products to our (huge I'm sure) lists of things to try in future!

On a personal note, I particularly like using BBBT as a way to promote other people's blogs! If you fancy taking part, please please just drop me a line to charlie@ladyofthelane.com. No matter how big or small your blog is, it's your favourites I care about, not your reputation! ;)

So anyway, this week's lovely blogger is the gorgeous and very knowledgable Samantha from http://www.thebeautydiaries.net/.

As always, please be sure to stop by and have a read, especially if you are especially interested in cruelty free products as Samantha is completely and utterly passionate about it :)

So lets get on!

Can you talk me through your daily skin care regimen, which products you use and why?
I’m really strict with my skincare, and have been since I was about 15. As soon as I hit 25 I upped the ante and started introducing some anti-ageing products into the mix too. However, I’ve always chopped and changed but recently I’m really enjoying the products I’m using and they’re making a huge difference to my skin; I cleanse every day with Liz Earle’s hot polish cleanser, and I highly recommend it to everyone; I follow with Caudalie’s beauty elixir which is a spritzer and really wakes my skin up; then I massage in Neal’s Yard rose facial oil, before applying Caudalie’s moisturiser for young skin. In the mornings I finish off with Sun Sense’s SPF50 tinted moisturiser, which goes all over my face, neck and decolette. I have this irrational fear of looking down at my decolette and seeing leathery skin like Magda’s from there’s something about Mary – yuk!!

In the evenings my routine is pretty much the same minus the SPF for obvious reasons, and I replace the moisturiser with Neal’s Yard beauty sleep concentrate. You have to get it, it’s so lush and worth every penny!

What shampoo and conditioner are you devoted to?
You know what I’ve never been ‘devoted’ to just one brand as I felt that they all did the same thing. But since going cruelty free I really love Faith in Nature’s chocolate scented shampoo and conditioner for dry/damaged hair. I could literally drink the stuff it smells so good, and yes my hair always smells of chocolate afterwards!!

What about your top three make up brands generally speaking?
BMBeauty - they’re a cruelty free mineral make up line with the most beautiful eyeshadow colours. I especially love their finishing powder which really mattefies my t-zone

Urban Decay – who doesn’t love Urban Decay right? I still don’t have their Naked palette (its always sold out!!!) but I do have the UDPP which makes such a difference to my eyeshadow

MeMeMe – I love this brand they have literally ripped off all of Benefits best sellers, and they’re just as good if not better but a fraction of the price!! Every time I’m in Superdrug I stock up on their goodies

Ok some specifics now!

What is your favourite foundation and why?
I stopped using foundation just under a year ago and you would not believe the difference it made to my skin. I used to get breakouts on my chin all the time, even mineral foundation couldn’t stop it! But since I stopped using the stuff my skin is so much clearer, I’m all for tinted moisturisers now

What is your favourite mascara and why?
I used to love DiorShow but I had to get rid of it as it’s not a cruelty free brand. I was so gutted you wouldn’t believe it. So now I’m on the hunt for the best cruelty free mascara I can find, I’ve only tried a GOSH one and a BMBeauty one, and they’re ok but not AMAZING. So if any of your readers can recommend a cruelty free mascara I’d love them forever!

What one product do you think every cosmetic aficionado should have in their collection?
A good set of brushes! No matter how good you are at applying make up and no matter how amazing your make up is it will never look its absolute best if your brushes are cheap and nasty. They’re your tools so they should be an investment that lasts, take care of them too and they’ll last you a life time

I love finding new blogs so please before you go, please recommend three of your favourite bloggers.
Ok this is hard because I have so many favourites, but if I really had to choose I’d say Sofia’s Journal (http://www.sofiasjournal.com/ ), which is basically her ramblings as she goes through life, her posts are very thought provoking, and I just love her blog so much

The Art of Being Perfect (http://www.theartofbeingperfect.blogspot.com/ ), which is by a lovely lady who owns the buttercream bakery in Brighton. I love reading her recipes and looking at her creations, they make me so hungry but I’ve not had time to try any yet, so when they holidays are upon us I’ll be giving the toy story strawberry bear cupcakes a go mmmmmm

Make up Trailer (http://www.makeuptrailer.blogspot.com/ ), Nisha Grace is the girl who writes this blog, and she doesn’t post that often but when she does, her reviews really are something else! She’s blogged about thing’s I’ve never even heard of so I’m always checking back to catch her latest review!

Thanks so much Samantha, I really enjoyed reading this only you've made me want too much starting off with chocolate hair products. I want to be sophisticated but at the end of the day I just can't resist foody scents in body products! Also loving the sound of the Neals Yard Sleep Concentrate, I'm due to go there for a facial soon so I'll have to check it out. Also thanks for the blog recommendations, not heard of any of them so off to investigate now!

Basic Products I Rebuy

I'm not loyal to many products really. I hop from brand to brand for all things. There's always a new shower gel/moisturiser/lipstick I want to try out but while I was thinking about this the other night I thought of a few things that I consistently rebuy and I thought it'd make a nice little post.

So without waffling on much more, onto the first item.

Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer

I've used this stuff for more years than I care to mention. It used to be the only concealer I used at all but as I've got older it's lost its position as sole concealer, now I choose to use other concealers when putting my make up on in the morning, but this will always be my stashed-in-my-handbag and another-spare-in-the-bathroom concealer. The shade Ivory matches my skin brilliantly, it's portable and quick to use, blends and covers well and is cheap as chips. Say no more.

