A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

When we first moved into our new flat, I was all about painting chevrons on a feature wall and incorporating some graphic loveliness into our interior design.  Of course, it being our first home, we ended up taking more inspiration from the sale corner at Ikea than the distant reaches of my imagination.

This beautiful limited-edition set* from BareMinerals features New York designer Jonathon Adler’s signature aesthetic, I think we should all just take a moment to enjoy its prettiness.

There, doesn’t that feel better?

The Limited Edition Jonathan Adler for BareMinerals set contains an Original SPF15 Foundation in luxury size, a Handy Buki Brush, and collectible box.

The set is a Selfridges exclusive, available on counter and online now, priced at £50.00

* press sample

I still feel quite new at this motherhood lark and haven’t come to terms with the fact that after all these years, I’m now included in this annual celebration.

So, when does Mother’s Day stop being about your own Mum?  Never, I’d imagine.  My Mum and I don’t have the easiest relationship, it’s not the kind I want Leila and I to enjoy in years to come, and yet we both understand our failings.  I know I love my Mum and I know that my Mum loves me… in our own ways.

That has to be enough for both of us because neither can bring any more to the table.  That sounds more regretful than it is but it’s something we’ve actually made peace with over the past 12-months, which makes this Sunday more poignant for me, maybe for both of us, than it usually is.  It’s also my first Mother’s Day away from my Mum, perhaps we just lived under the same roof for too long?!

Regardless, Mother’s Day for me, has always been the day where I attempt to repent for my sins.  All those times throughout the year where I happily let my Mum put aside her wishes/choices/motivations to please me instead must now be addressed in full.  Sure, I showed appreciation at the time, and there’s lots of you out there that feel these one-day “celebrations” are nothing more than an opportunity to line Hallmark’s pockets… but, there’s something about dedicating a whole day to say thank you for the role someone plays in your life.

I wouldn’t get rid of the celebration for the world.  Plus, my Mum gets to stock up on Walnut Whips and her favourite perfume!

01: Urban Apothecary’s Macaroon-inspired candle collection will be sure to get your Mother’s taste-buds watering with a choice of scents including: frangipan, violet cassis, mint creme, strawberries and cream, chocolate orange, and white truffle.  Each candle delivers artound 25-hours burn time with a natural soy wax blend and 100% cotton wick. £30, www.urbanapothecarylondon.com

02: Volupté Sheer Candy by Yves Saint Laurent delivers sheer lip colour with a moisturising, balmy finish thanks to a formula developed with fruit extracts.  Available now on counter in ten shades and packaged so beautifully, you wouldn’t even need to wrap it. £23.50, www.yslbeauty.co.uk *

03: Did your mother give you butterfly kisses when you were a wee one?  Give one back in the shape of this LUSH Madame Butterfly Re-Usable Bubble Bar enriched with delicious rose absolute, geranium oil and lemon.  Each bubble bar should allow for around six baths, ensuring that you remain #1 daughter for a while.  Madame Butterfly also comes with a rather special tag with wild-flower seeds embedded in the paper!  The gift that keeps on giving! £5.25, www.lush.co.uk *

04: Recently shortlisted as “gift of the year” by the Giftware Association, Miss Patisserie’s Macaroon Gift Tin promises to be a true bathing delight for any sweet-toothed Mum’s out there.  Nine fizzy melts will release a range of fragrances into your bath including: sweet pomegranate, spearmint & eucalyptus, champagne, french lavender, juicy peach, coconut & citrus, cucumber, garden flowers and rose. £15.50, www.miss-patisserie.com

05: For the Mum who has everything, there’s only one option… the works.  Give her the gift of ultimate pampering with a special Mother’s Day package from Daniel Galvin.  The treat includes: An express Dermalogica facial, manicure, cut & blow-dry, and a glass of bubbly from the top London salon. £140, www.danielgalvin.com

