New York, New York! So good that if you name a beauty product after it then I want it....

I have a slight obsession with New York. Actually, it's more America in general, but I do love New York. I have been there a few times when I was living in America for the year and would love to live there, I long to go back with every episode of Sex and the City or Friends that I see, throw in a Xmas film set there and I'm away in a daydream. I have my heart set on going back again at some point in 2010 and will no doubt bring a ridiculous amount of beauty goodies back with me to talk about and tide me over till the next trip.

Anyway, enough about my obsession, back to the world of beauty. I'm not joking with the title of this post. Throw the words 'New York' onto a package and I will pretty much guarantee that I will want to try it out. Two prime examples of this are the main bit of this post.

Firstly my recent e.l.f. purchase, the studio minty lip gloss in (yep, you guessed it) 'New York City'. Yes, I bought this colour basically because of the name. The lip gloss did slightly scare me when I opened the packet as the tube is bright red and a little glittery. I'm not a glitter fan, so I was very lucky to find that when applied the glitter isn't noticeable. In face, in use I love this gloss. The colour is a gorgeous warm red that is flattering and perfect for someone who is a bit scared of full-on red lipstick as it's really subtle (pic below).

I really love the minty flavour of this lip gloss. A little too much actually, as so far when I apply this gloss I find it hard to resist licking my lips as it's really tasty! I like the minty tingle it gives too, I don't think it has any noticeable 'plumping' affect, but it does feel similar to the tingle of plumping glosses.

The second product is Mavala nail polish in New York. A creamy grey polish, recently launched as part of the 'City Greys' collection. Including three grey shades, New York is the mid-grey, with a paler grey Berlin and a darker Grey Minsk. In this case, I did like the mid-grey best and the fact that it was called New York just made the decision easier.

This is the first grey I have tried, as I wasn't sure if grey would look a bit 'dead' and washed out on my pale skin. So far though, I like the colour as it truly is a creamy mid-grey. The picture above is of two coats of varnish on top of the Mavala Base Coat plus a slick of Mavala Top Coat. I use these top and base coats with every polish, as they are the best I have found.

So, if there happen to be any beauty marketeers out there reading this a little tip for you. Stick the name 'New York' on something and I will buy it.

**The small print**

I bought the e.l.f. gloss with my own money. The Mavala polish was sent to me for review purposes. All reviews are honest and impartial regardless of the source.

L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5: Review

L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5, also known to some as 'the Cheryl Cole shampoo' is the latest launch from the L'Oreal Elvive brand. A few weeks ago I did a review of the Elvive highlights shampoo. The review was less than favourable as I really didn't like the shampoo or conditioner (and have since thrown it out) so it may be a little surprising that I decided to return to trying the brand out again so soon after a not-great experience.

I guess that's what they call the 'Cheryl Cole' effect. Yes, I know - she has extensions and there is no shampoo in the world that will make me look like her - but I can still hope to get a little step closer, right? So I dived back into the clutches of 'Elvive' and tried again.

L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 promises to leave weak, limp, lifeless hair looking replenished, with fullness restored. I have pretty 'blah' hair, so these promises were really appealing.

The first thing I noticed with this shampoo/conditioner is the smell - where I was really put off by the smell of the last Elvive one I tried, this is the total opposite. This one smells yummy, fresh generally lovely. It doesn't smell of flowers or fruit, somehow it's a bit 'powdery' fresh, like baby talc? Not a great description... but the it's the closest comparison I can think of.

One of the best things that I found with using both the shampoo and the conditioner is how they rinses out so easily, leaving it squeaky clean. This means that hair is really clean and shiny and not weighed down with product... hence less lifeless, so big thumbs up on this one.

I've been using the shampoo and conditioner for about a month and really think it feels softer, sleeker and less 'blah' than before. The boyfriend has also taken to stealing this shampoo, so it obviously gets his vote too - as he usually sticks to a Keratese one.

Another plus, it doesn't irritate my sensitive scalp. Fantabulous.

The main question on this one, will I re-purchase? Yes, without a doubt. Although I can't promise this means I wont try anything else again, I am a beauty junkie after all...

** The small print **

I bought this product with my own money, it was NOT sent to me for review purposes.

Superdrug 'Get the Look' competition

Fellow beauty bloggers! Do you want to build your already excessive make-up collections even further? Yes?! Me too!

