Quick update on my whole shape up plan is going...

Weightwatchers

I know it hasn't been that long, but I am already falling off the wagon with this one. I seem to have fallen back into the habit of eating what I want and not being too hot on the points counting... not good. I have made a permanent switch from normal to Diet Coke and from semi-skimmed to skimmed milk. But other than that I'm not doing very well.

Any ideas what I can do to rectify this? Personally, to me this comes down to convenience - I really wish weightwatchers had an iphone app to log and monitor what I am eating, it's just not convenient to have to constantly log in and update things. If I could do it on the go it would be so much easier.

Power Plate

I have now done a total of three session and think I may be hooked. I love them, quick and easy and not as sweaty as the gym, but leave me feeling just as refreshed? All I need to see now are some decent results (all down to a computer, not going to rely on my opinion for this).

The session I had on Saturday was definitely the most hardcore I have done so far. I could tell at the time that I was going to be in pain and I was right. The next day my thighs and stomach muscles were all very sore - it hurt to laugh- but on the plus side, it means that I have some muscles... as they say: no pain, no gain - I'm going to take this as a good sign.

I'm off to session 4 tonight....

Just a note, one of these products isn't one that I picked out on the day, but one that I actually already had - but since the event drew my attention back to Bourjois I found myself taking another look at it again.

1. Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Care Mascara for sensitive eyes



For some reason when I first looked at this I almost dismissed it, unfairly assuming that a sensitive mascara would be unable to deliver both drama and be kind to eyes.



Having now tried it out (and used constantly for the past month) I have been proven well and truly wrong. This mascara delivers drama, lasts all day, doesn't flake and leaves lashes feeling soft.



As pretty much the ultimate recommendation, this is the mascara I told my mum to try when she was looking for a new one this week and asked for my suggestions. My mum wears contacts - so as being a sensitive formula, it is ideal. She had recently bought the Max Factor Lash Extension but found this didn't deliver enough depth for her and she wasn't keen on the wand - so I'm hoping this one will be a better match.



2. Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush in 16 Rose Coup De Foudre



This is one of the new colours for Spring - I love the colour. It's a warm rosy peach, with a distinct shimmer that when applied looks like a healthy gorgeous glow. This is the colour I wore in my first full face picture on the blog recently and got a few comments on it. The pigmentation is good, but not too intense - so you can build it easily to develop the colour you want.



This blush is gorgeous and has made it all the way into my handbag make-up bag - I need it with me at all times!



3. Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder



This is the product I already had in my collection after nabbing it for a bargain price on one of Cosmetic Candy's blog sales. Since the weather is gradually starting to ease itself more towards Spring I have felt the need to add a bit of bronzer into the routine so I reached for this one. This little bronzer compact looks a little like a block of chocolate - it isn't totally matte, but the shimmer is subtle enough that I don't look like a disco ball in the daytime. It is far less shimmery than the majority of blushers I own.



4. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in No52 Vanilla



I think this is an all round gorgeous foundation - feels light weight, but delivers good medium coverage. I would call the finish a satin, as it's not truly matte, but not shiny either - oh, and it smells lovely. I have been wearing this combined with the Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect foundation when I want a healthy natural glow.



Only slight complaint is that this one does need to be touched up by early afternoon, rather than lasting the full 16hr it claims to. But setting this with MAC Blot Powder helps it's staying power.



5. Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation in No71 Abricote Claire



This is a gorgeous foundation if you want something super light-weight and glowy. I wouldn't suggest this for anyone with oily skin, as it will slip off. But if you have dry skin then I think you will really love this one - I have dry skin and this is just lovely. I have been using this combined with the Healthy Mix because I am a bit in between shades - this is one I would definitely love to get in a darker shade for summer.



This foundation was a life saver this week when I had a few VERY late nights at work, with days following feeling like a zombie but luckily my foundation didn't give it away.



6. Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in No52



This concealer has really impressed me. Really creamy and delivers medium to heavy coverage, perfect for hiding spots of imperfections. In my opinion it isn't the best for under eye circles - i prefer something a little more illuminating. But this is perfect for touching up general skin imperfections. This is another one that has made it into the prestigious place of my daily make-up bag, along with my No7 Concealer Brush to apply it with.


**The Small Print**

All of the products in this review, other than the bronzing powder were all given free of charge for consideration for review. I am not affiliated with Bourjois and have not been paid for this review. All opinions are honest and impartial regardless of source.

I love mascara. No seriously, I really do. I'm sure I say all this every time I review a mascara but it really is my number one make-up item and the one thing I would refuse to leave the house without it. So anytime there is a new one on the market, or if I am lucky enough to be asked if I want to try a new one then I jump at the opportunity.


So when I was asked if I wanted to try the new Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells mascara, I was very very excited as the original Lancome Hypnose is considered to be the 'holy grail' of mascara for many.


Personally, my relationship with the Lancome brand goes back to when I was a teen - I had a pretty ridiculous obsession with their Juicy Tubes and absolutely loved O de Lancome and worked my way through many bottles. It's one of those ones that I haven't used for years, but just a sniff and I regress by around a decade.

Anyway, back to the new mascara. Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells is the latest lash revolution from the french brand (part of the L'Oreal family) promising magnified volume in a formula that regenerates lash condition. In other words - what makes it special is the fact that it contains a special ingredient that is meant to promote lash growth and prevent older lashes from shedding - in theory contributing to thicker more fluttery lashes.