06: For the sweetest-smelling Mum around, gift her this fruity-floral wonder from an iconic British fragrance house.  Floris Cherry Blossom delivers a fresh blend of bergamot, orange and pink pepper over a heart of cherry blossom, osmanthus, rose and peony.  It’s a delicate, decadent, and exclusive gift that evokes the very essence of Spring. £99, www.florislondon.com *

07: If you’ve ever heard yourself say “let’s have a nice cup of tea and a sit down” the chances are, you’re turning into your Mum.  Let her lead the way in style with this Blossom & Bird Tea for One set.  Comprising a teapot, cup, and saucer in the prettiest of designs, all you need is a packet of hob knobs for a wonderful afternoon treat. £5, www.tesco.com

Do you go all-out on the Mother’s Day treats?  What have you got planned for this year?

* press sample

* p.s – sorry about that intro, I started writing and it ALL came out haha!

1. Jenny from Beauty And The Biryani is looking lovely in Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick in shade 01

2. Rachel from Rachel tbeauty is resplendent in Lancome’s L’absolu Rouge, shade #132 Caprica

3. Adrianna from Agent Coulson Lives does her country proud(!) in MAC Ruffian Red

4. Kadian from Ace Your Face rocks a budget beauty in the form of Maybelline’s Colour Sensational in Red Revival

5. Cassie from Shimmer Dreamz pulls of the classic red lip and liner look with the help of Clinique’s High Impact lipstick in Red-y To Wear.

If you want to submit your red lip look, email me a photo of your lovely selves with the following info:

Your name:
Lip shade name:
Link to blog (if applicable):

Are you wearing a red lip today?  Tell me about it in the comments below!

This isn’t actually the title of this week’s official challenge.  You see, I read this week’s challenge about taking “me time” to assess your weight loss journey and it didn’t feel like something I could blog about in my own voice, so instead, I’m going to talk about what I like to call “The Mental Plateau”.

We all know about the problems with physical plateaus (wait, is the plural of plateau, plateaux?! *mind blown*) whilst on a weight-loss journey, but what about the mental obstacles that lie across our path?

Now, I’m not currently experiencing any kind of plateau, after 2 weeks of illness and takeaway-fueled recovery, my scales and my attitude are reflecting some healthy losses again but the mental plateau is my biggest problem whenever I get to a certain weight, and I’m expecting to see it raise its ugly head again at some point in the near future.

So what is a plateau?

Well, in the simplest terms, it’s a levelling out of progress… to the extent where your weight-loss or motivation flatlines.  If it’s physical, you may feel as though you’re throwing every effort into doing all of the right things without reaping any rewards, and that can be pretty demoralising.  However, a mental plateau, in my experience, can be even more disastrous.  Mine usually hits when I reach what I consider to be an “acceptable weight”.  If I can turn sideways infront of a mirror and my boobs stick out twice as much as my belly, I’m there.  When I can see my feet in the shower without leaning over?  Get in!

It doesn’t help that when we reach that stage, weight-loss can genuinely, physically becomes harder.  They say that the closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it becomes and I’m more than happy to agree with this sentiment.  In my life, contentment has always bred laziness… like a piggy enjoying a mud bath, I’m happy to live in the moment without any thought for the bigger picture.  Inevitably, this leads to over-eating, because I genuinely feel that until something “clicks” (if it ever does), over-eating is what my psyche is programmed to do.  It doesn’t happen immediately, it’s taken over two years to put on half of what I originally lost… but it happens.  And whilst the scales are steadily climbing, my brain is still plateauing… simply not registering.

When it does finally kick into action (usually because my clothes start to feel tight), an initial reaction is anything from self-loathing to abject dismay, not the best emotions for motivation.  After a bit more wallowing (and a few more pounds on the scales), I find myself doing the “enough is enough!” thing whilst desperately trying to leap back into the saddle in blind panic before my buttons start popping.  It would be a lot more productive and easier on the emotions if I didn’t experience that mental plateau in the first place.