The fabulous people from Superdrug have launched a competition, specifically aimed at bloggers. To enter the 'Get the Look' competition, all you have to do is create your favourite makeup look for the party season using UP TO six products from Superdrug (i.e. it doesn't have to be exclusively Superdrug, but it can't be all MAC or some other brand) and write a post to explain how you created your look.

The competition winner will be featured on the Superdrug.com homepage, plus will win two invitations to the UK Elite Model Final and the After Show Party (in June 2010, London), a hair and makeup shoot with Sue Moxley of Famous Cosmetics, a steel cosmetic box from Revlon and a GOSH Goody Bag worth £100, and there are great prizes for the 2nd and 3rd place runners up, too.

For more information on how to enter, visit the Superdrug site HERE.


The people at Superdrug have offered to send me a selection of bits from GOSH as a thank you for publicising this post (which I was happy to do regardless of any incentive as I think it's good to see brands working with bloggers in a way that shows they have thought about the process and designed things specifically to suit our approach and interests) but thought in the interest of honesty and disclosure I thought I should mention this. When these bits arrive I will be using them for review purposes.

Beauty Icon: Revlon Red Nail Varnish

Revlon Red is about as iconic as a nail varnish can get, it is the perfect bright, pillar-box red, a beauty classic and rumoured to be the colour that inspired Louboutin's red soles...

I was very lucky to receive this in a goody bag from the Handpicked Media event I went to earlier this week. Prior to this, it was actually top of my current shopping list as Superdrug (and possibly Boots too) have a 3 for 2 on Revlon so I was going to pick this up, along with Cherries in the Snow (either the lipstick or Nail Varnish, still cant decide) plus a Revlon Superstay Foundation.

Anyway, to cut a long story short - I love this colour. It is quite a departure from the norm for me as I tend to gravitate towards the typical pinky neutrals or dark berry shades, with the occasional 'dirty purple' type of shade thrown in for good measure. Pillar-box red is a little random for me. Before painting my nails with this I made sure my nails were cut really short, personally I prefer short nails with dark or dramatic colours. Especially this bright a red, as I did feel it had a bit of a tendency to look a little 'lady of the night' on longer talons...

The texture and pigmentation of this nail varnish is second to none. Thin in texture, one coat applied smoothly, dried really quickly and was so highly pigmented that I didn't need a second. Although, having more time I would probably have added another, just to make it last a little longer, but colour wise - it wasn't essential. I haven't got a top coat on it at the moment, although normally I would do so there has been some tip-wear since I painted them on Friday. Nothing overly noticeable though and I'm sure that this would have been prevented had I not been so lazy with the finishing steps.

So to summarise, Revlon Red is a beauty icon and a classic. Well worth adding to your collection.

e.l.f. Studio Line Shimmer Palette: Review

When the studio line first launched in the UK I was really impressed with the quality and value for money that the brand produced, with products that are priced at less than £4 being equal or higher quality than much, much more expensive brands. I was sold.

So when a parcel arrived at the door with the new e.l.f. Shimmer Palette to review, I was very very excited. As usual, the packaging is impressively solid for a budget brand, still with the 'NARS'-ish quality about it, but without the rubberised texture. This package does differ slightly in that it has a transparent window so you can view the contents, which is of course the important bit.

Inside the package there are four shimmering cream colours (see above picture - taken after using so sorry for the smudges!) that can be used to highlight anywhere and everywhere. Including white, pale peach/pink, champagne gold and baby pink.

My natural reaction to these was to use them as an eye highlight. today I used the white shade as a highlight for the brow bone. The colour went on and blended really easily using the small brush that comes in the compact and I was impressed with the pigmentation and creamy texture, they are really sheer/shimmery. However, the liquid base to these colours does mean that the staying power is pretty weak and after about 4 hour wear I noticed that my highlight was no more... so these would need re-applying, or setting somehow, although doing so without losing some of the shimmer would be difficult me thinks.

I am going to keep trying these shades and find a way for them to work. My next attempt will be as a cheek bone highlight. I also think these will work well in the corner of the eye, especially as the small brush makes application simple. They might also be good blended under foundation on the cheeks for a bit of sheer illumination factor.

If I have any profound breakthroughs the I will of course share them with you. In the meantime, has anyone been using any other of the new studio products? I am planning an order this week so any suggestions would be welcome. On the list at the moment is the HD Powder... and some more brushes - what else is worth picking up?