I'm not going to comment at this stage about the long term results of this, as I have been only using it for three days - so have no idea if this does thicken or promote longer lashes. But I am going to give it a review just as a mascara- and will report back when I have given it a couple of months and see what happens.



I like the wand for this one, it has the flexible bristles of the more traditional brush wands, but grouped in a way that they create the definition that the more modern comb wands deliver. If I had a choice I would normally prefer the brush style wands - but that's just my preference.



The formula for this is smooth and easy to build multiple coats without clumping. I was sent the brown shade to test - normally I would chose black - but brown is actually quite a refreshing choice. As a blonde, I have quite pale lashes so even the brown adds colour and definition that I lack naturally. Plus, as this mascara delivers nicely dramatic lashes so the dark brown colour adds a nice natural touch.



So onto the piccies, so you can judge for yourself what you think.

So what do you think of this one? What's your all time favorite mascara? Suggestions for ones I must try are always welcome.

Lancome Hyponse Precious Cells launches at the end of March at Harrods and nationally in May, priced £22.

**The Small Print**

This product was sent free of charge for review purposes. I am not affiliated with Lancome nor have I been paid for this post. All reviews are honest and impartial.

Over at theNotice, Rae talks about the "LOL Scarf" (aka the MAC Liberty of London scarf,) and wonders why the heck anyone would spend $115 on it!

Head over to Beautifully Glossy to read what GlossQueen has to say about Diorshow's Iconic Mascara.

Curious to see how the Purple Lab Silk Sheets Luxe Foundation measures up? Blaq Vixen Beauty has the scoop!

Arianne of Glitter Geek is still in a makeup rut, so she tries to fight back with smoky blue eyeshadows!

Krasey Beauty gets acquainted with the new Chanel Rouge Coco lipsticks, and promptly falls in love.

Hot Beauty Health shares hot hair color trends to wear in 2010.

Jeweled Thumb asks the age old question: "Would you like some lip gloss with those oysters?" Wait, what?

Jellyminx Thinks is featured on Makeup.com, thanks to the lovely people at Lancome.

Lights...Camera...Action! Mz. More at The Glamorous Gleam gets ready for her close up as she reviews the new HD foundation from Revlon.

Vex in the City unveils swatches in all their pastel glory from Revlon Spring 2010.

Christelle at Beauty Crazed uses Mary Kay to shut down her shine!

Beauty Woo Me wants you to stop making that Duckface!

Ever wanted to know the differences between the Beauty Blender and it's dupes? Hell Candy Make Up did! Read her reviews here.

On her hunt for the perfect scent, TheLipPrint discovers an indie gem - Sonoma Scent Studio's Opal and Vintage Rose.

Coral is the hottest colour for Spring and Summer. Discover the perfect coral lipstick in Over by Illamasqua with Makeup4All!

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Help Audrey Dao celebrate her 1 year blog anniversary with giveaways all month long!

Prime Beauty asks "What's your favorite eyeliner?" and gives away a Stila Mini Smudge Pot Collection.

Gorgeous colour - great highlight. I think I have a new favorite.

Next on the list are Shale and Deep Truth I think - what do you think of these colours? Any other good colours for blue eyes?

I was immediately sold on the nail colour, so pretty and perfect for my pale skin. The lilac lip gloss also drew me in and made me want it. It is a bit more unusual and I wasn't totally convinced it would look good or be wearable but having now tested it out I'm pleased to say it's lovely.

The nail varnish is a really pretty, pale lilac and colour-wise, I love it. I am a big fan of Revlon nail varnishes in general - usually a thin, but highly pigmented formula that applies smooth and dries quickly. This one I found a little hard to work with and not as impressive as the others I have tried. And trust me, I have tried it a number of times - I gave it three goes on Saturday (yep, three - that's how much I like the colour) and another again on Monday night.

Eventually on Monday I got the application to an average level - but I found the formula too transparent to apply smooth and consistent. I found that it went streaky and tended to dry so quickly (generally a good thing) but that it would smudge when doing multiple coats - which were essential to get the colour opaque.

I will persevere, and this won't put me off Revlon polishes in general but so far I'm not as impressed as I hoped for with the nail colour.

Revlon Lilac Pastelle nail varnish

Back to the lip gloss - I absolutely love it. The colour is really pretty and think it will be a huge hit with any one who likes the pale/nude/baby pink lip look. The formula of the gloss is lovely too -nowhere near as sticky as most out there and felt really light and creamy. I don't like feeling like I have anything on my lips, so this worked for me.




I wore the colour on Saturday night and even managed to get a couple of compliments. Go me (or should I say go Revlon). Anyway - love the lip gloss. I will definitely be testing out a few other glosses from the brand based on how nice this one is. I really liked this colour on it's own, but think it would also work really well over brighter colours to tone them down.


So, in the spirit of sharing - below is my mug from Saturday night complete with Revlon Lilac Lip gloss - I was also wearing the new Revlon Photo Ready Foundation (review coming soon). This is my first full face shot on the blog, so please be kind - I'm still trying to get the hang of this self-portrait malarkey!

**The Small Print**

The products mentioned in this post were sent free of charge for review purposes. All reviews or opinions are honest and impartial.

The powder, silky smooth - check.

Yep, that's right - I bought, like and would recommend a piece of make-up from Primark.

Impressive pigmentation (no flash) - check.