If you’re not familiar with the Weight Watchers plan, they have something called “Filling & Healthy” which is a nifty tool in your weight-loss arsenal and one that I’ve been employing on days when the motivation just isn’t there.  It works like this:

1. Pick only the foods listed as Filling & Healthy
2. Stop when you feel satisfied and not when you’re ready to burst!
3. Include 2 teaspoons of healthy oil (sunflower, olive, flaxseed, safflower or rapeseed oil)
4. Deduct the ProPoints values of any food or drink you have that isn’t Filling & Healthy from your Weekly ProPoints allowance of 49
5. Relax and don’t count!

To put it bluntly, I believe that getting fully-acquainted with the concept of Weight Watcher’s “Filling & Healthy” regime is the key to beating the future mental plateau.  And when I say “acquainted”, I mean… “overly-familiar”.  We all know that the key to losing weight (and keeping it off) is down to employing some good ol’ common-sense and their “Filling & Healthy” list is packed-full of common-sense foods.  Playing with food combinations on that list is a less taxing method of maintaining your weight when you feel that the novelty of counting points and weighing portions is wearing thin.

I like that it doesn’t do battle with what is probably just a temporary “can see my feet, so can’t be bothered to work hard!” attitude.  Instead, it lets you ride that dip in your motivation like a wave until you come back out the other side without (hopefully) having done too much damage to your hard work.

Do you suffer from the Mental Plateau?

p.s. I’ve got a lovely (healthy!) recipe that I want to share later in the week if my Asda home shop turns up today!

* I am a Weight Watchers blog ambassador and my links to their website are affiliated.  I have received no payment for this post.

Because we haven’t seen enough of Cara Delevigne and her bloody wonderful eyebrows mooching up and down the catwalk over the past month, Burberry are releasing another flanker for their bestselling Burberry BODY fragrance in the form of Burberry BODY Tender with said model fronting the campaign.

Touted as a lighter interpretation of the original, Burberry BODY Tender brings together lemon, English rose and white jasmine to create a scent that they say is inspired by the playful attitude of the Burberry girl with the energy of the brand’s London hometown.

The packaging mimics the refreshing styling of the original Burberry BODY fragrance with its tall, slender bottle but with a shift in the colouring from gold to a gentle rosy hue.

Of the new scent, Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer had this to say:

“Burberry Body was always about creating something that captures all the different characteristics of the Burberry girl.

With Body Tender, we wanted to explore and bring out the softer, more playful sides of her – capturing this light femininity in the scent as well as the campaign.

Cara’s natural beauty and vibrant energy lit up alongside London’s magnificent architecture.”

The notes listed are:

Top: lemon, crisp apple and green absinthe
Heart: English rose, white jasmine and sandalwood
Base: cashmeran, amber and musk

The campaign, created under Christopher Bailey’s creative direction was shot on the river Thames by Mario Testino.   You’ll be pleased to hear that Cara hasn’t taken a leaf out of Brad Pitt’s book, instead she takes the opportunity to do what she does best… looking effortlessly chic in a Burberry mac whilst making women everywhere blunt their tweezers on the nearest rock.

Burberry BODY Tender Eau de Toilette is on counter and online now priced from £39.00 for 35ml.  Also available as a body milk.

Question of the Week – What are your three must-have products for a home manicure?

Answer: – Oh, I like this question because I can answer it with absolute confidence!  My three can’t-live-without nail products are (in no particular order): LUSH Lemony Flutter, Mont Bleu Crystal Nail File, and Lumos High Speed Top Coat.

Nouveau Cheap – ChapStick has been releasing some yummy Limited Edition flavors over the past few years, but their new Cupcake Creations Collection really takes the cake (pun intended). Grab these babies while you can!

Pink Sith – says there can be trouble with Taupe. Can that even be possible with this taupe loving fiend? Check out her comparisons of just one taupe among many bloggers.