*** I almost forgot to mention***

e.l.f. have an amazing deal on at the moment, where if you spend over £25 you get a mini make-up palette completely free. I was also sent this palette and it really is amazing value, my personal favorites are the gorgeous heather/purple shades of eyeshadow and the gorgeous warm pink blusher with a hint of golder shimmer. Really does remind me of the infamous NARS orgasm blush...

Plus it includes a mirror that is actually a decent size, which is quite rare in make-up palettes! I'm not a huge fan of the number of red lipsticks, but that's because I'm not really a huge lip-stick wearer and given a choice would have switched a few for extra shadows, but that's just my personal opinion.

Anyway, if you love a bargain then now is a good time to make that order...

Max Factor Second Skin Foundation: Review

After seeing BritishBeautyBlogger's rave review (see it HERE)of Max Factors Second Skin Foundation I commented on how much I wanted to try it. The very Eagle-Eyed PR spotted this and got straight in touch (as in within minutes) asking if I would like a sample to try out. Of course, I jumped at the chance, as any normal beauty junkie would.

So a couple of days later the sample arrived and I got testing. It was love at first application. I am a bit funny with foundation, I want to look flawless but I don't want to feel like I am wearing too much make-up. This is why this is really the foundation for me, it is light and easy to blend, provides a perfect veil of coverage that basically looks like you - only better.

It is like the Max Factor people have found that holy grail between foundation and tinted moisturiser.

I have been using a MAC MSF Natural to 'set' this foundation and help it last. It is nearly impossible to find a foundation that manages to stay perfect all day long when you throw a couple of tube journeys at it, this one does a decent job in comparrison to others though.

I guess the biggest reccomendation for this foundation that I can offer is that I have two other new foundations waiting in the wings to be tested, but I can't bring myself to stop using this one, it really is my personal ideal.

I also think Second Skin is great for pale-skinned people like myself, it can be hard to find foundations that are truly pale enough, but this one is a great match and doesn't leave me looking washed out.

If you want natural looking coverage then this is well worth a try. I think they are still doing free samples through the Max Factor website, so get yourself one of them to see what you think. Although at £13.99 (full price in Boots, but also part of a 3 for 2 offer) it really would be hard to find another foundation that is as good value for money.

Prestige Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner in Icon

Yesterday I discovered an item of make-up that had been lingering in my make-up collection for a few months now, but I have pretty much left un-touched. I tried it yesterday and love it! The item is Prestige Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner in 'Icon'. The colour is a really pretty purple with subtle pink shimmer which gives the liner a bit of a metallic feel (see picture below for a better idea). I found it a great alternative to black liquid liner, for a more subtle look.

Yesterday I wore this with some bronze/gold shadows from the Sleek Storm palette and think they worked really well together. The liner is easy to apply with the fine fibre-tip applicator.

The down side is that this liner doesn't have the greatest staying power, when I drew a line on my wrist and then wiped it a couple of mins later and it did smudge quite noticeably, so do take care when wearing it on your eyes - or use a liner sealer.

See the swatch below, the top line gives the best impression of the shade.

I think this colour would work really well on all eye colours, especially with a smokey eye using greys and dark colours, or other berry shades. But basically, I love it and will be wearing it again today.

My first threading experience

Anyone who follows me on Twitter (@beautyjunkieldn) will know that this week I have been tweeting on about getting my eyebrows threaded. I started off by asking for recommendations for where I should get them done, the general feedback was to try a blinc eyebrow bar, or bliss, or malika. So I was all set to try one of these but then ended up talking to a colleague about it (who has lovely eyebrows by the way) who recommended a salon that is just down the road from where I work, she said they are fantastic for threading and waxing and ridiculously cheap.

In the past I have had some dodgy experiences when trying to find a cheaper option for salon treatments, but I have also had some really bad experiences when paying a lot too so it is very hard to generalise if you really do get what you pay for with treatments.

In this case the price difference and the personal recommendation really sold it to me. The salon only charge £4 for eye brow threading. Yep, that's F-O-U-R pounds, your eyes are not deceiving you. I was all prepared to pay around £15 for the same service at the blinc/bliss/malika options, but decided to take a gamble and go for the cheap option.