Sure Stick Deodorant

Any of them! I never get wet patches from sweat, and they never stain my (mostly black) clothes. It's a no brainer.

Seche Vite Top Coat

I don't know what I did before this came along! Yeah I sometimes notice a bit of tip shrinkage with it, but when you have small kids you have to be ready to pick them up or put them back to bed at any moment. having to wait half an hour for nails to dry just isnt' possible. Touch dry in a minute, solid in five this suits my needs perfectly, plus it's ultra glossy. For a mother of young kids, this is essential if you like to do your nails!

Carmex Lipbalm

The only lipbalm I've ever tried to date that actually helps and heals my lips when I have a cold. I particularly favour the cherry variety. I do stray sometimes but I always come back to this stuff. It works!

Beverly Hills Formula Toothpaste

I was told by my dentist years ago that the enamel on my teeth is particularly grainy and therefore more attractive to stains. Which is nice. I believe (and don't quote me on this) that BBC's Watchdog found that this toothpaste removed over 90% of staining and I'd have to agree this is absolutely fab. Keeps my teeth as white as my teeth can be.

Collection 2000 Clear Mascara
I can't find an image for this and I'm not showing you a picture of my decidedly murky looking bottle. I've been buying this cheap as chips product for years for holding my brows in place. It's about £1.99 and so far as I'm concerned a clear mascara is a clear mascara and I'm not about to spend a tonne of money on one when this works just fine!

Lush Ocean Salt Scrub

I've blogged about it before, more than once I think. I just can't be without this. Once a week on my face and on any body parts that need a bit of attention (hello upper arms!). Smells amazing, does a great job and is affordable.

So, what are your basics that you consistently rebuy? Let me in on your secrets!

Nars Summer 2011 - In detail and very pic heavy.

As with Spring, I fell in love with the look of this Summer's Nars collection and I was fortunately sent several bits to try out but I also bought quite a few bits so I've ended up with nearly the entire collection, minus two items, Kismet Nail Varnish and Mayflower lipstick.

Some of the items are total winners but in my opinion there are a couple of fails too. So lets crack on and have a look at them all in a bit more detail.

First up Ecume Nail Varnish £13.50

A perfect white creme finish polish. I love white creme's as I'm sure I've mentioned more than once on this blog and this one is great, not streaky, perfect.

Soft Touch Shadow in Queen £16.50

My first Soft Touch Shadow pencil and unfortunately Queen probably wasn't a good place to start with this product. Described on the website as a citrus gold glitter. I'm not going to dwell on this really but it's green glitter in a clear base and I have absolutely no idea how to use it to be honest, if you use it alone on the eyelid it's not buildable and it creases like mad. Here's a swatch.

Exotic Dance Eyeshadow Duo £23.50

 This duo  is a grower. The golden brown is beautiful in both colour and texture whereas the white is pretty hard to work with, it's a bit chunky and prone to fall out but with a little practice it is workable and I've found myself reaching for it fairly frequently on days where I don't want to look like I'm wearing much make up.

Dogon Eyeshadow Duo £23.50

 For many this seems to be the star of the collection and it is really gorgeous. A shimmering beige/taupe and a slightly chalky dark shade. The magic happens when you layer the two colours as seen in the far right swatch. They blend together perfectly to make a whole new colour. This duo can create a rather dramatic eye look but I've gone for subtlety in the following pics:

Cap Ferrat Eyeshadow Trio £33

 My highlight from the Summer collection. I love this. I had to buy this and was stalking all the Nars Stockists websites just waiting for it to appear online. The beautiful bright, rich shades that seem to glow rather than shimmer. The following were just dabbed on with my finger when the trio arrived as I just couldn't wait, I can't wait to have a proper play with a primer.

New Order Highlighting Blush £20.50

I'm glad this wasn't one of the items I bought myself! Looks stunning in the pan, pink with gold and silver shimmer but actually that shimmer is glitter. The pink doesn't show up on me at all and I get a very very light spread of glitter on my face with the vast majority falling straight onto my dressing gown. Can you see the product? No? Me either.

Bolero Velvet Matte Lip Pencil £17.50

I don't mind telling you I hated this at first,it's one of those products that I have to force to work on me rather than just being able to wear it with no effort. I have grown to love this though. It's very matte so make sure your lips are well moisturised first!

Carthage Pure Matte Lipstick £18.50

 I wasn't sure whether to get this or not because I kept hearing how bright it was. I have bright pinks and they do suit me but I never wear them but in the end I was persuaded by the fact it's a matte lipstick and I thought this may make it more wearable...all I'm going to say about the next two pictures is that they do not convey the true brightness, this lipstick is neon nearly, and gorgeous!

Last but by no means least is Wonder Lip Gloss £17.50

It's orange and I always knew I was going to buy this. Happy to report I love it! It's such a gorgeous shade. It's bright but it's not too bright but it's definitely orange. I don't own many orange lip products and I can only think of one other and I should probably wear more orange! Here follows a lip swatch and a full face (which looks unattractively like it was taken with fisheye lens) just so you can see how it looks in context.

 And so that's it, Nars Summer, done. Absolute highlights for me are Wonder Lip Gloss, Cap Ferrat Trio and Dogon, but there are other nice things too, I like most other things too, the only items I'd say you should save your money on are the New Order Highlighting Blush and the Queen Soft Touch Shadow.

Gorgeous collection on the whole though. Well worth checking out and I'm really looking forward to playing with these items more thoroughly over the Summer (I've had Dogon and Exotic Dance for a while and they are quite thoroughly used already).