Prime Beauty – Prime Beauty has fallen head over stilettos for the Smashbox Love Me Collection for Spring 2013, but she has a dilemma. Should she stick with her old boyfriend or go for the handsome new stranger? Help her decide.

Phyrra – has fallen in love with a new indie company called Girly Bits! See her review, swatches and manis.

Vampy Varnish – completely loves the new Candy Sprinkles Nail Lacquer collection from Hard Candy exclusive to Walmart!

we heart this – you’ve tried Birchbox, but have you tried Birchbox Home? Who knew a citrus spritzer could give me such joy!

Beauty Junkies Unite – Amber has the review & swatches of the new OPI Oz The Great and Powerful Collection!

Clumps of Mascara – is lovin’ Zoya’s Lovely nail polish collection. Spring is absolutely in the air!

EauMG – shares her favorite chocolate perfume!

Gouldylox Reviews – February is a busy month for product launches. Check out my five favorite products in February. (I couldn’t choose five, but seven didn’t sound as classy.)

Lipglossiping – takes a moment to appreciate that rare wonder of makeup doing exactly what it’s supposed to!

My Beauty Bunny – goes to the Oscars! See her photos.

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by Nouveau Cheap – Do you ever wonder how your favorite nail polish bloggers get those beautiful, sharp close-up shots of their manicures? One of my favorites, Jen from The Polishaholic, reveals her secrets here.

What are YOUR three must-have products for a home manicure?

I may be steadfastly clawing my way back onto the healthy-eating wagon but in just the last couple of weeks, I’ve developed the most horrendous sweet tooth known to man.  My sneaky way around this intrusion into my angelic lifestyle *cough* is to fatten everyone else up instead.  Yes, I have become the ultimate feeder.

Don’t get me wrong… I’m not so saintly that I don’t taste my creations but the trick is to have one and then GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF THE FLAT.  It’s the only way I can do it, heaven forbid I still have cake in the house come night-time.  You can be sure that it wouldn’t still be there the next morning.

My latest dabble has been with cupcakes (again).  Leila has decided on the theme that she wants for her fourth birthday party in May (she’s a planner), and that theme is “ballerina”.  She wants ballerina cupcakes, which will thankfully save me a whole lot of stress because anything has got to be easier than last year’s “steam engine cake”.

And so with my raging sweet tooth in hand, I headed into the kitchen to reacquaint myself with a bit o’ cupcake nurturing.  The actual baking, I can do with my eyes closed… the icing?  Well, to be honest, I usually trowel it on with a spatula and I’m done.  I don’t enjoy the faffy bits in baking… which is probably why I’ve always preferred home-style cooking over anything more delicate.

These Earl Grey Tea cupcakes from the Hummingbird Bakery book caught my eye mostly because I’ve discovered a new-found love for Earl Grey.  I’ve been a tea-drinker for about 10-years, I used to hate it as a teenager and it was only through meeting my husband (ultimate tea drinker) that I developed a taste for it.  While he’s a simple PG Tips man, I have enjoyed dabbling in loose leafs and the clean-tasting, subtle Earl Grey has become a real pleasure.

I won’t print the recipe here for fear of getting my hands slapped, so instead, I shall link you to the lovely Laura Ashley website who are hosting a copy of the Earl Grey Tea Cupcakes recipe with permission of Hummingbird Bakery.  Incase you’re curious, it’s from their Cake Days book… the sweet-toothed girl’s bible.

The only change I made to the original recipe was to use loose leaf tea instead of teabags, which I steeped in a cup with a tea infuser.

You may have noticed that my icing didn’t go to plan.  I got a phonecall mid-bake and when I returned to the kitchen, my scales had reset themselves!  I don’t think I put quite enough icing sugar into the mix but seeing as these were going to my Mum and Dad, I knew they wouldn’t mind my collapsed swirls!

Actually, if anyone has a failproof frosting recipe, I’m all ears… I’m not a huge fan of the HB one (which generally makes too much for 12 cupcakes).