So, off I went down to deepest, darkest West Ealing to try my luck with my first threading experience. Pleased to report I was really impressed. It was a strange sensation, not really painful but not entirely comfortable either. The noise of the threading process is a little disconcerting and it all made my eyes water quite a lot, which made a bit of a mess of my eye make up, and the skin around my eyebrows was a bit pink - but that's the price you pay...

When I looked in the mirror I was amazed by the neat and perfectly shaped eye brows. It's one of those things where I thought my eye brows were OK but now realise what a huge difference a professional shaping can make.

This was AMAZING value and I will definitely be going back on a regular basis to keep them in the same state.

For anyone who is wondering, the salon is called Simi's in West Ealing (http://www.simisbeauty.com/) It's not a big glamorous salon, but it is fab value for the essentials.

Kevin Murphy vs Philip Kingsley

Nope, not a boxing match, but a battle of the hair masques. I have been trying out two hair masques from these hair-kings, the Kevin Murphy Born Again Masque and the infamous Philip Kingsley Elasticizer so thought I would do a comparison of the two...

Round 1: Packaging

What can I say, I'm a magpie at heart and packaging matters. The Kingsley product comes in a fairly simple round pot with a kind-of 'vacuum' detail (as in a gap between the outer layer of plastic and the inner layer that holds the product). This is nice detail, but I have found that it tends to fill with water in the shower. The Kevin Murphy product is on the surface a prettier package, a unique looking square container with a 'clip-release' lid, in a pretty 'dirty lavender' shade - modern, stylish packaging, top marks - and if anyone knows a nail varnish in the same colour, please let me know as I would LOVE it!...

Round one: Kingsley wins.

Round 2: Smell

Personally, smell is pretty important in a product to me so I always consider this in reviews. In the case of these masque the smell is pretty 'meh', the Kingsley one doesn't really smell of anything and the Murphy one has quite a herby, almost 'peppery' smell. Don't get me wrong, I love pepper, but not really on my hair.

Round two: draw

Round 3: Results

The final round, the all important results. Firstly, to cover the application for a moment, both masques are the 'scoop and apply' type of product, which is fine but a little messy. It would be nice to see more masques being sold in easier to use packaging. Texture wise, the Kingsley mask is a bit lighter with Murphy being creamier. The Kinglsey mask has something quite 'plastic-ey' and artificial about it, that to be honest I wasn't keen on.

There is a difference in how you use these two masques, the Kingley product is applied BEFORE shampoo, but the Murphy one is AFTER. I do like the Murphy masque and it did soften my hair but not so much that I would recommend it to friends, the Kingsley masque does give really good results - soft and smooth hair, that feels silky but also strong and not so silky that it wont hold a style - but I am quite put off by how it feels to apply. It almost feels like it is just creating a plastic coat to hair rather than actually soaking in. Very hard to describe I'm afraid, but hope you get an idea of what I mean.

Round three: Kinglsey wins on effect, but gets penalty points for the 'artificial' feeling....

RESULT: Tough fight, but the Murphy masque wins, lovely packaging and good results but the smell isn't great. Kingsley was a close runner up, great results but looses out to my superficial judging style...(packaging and smell!)

**The small print**

Both of these products were sent to me to review.

Sudocrem skin care cream

When I was at Uni I had a friend who swore by Sudocrem as a way to deal with a whole manner of skin care breakouts, from spots to dry, scaly patches. On the other hand, I have always thought Sudocrem was a treatment for nappy rash, so didn't really consider using it on my face.

It was only when I was recently sent the new 'handy tube' (i.e. a small tube rather than the usual grey tub) of Sudocrem that I had a closer look. Sudocrem (with no mention of baby's bottoms)claims to 'calm sore and irritated skin' and 'form a barrier which protects against irritants, allowing skin to return to its natural healthy and supple condition.'

I have been using this cream on an irregular basis to help heal my skin when I have spot breakouts. The thing I have to point out is that I haven't used the cream to actually get rid of spots, but more to 'soothe and heal' my skin. Specifically when those horrid 'under the skin' spots break out, they tend to create a fairly large swelling under the skin and when I am very naughty and squeeze them (I know, I know, very bad of me...) the Sudocrem cream does help calm the redness and seems to speed up healing process.

This past weekend I had a pretty nasty one brewing under the skin and I couldn't resist having a bit of a squeeze. I didn't do very well and ended up just damaging my skin and making the swelling and spot worse - let this be a lesson to you - but since then I have been putting a thin layer of Sudocrem onto the area morning and night an it is pretty much back to usual. In less than a full week, I think that's pretty good.

In fact, tonight my friend LB came over and was asking me if I had anything for spots and Sudocrem was actually the only thing I could think of to suggest.

Also, I tend to break out into random itchy/dry patches on my skin during winter, so I'm going to see how Sudocrem does at treating these too, fingers crossed it will do the job.

A Beauty Junkie in London on www.lastminute.com

Bumper week for my humble little blog being featured on other websites! I was 'tweeted' today to let me know that this blog has been included in the Top 10 list of beauty and spa blogs on Last Minute's website. Lovely stuff.

To see the full article click HERE.

I couldn't help but wonder...

In the famous words of Carrie Bradshaw, recently I have been thinking about the world of blogging and the motivations behind it and thought I would write a quick post to share my musings.

I started this blog almost a year ago, motivated by my need for a bit of shallow escapism from my day job and a curiosity about the whole 'new media'/'blogging' thing. On a whim one day I set up a blogger account and took it from there. At the time I was aware of the whole 'fashion blogger' phenomenon but had no clue about the huge numbers of beauty blogs already populating the Internet.

I chose to write about beauty because it is an area which I am constantly exploring, and have been since I was a teenager. I'm always on the search for the latest product that will transform me into a supermodel, or at the very least leave my skin a little softer than before. I thought my blog could be an antidote to the glowing 'reviews' that you read in the magazines, knowing I have the freedom to write honestly about what I tried and liked, or loathed was a huge appeal and something that I was interested in reading online too, and I figured if I was then others would be too.

Since starting the blog I quickly became aware of the huge numbers of other beauty bloggers who are not only lovely people, but also extremely talented make-up artists (some professional, some not - but should be), with a huge amount of experience and collections of make-up and beauty products that put mine to shame.

There have been times that I have felt completely out of my depth, I'm not a professional beauty writer (although would love to be), I am no expert make-up artist, nor do I profess to know it all about the world of beauty. But I am a consumer, I love trying beauty products and like to share what I think about them.

I sometimes question my 'qualifications' as a beauty blogger - I look far from perfectly polished every day, I still smudge my eye liner, or try contouring my cheek bones and end up looking like I have a beard. Sometimes I have to remind myself why I write my beauty blog, I write because I enjoy it.

I still love testing out new products and sharing my opinions on them. I am still searching for the perfect fake tan/nail varnish/shampoo/concealer... the list goes on. Also, I love reading other beauty blogs - especially those that review the same product so I can see what someone else thinks.

So basically, to conclude my pondering ramblings... I may not be an expert, but I am a willing guinea pig for a whole world of beauty products. I will keep testing, writing about and sharing my thoughts and experiences till either I find all the magic products that transform me into a supermodel or it stops being fun. Whichever comes first.

Britney Spears Circus Fantasy: Fragrance Review

I have done a few fragrance reviews before and every time I have to include the 'disclaimer' that fragrance is such a personal thing, I would always make sure you have a good sniff of any fragrance you are interested in before parting with your hard earned cash, this really is just common sense but I felt I had to mention it before launching into my thoughts on Britney's latest fragrance offering.

So onto the review, I was sent Britney's latest by the lovely Superdrug PR's to test out and share my thoughts on. Britney's various perfume launches have had a mixed response in the past, so I was interested to see how this one compared.

I actually really like Britney's 'Believe' perfume, I was given this as a birthday present by my brother and managed to work my way through a whole bottle in about six months, so I do have a bit of 'history' with her perfumes. I also own 'Hidden Fantasy', as this was a freebie when I subscribed to Cosmopolitan - I don't mind this one, but don't love it.

Anyway, so there's the brief background to my experience with Britney's perfumes, and now onto Circus Fantasy. Firstly, the bottle is fantastically tacky. This is not a bad thing, I think it's kinda fab. The spherical, bright turquoise, bottle is dotted with red diamante - a gorgeous kitsch, girly ball of tackiness.