Either way, the flavour of the cake is beautiful with just a hint of bergamot to lift the sponge, it’s very spring-like and delicate without being perfume-y.

Are you planning on baking this weekend?  How would you make “ballerina” cupcakes? Throw all your cupcake/icing tips at me, I’m gonna need them!

I’m of the firm opinion that for the money, French pharmacy brands offer some of the best solutions for diffcult skin-types. Escentual.com have long been my online destination for French pharma-brands, the beauty retailer offers shoppers worldwide a range of continental treats that can be difficult to source on the high street.

I’m happy to share the news that from today until the end of March, the online store are once again running their popular French Pharmacy promotion. “What’s this?” I hear you ask… it’s simple, let me break it down for you…

I talked yesterday about the new bronzing cream from Manasi Makeup which works to inject both colour and luminosity onto the complexion.  Today I want to take things a step closer to Summer and introduce you to a different kind of bronzing formula.  Never in my 18-years of wearing makeup have I ever found a powder bronzer that looks entirely natural against my skin-tone.  For many years, I thought that I was looking at the wrong brands and so I graduated from the BarryM’s of the world to the lofty heights of Guerlain bronzers, which I still believe offer some of the best shades for pale skin.

But now I’m ditching the powders.

Sure, I’ll still use them for contour… they offer great precision and I’m hopelessly attached to my Illamasqua Rumour and my NYX Taupe (which, ironically, are both marketed as blushers rather than bronzers) but for that all-over hint of colour that gives the impression of sun-kissed skin?  Nope, there’s a better option out there for us.

Looking frighteningly dark in the bottle, you might find it hard to believe that these two products offer the solution we’re looking for… but take the time to look a little more closely at a pair of products that have been somewhat of a revelation for my sun-shy skin.

Dr. Hauschka’s Translucent Bronze Concentrate* (drhauschka.co.uk, £27.45) offers a blend-able and realistic tanning pigment in a lightweight formula.  Once worked into the skin, the translucency allows your natural colouring to give the impression that the tone has self-adapted to suit your undertones.  It’s buildable from the lightest of applications, providing anything from a sheer glow right up to an intense depth of colour.

Being a liquid, you can use it to custom-fit any foundations that may be proving a little pale for your summer skin or you could even add it to your daily moisturiser for a lazy boost of colour without the full-on tan effect.

I prefer to use this on my face, delivering a shimmer-free hint of colour in a non-oily formula that lasts well through the day.  The image below shows the product lightly blended over bare skin… you can blend it more sheerly by mixing with your moisturiser or foundation.  Completely adjustable colour.

Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate – Ingredients:
Water/Aqua, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Alcohol, Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Lysolecithin, Beeswax/Cera Flava, Fragrance/Parfum, Citral, Linalool, Farnesol, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Citronellol, Geraniol, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Eugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Algin, Arachis Hypogaea (Peanut) Oil, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex/CI 75810, Iron Oxide/CI 77491, Iron Oxide/CI 77492, Iron Oxide/CI 77499.

Douvall’s Argan Bronzing Oil* (urbanretreat.co.uk, £32.00) works along the same principles as Dr. Hauschka’s Translucent Bronze Concentrate but there are some subtle differences that makes this one more suitable for use on the body (in my opinion).  As the name might suggest, the formula is alltogether more oily, making it an exceptionally blendable, streak-free option which can be used as a standalone moisturising product thanks to some beautifully nourishing ingredients.

It contains a subtle shimmer which looks beautiful worn across the decolletage, arms, and shins but would perhaps prove a little too glowy for the face.  The dewy finish peps up tired skin and imparts a naturally healthy glow – according to the bottle – you can even apply it to your hair, something I’ll admit I haven’t tried yet.

Unfortunately, the packaging is far from perfect… I manage to make a mess each time I put the the pipette back in the bottle and have to wipe clean the bottle-neck before I can screw the lid back on… a pump-dispenser like the Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronze Concentrate would have been a better choice.