So onto the fragrance, the first thing that I notice is that it is sweet. REALLY sweet. I think this fits in with the younger audience they are targeting with the fragrances, so not necessarily a bad thing. Having said that, this isn't as sickly sweet as the 'Hidden Fantasy' version and seems to have a bit of a citrus edge to it. Now I am no professional nose, but just describing how I smell it.

Having worn the perfume for about three days I do really like it at first but have a real issue with the staying power. It just doesn't last. I'm not just talking about the whole work day either, but it barely lasts a journey into work. I appreciate that your nose gets 'used' to some fragrances and can stop smelling them after a while, but I really think this one had worn off ridiculously quickly - I actually had to apply it twice just before leaving the house as in the brief time since the first spritz I couldn't smell it anymore, which was a bit of a pain and the complete opposite to the 'Hidden Fantasy' perfume, which lingers a little longer than you would probably want it to...

So there you go, there are my thoughts on the latest Britney perfume 'Circus Fantasy', it's nice but probably not worth writing home about. Personally, I'm going to stock up on 'Believe' instead - so Brit, you can get it right with perfumes, perhaps stick to the fresher smells rather than the sickly sweet in future?

Britney Spears Circus Fantasy can be found at Superdrug http://www.superdrug.com/icat/200912britney

A beauty junkie in London featured on The Beauty Pages

A beauty junkie in London is featured on The Beauty Pages today in an article on the wonderful world of beauty bloggers. This blog is in some very good company, alongside the lovely Makeup Trials and Tribulations, Cosmetic Candy, Mizz Worthy, Sirvinya and Get Lippie.

Click HERE to read the full article.

The Clinique Experience

I was invited to go along to the new Clinique counter in Selfridges this week to have the full 'Clinique Experience'. Whilst I was looking forward to the visit, I didn't really expect to have a totally revolutionary experience or anything above and beyond the normal counter experience.

I was of course proven totally wrong. I was introduced to my consultant, Rhona, who has over 18 years experience of working on the Selfridges Clinique counter - so really knows her stuff. She started by explaining how the process would work, starting with me talking about my concerns and then she would examine my skin with a big scary magnifying mirror, before moving on to her recommendations.

Fairly straight forward on the surface, I didn't expect to be told anything surprising or revolutionary. But in reality, I came away really feeling I had learnt a lot.

My skin complaints are the lines under my eyes and the fact that my t-zone gets shiny through the day. My shiny t-zone has always made me think that I have oily skin but when Rhona had a closer look she surprised me by telling me that I actually have dehydrated skin. Rhona didn't just tell me that she thought my skin was dehydrated but actually showed me, by running a finger over my cheek and showing how small lines are formed and then made me run my finger over her skin to compare. Rhona also explained that there is a difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin.

Once my skin type and concerns were determined, we moved onto the product recommendations. Starting with the infamous 'Three Step System', she talked me through each product, why it was chosen and what it would do for my skin. I was given the choice between various formulations (bar of soap or liquid soap) based on my own preference.

Then Rhona moved on to products to specifically treat my skin issues. These included recommending 'moisture surge' creams, one for all over the face and one specifically for the eyes. This was another point where I felt I learnt something new. Rhona demonstrated how the moisture surge products should be used after the 'Dramatically Different Moisture Lotion'. I would never have thought to use a moisturiser to follow a moisturiser, but it does make sense one is a moisturiser and one is a 'treatment' for my skin issues. So there you go- learn a new thing every day.

I have to also mention how gorgeous the new counter is and huge. There is a distinct split between the skin care side and the cosmetic side, with one being more clean lines and clinical feeling and the other a little more decorative with white floral patterns on mirrors. The whole area is light and airy and generally a lovely place to be.

I also managed to bend Rhona's ear about foundation and concealer formulas that would be best for my skin type and issues, but I will come back to these in another post as this is getting kinda long.

I really think it is worth paying a visit to your local Clinique counter to have a chat with the counter consultants down there. They go through a lot of training and really know their stuff and will have seen all sorts of skin issues and will be able to impart their wisdom.

There really isn't any heavy sales push either, Rhona talked the through the six-eight products she suggested and broke them down into three 'tiers' from the basics to the the more pampering treatments that were less essential. I will be testing out the recommendations over the next couple of weeks and will blog again about the results.

Handy Creams

Winter is here, with a vengeance. Of course, with winter come the joys of winter beauty problems: static hair and dry, flaky skin. Over the coming weeks, I’m going to be researching and testing out products that claim to tackle these issues and reporting back. To start with though, a round up of some of the greatest hand creams out there from high end to cheap and cheerful.

Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream (£14.00)

Thick cream that soaks straight into skin and leaves it moisturised for a long time, even after washing hands. Doesn’t have a strong smell or leave skin greasy- top marks. Yes, this is quite an expensive one, but as it is really effective you don't need to use much and will last a long time.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Hand and Nail Cream (£TBC)

Elemis is the ultimate in pampering and this hand and nail cream does feel like true luxury. A lighter cream than the Clinique still absorbs straight in and doesn’t leave skin greasy, but the moisturising effect doesn’t last as long as the Clinique one. The mini sized tube I have is the perfect handbag size- very handy. I prefer the scent of the Ginger and Lime Elemis range to this, but it doesn't smell at all bad, just not quite as yummy as the Ginger and Lime!

Vaseline Healthy Hand and Nail Conditioning Cream (around £1.50)

Reliable, cheap and cheerful option, this is the one I keep on my desk at work (I wouldn’t dare take the ‘posh’ one’s somewhere they could get ‘lost’). A light pink lotion, the smell is hard to describe- partly floral, partly clinical and fresh. This one soaks straight in but does leave skin a little greasy and doesn’t last that long and would need to be reapplied after washing hands, but this is good value for a quick fix.

The Body Shop Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream (£5)

Last, but certainly not least is the offering from The Body Shop. Before I get onto the results of this it is very important to mention the fact that this cream donates proceeds to a very important cause: stopping sex trafficking, well worth donating to, even if you don’t want the hand cream - buy as a stocking filler for a friend and get your own do-good, feel-good glow!

But, good causes aside, the cream is worth the investment- the thick texture delivers a really powerful moisturising boost that is perfect as an overnight moisturising treatment. Be aware that the angelica extract smell is quite strong, so worth a sniff before you buy in case it isn’t for you, but if you like it then I am confident you will love the results.

The small print! Of the above products, I was sent the Clinique, The Body Shop and Elemis creams to review. I bought the Vaseline cream.

Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara: Reviewed

Vibrating mascara, whatever will the beauty bods think of next? Vibrating foundation?! (Oh right, they already have...) You get my point. Vibrating mascara just screams gimmick to me, but as always with these things I was curious so when I was sent one to review I got testing immediately.

To be frank, my first impressions were pretty poor. The vibrations that buzz down the wand when you press a button on the lid not only do nothing to enhance application but they also make it pretty uncomfortable (vibrating eyeballs anyone?). I tried it out a couple of times to see if it might have just been me having a blonde moment, but I am still going to stick by the opinion that the vibrating feature is just not for me.

The mascara sans-vibration on the other hand, I love. The formula is light and smooth, so there is no clumping, but it still manages to coat lashes with a nice even layer that is noticeable yet not too dramatic for daytime.

So, vibrations aside this is a good mascara, but for £14.67 (currently on the Boots website) this is a really steep price to pay for a high street-brand mascara with a gimmick! For a few extra £££ you can splash out on a Dior Show or Lancome Hypnose, or save some money and go for one of Maybelline's other famous mascara's without the vibrations - I have heard the Collosal Volum' Express (£6.99 from Boots) is pretty impressive from the lovely Recessionista, you can read her review HERE.

Cloud Nine Irons: Review

I was recently sent a pair of the new Cloud Nine hair straighteners to review for http://www.beautyjunkielondon.blogspot.com/ and having read BritishBeautyBloggers review (here) I was really looking forward to trying them out.

When they arrived I was even more excited by the gorgeous, luxury, packaging. Yes, I am that shallow that the packaging excited me. I just couldn't help but be won over by the sleek box with flashes of turquoise, my favorite colour.

But, shallow aesthetics aside - how does the iron compare to the infamous GHD? Well, the first point to note is that the Cloud Nine is made by the same people who created the GHD irons. This is a good start for me, as a GHD devotee, I have been using the same pair since I first got them in my first year at University which is more than a few years ago. Their longevity has impressed me, but I will concede that they don't heat up as quickly, or to as high a temperature as they used to - so are inevitably a bit less effective than when they were new - but I still wouldn't be without them.