You can see the subtle shimmer in the above photo, it’s really very pretty and understated, just enough to catch the sun and create a 3D effect on the skin.

Douvall’s Argan Bronzing Oil – Ingredients:
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil*, Squalane**, Silica**, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Mica, Limonene, Linalool, Citral ,CI 77491, CI 77499CI 77492

Do you use bronzing products?

* press sample

We wear makeup for many different reasons. Some of us like to experiment with colour, some of us like to improve upon our natural beauty *cough*, and some of us enjoy piling on everything we own just because we can.

At the moment, I’m somewhere between number two and a facefull of slap. Whenever I’m sick (is she still going on about that?), my skin is the first place it shows and the last place it recovers. Flaky, blotchy, purple under the eyes, and spots a-plenty are the order of the day. Which is exactly what one needs when you already feel like shit, of course.

Whilst I’d love to tweak my skincare routine to improve my natural radiance and rebalance my complexion from the inside out… I’d also like to be able to sprout a pair of wings and crap on the EDL headquarters from a great height. Sadly, neither are happening any time soon, and so instead, I turn to my makeup routine for the answers and pray that it won’t fail me.

This isn’t a tutorial as such, I’m no bleedin’ make up artist after all… but I thought I’d go into some real depth about the products that I’m using to work, what is basically, a skin miracle at the moment.

First things first, skin prep. If your skin is suffering, you can’t ignore this step in the routine. It’s imperative that you give your makeup the best possible base upon which to sit. It may be that you’re fighting an oil-slick or something akin to moon craters, or perhaps like me… you’re battling dryness of epic proportions. Take an extra five-minutes to target these concerns before you even go near your face with foundation, the finished result will be worth the effort.

Starting with a cleansed, exfoliated, and moisturised face… I deal with the dryness that has been causing my foundation to cling in patches. Upon Caroline‘s advice, I’m treating my skin to a moisture sandwich of oil and cream, first with an Elemis Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss (£62.00) capsule which delivers an antioxidant-rich hydration boost in the form of moringa oil, followed immediately by a generous layer of La Roche Posay’s Nutritic Intense Riche* (£14.00)

And then I wait. A couple of minutes later, I can tell where I need additional hydration, so I work a little more of the LRP into the skin, avoiding the areas that are prone to midday oiliness. That done, I move onto the one product that generally replaces “primer” for me during the colder months.

Maqpro Makeup Mixer (from £8.00) is a makeup artist’s trick taught to me by the wonderful Kenneth Soh who recommended it to me a couple of years ago as a great base for mineral products on drier skins. It’s a tip that continues to save me whenever my skin is behaving badly. Not only is it a wonderful mixer for sheering out heavier foundations, it also does wonders for improving how a product applies over, and sits ontop of dry skin without compromising the moisture levels underneath.

At this point, I use a brush to apply the Maqpro but I don’t work it fully into the skin, preferring instead to dot the product allover with the brush and only lightly blend. This way, it combines easily and increases the glide of the next layer of product.

Before even contemplating foundation, I still want to improve the radiance levels of my skin. A lot of the time, I reach for a liquid illumintor that I can apply allover and then “tone down” with foundation. I’ve been trying something a little different recently in the form of this rather splendid Lyster Cream Bronzer* (£36.00) from Swedish brand Manasi Makeup.

The pot contains far more product (55g) than I could ever see myself using and as such, I do wish they offered a smaller-size for less money but I can’t deny that the product itself is beautiful. Free from mineral oils and parabens, it delivers something inbetween a bronzer and a luminizer that works very nicely against my pale skintone. If you’re blessed with naturally great skin, I could see something like this being your one-pot wonder for sunkissed, healthy-looking skin without fear of looking orange or overdone.

I tap my brush lightly on the top (you don’t need much) and work the bronzer all over my skin using a circular motion, it blends nicely… but even more beautifully with my layer of Maqpro beneath it.