Other than being made by the same people and being the same sort of style as the GHD iron (same body design and sleek plates, available in narrow, standard and wide width), there are few other similarities. The Cloud Nines are sleek and stylish with slate-blue plates and a grey body. They include a varied heat feature, a heat protecting cap and carry pouch for travelling with. They also include a switch-off feature, that my old GHD's lack, although I believe newer models do have this- for me, this and the heat protecting cap are both hugely appealing.

The variable heat feature claims to allow you to adjust the heat for different styles so that you use the minimum and thus create less damage. As I have fine hair that lacks in volume, I have been sticking with the lower temperatures (125-150 max).

Personally, I have found that the main benefit of this feature is that it effectively smooths and straightens my hair without making it poker straight (not a look I like) and draining all the volume out of it. I think it's too early days to say if the lower temperature really does reduce the damage caused to hair, but it would make sense that this would be the conclusion. But I do like that the one set of irons can help achieve multiple different hair styles.

On the downside, the plates of the irons don't feel as smooth on the hair as I am used to, it feels a little like they are tugging at times, so I have to be careful not to pull the hair or hold the irons too tight or risk tearing the hair.

Overall, the Cloud Nines are well deserving of a decent reputation and I will certainly continue using them in place of my older GHDs, but I do think they need to develop the product a little further to 'iron out' (pun not intended) the small issues that are bound to come up with any new product.

Nailing it.

Since the ASOS Beauty Bloggers event last week I have had a bit of a nail obsession. At the event I had my nails done, which isn't something I get to do very often, so was a lovely treat and has tempted me to get them done more often. My dark blue nails lasted fairly well and only started to chip/peel today so this evening I have removed the dark colour and given myself a bit of a pampering manicure so thought I would do a bit of a step by step post.

Step 1: Remove chipped polish. To do this I used some Superdrug Nourishing Nail Polish Remover Pads that I picked up today (about £1.30). I was really impressed with these as not only do they remove polish quickly, they also smell pretty nice, rare for nail polish remover, and are packed with softening oils so did two jobs in one.

Step 2: Soften cuticles. I used The Nail Doctor's 'Swept Away' cuticle gel. Simply painting a dollop of the gel onto each nail bed and allow it to soak in for a bit, before using the angled end of a cuticle stick to push cuticles back and scrape off any excess gel/gunk.

The gel is simple to use, but the brush was a little awkward. The bristles were all stuck together and a bit stiff - I don't know if this is a fault or a design feature/flaw, but I would prefer the bristles to be a bit more flexible.

Step 3: Moisturise! I have a real problem with dry skin on my hands so this was the most important bit for me, I used another Nail Doctor Product (both of which I was sent for review) 'Critical Cuticle Care' nail oil and Clinique Deep Comfort hand a cuticle cream.

I have used a few nail oils before and I find they tend to be a great temporary solution to dry cuticles (which I have a VERY bad case of) but the results don't last. The only noticeable difference with this one is that it smells delicious and fruity so is really pleasant to use.

On the other hand, I have completely fallen for the Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream, it smells lovely and rich, absorbs quickly and leaves hands soft and moisturised but not greasy.

Now that my hands are all soft, nails clear and prepped for the next onslaught of colour I have to decide which shade to go for. At the moment I am thinking of doing a but of an Autumn french manicure using my new Barry M nail paint in 'Raspberry' (deep warm pinky red, similar to Revlon's Cherries in the Snow) with Zoya's 'Dovima Matte' (Matte black grey) on the tips - what do you think?

Clinique Black Tie Violets Colour Collection

Ah Clinique, you never fail to entice me with your simple, yet glossy packaging and luxurious and wearable but never ostentatious colours...

The new Black Tie Violets Colour Collection is the perfect example. Just look at the sleekness of the packaging, the rich purple shades just perfect for Autumn/Winter without being overwhelming. No, it's not dramatic or avant garde in the way that say Illamasqua, but it certainly ticks the box for that underplayed virtue of being flattering and wearable.

Available from 1st November, the collection includes:

• NEW LIMITED EDITION Shimmering Stripes Powder Blusher (RRP £23.00)
• NEW LIMITED EDITION Colour Surge Eyeshadow Quad (RRP £22.00)
• NEW Full Potential Lips Plump & Shine (RRP £13.00)
• NEW LIMITED EDITION Powder Brush (RRP £20.00)

Santa- sign me up, I've been a very good girl this year!