Finally, it’s time for foundation! At the moment, I’m alternating between my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in shade 4.5 (£34.50) and my beloved tube of Clinique Supermoisture Makeup* (£19.35) which is a better option for when I don’t have the time to do this kind of skin prep. If I am using the Clinique, I skip the Maqpro in this next step as it’s an exceptionally moisture-rich foundation on its own merit.

When I’m using anything other than the Clinique, I reach again for the Maqpro (as shown below). One blob of each and using the same face brush as I’ve been using all along, I give the products a little mix on the back of my hand before working into my skin lightly.

I never apply foundation heavily or in more than one layer when my skin is playing up because it doesn’t matter how much preparation or effort I put into the application, after a few hours… my foundation will clump over the dehydrated patches if it’s too heavy. Which is why, I always reach for concealer as the last step despite usually being a bit of a concealer-phobe when my skin is less fussy.

Bare Minerals SPF 20 Correcting Concealer* (£21.00) is the perfect choice for dry skin-types thanks to a light texture and a lot of slip. It’s very creamy and offers a good amount of coverage, making it a great choice when your aim is to keep your layers as thin as possible. The final step is a little precision highlighting with something like the iconic YSL Touche Eclat (£25.00).

Now, that’s quite a lot of product but use my “how-to” as a guide rather than a manual. The principles are simple and you’ll already have certain products in your collection that you know you can substitute…

1. Make a real effort to get your skin in the best condition possible before you go near it with colour.
2. Work in thin, lightweight layers.
3. Add additional moisture or “slip” as you go.
4. Now isn’t the time for powder, keep things creamy.
5. If you’re nervous about being too heavy-handed with illuminator or bronzer, apply it before your foundation.
6. Leave concealer until the last possible moment, you’ll end up using less product as a result.

How’s your skin behaving at the moment and what trickery are you employing to get the best from your complexion?

* press sample

Go and fill the kettle. I’m on one.

With the weather refusing to admit that Spring is around the corner, I decided to give it a little encouragement with the brightest scarf I own. Out of all the colours in my wardrobe, yellow is not one you will usually see me wearing. It’s bold, brash, completely cheerful, and worthy of attention… all the things I do my best to avoid. Fashion blogger I ain’t, but Mr. L reckoned that I didn’t look like a total knob teaming it up with a navy blue Breton stripe, and that was good enough for me.

I may have inadvertantly created a bit of a monster, I have my eye on this one now. What colour are YOU going to commit to wearing this week? Go on, I double dare you…

I also noticed that for a beauty blogger, I was in dire need of a bit of pampering, so I used the Oscars as a major excuse to get serious in the bathroom. Sunday night, just before the red carpet parade, I was on a mission to scrub, pluck, polish, tan, dye, exfoliate, cleanse, paint, and moisturise my way back into the land of the living.

Since rediscovering my tube of Sugared Almond Shower Gel (£4.07), Organic Surge have been on my body-beautiful agenda and I’m confident in recommending their new Million Dollar Brown Sugar Body Polish* (£32.00) as the ultimate scrub to ensure your tan has the perfect canvas. I must admit that I balked at the price but the best way I can describe this is as a 3-in-1 product that combines a scrub (a strong one at that), a shower oil (think Aromatherapy Associates style), and an in-shower moisturiser (like my beloved LUSH Ro’s Argan Skin Conditioner) which does help justify the price somewhat.

Talking of LUSH Ro’s Argan Skin Conditioner (£15.50), I still can’t resist its rose-scented goodness, so I employed it this morning during my shower to keep my skin supple and enhance the longevity of my Xen-Tan Transform Luxe Daily Self-Tan (£18.95). I have to admit that I don’t tan frequently… but basically when I can be bothered, for as long as I can be bothered… until I get bored with the upkeep. It’s lovely while it lasts!

I talked yesterday about alleviating some guilts, and after a fortnight of too many takeaways (which in my defence had a lot to do with the fact that I was so poorly), I kicked things off with something I’d be meaning to try for a long time: courgette/zucchini spaghetti. What a revelation! You see, when people tell me that healthy stuff can taste as good as its less-healthy counterparts, I don’t believe them. Kale chips? Piss off are they like eating crisps. Cauliflower pizza bases? Not on my watch. But this… this…

It might help that I do love courgette… but it was a bloody delicious substitute! Ok, it doesn’t taste like pasta but it delivers a tasty and filling alternative. I’d read that one courgette would produce enough “pasta” for one person but next time, I’d use two and ditch the side of bread. It’s probably worth splurging on a proper pasta sauce (or make your own with fresh herbs) to enhance the flavour but I can honestly say that I’m over the moon to have found a viable guilt-free alternative to something that I’ve been a little wary of eating.

This has been the first Winter that my Raynaud’s has fully dictated how I dress when the temperature plummets. I can no longer wear ballet flats with thick tights and dresses, instead I have to reach for a pair of sturdy boots which means that the pair I bought last year, has seen better days. I picked up these waxy rug leather Fly London boots on Amazon last week for a measly £19.50 – yes, I got the bargain of the century and went to sleep with a massive smirk on my face. They’re a beautiful petrol hue, with a chunky wedge heel and good grippy soles. I’m not sure how I’ll get on with the elasticated laces but I’ll work them out eventually.

If you want to keep an eye on potential Fly London discounts, you can check here – I’m sure there’ll be some more reductions now that Spring is almost upon us.

I’ve been spending many evenings recently neglecting my blog and curling up on the sofa instead with Mr L. We’ve been working our way through the Bond back catalogue (how awful is License To Kill?) and finishing off the Desperate Housewives (sob) series that we started watching the week we came back from our Honeymoon in 2004!

I’m a little bit ashamed to admit discovering a winning combination in a glass of wine and a tub of Choc Dips. It’s like my 11-year old self has met my 31-year old self in the best possible way. Have you had any guilty pleasures this week?

As much as I’ve been a bit of a squinny over the past couple of weeks, my daughter has done her best to show me how to get through a bout of the lurgy in true style. While I’ve been ensuring that everyone within a 5-mile radius can hear me coughing up a lung, she’s been dealing with a bout of croup with a braver face than I’ve ever witnessed.

She’s had a cough since the New Year, and one which a previous doctor hinted could be indicative of a future diagnosis of Asthma (fully expected seeing as both Mr. L and myself are Asthmatic). The coughing got worse, until I couldn’t take it any more and stood my ground in the local surgery on Friday demanding she see someone before home-time. Thankfully, this second opinion quickly recognised the symptoms that I’d missed and prescribed her a high, single-dose of steroids for croup. Three hours later and she’d made a miraculous recovery and was finally getting some much-needed sleep for the first time in 72-hours.

After what had been too much excitement for all of us, we enjoyed the laziest of weekends. There’s nothing quite like going for an aimless drive and in my case, I ended up heading back to my home town… and more specifically, the street I grew up on. I mentioned in my “50 things about me” post that I have an enduring fondness for my childhood home and I like to do a drive-by every now and then, is that weird?

I may have left it back in 1988 but I think there’s more than a little piece of me still there. The house was converted into flats many years ago, and one of them is currently up for sale. Oh, if only I were a rich woman!

Well, that’s what I’ve been doing (through the eyes of my instagram)… if you’ve got an account, link me up. Failing that, tell me what your highlights have been this last week.

* press sample

When you’ve been unwell for longer than a few days, it takes time to find your feet again. Although your body may have valiantly shrugged off the last of the lurgy, it can take your emotions a little bit longer to recover.

I don’t mean to sound emo, I’m actually feeling quite chipper on the surface, and yet… definitely not back to normal. Pile onto that a bit of guilt at not being up to par blog-wise, work-wise, diet-wise, even mummy-wise and the need to re-balance becomes essential.

I know that I’m more of a review/swatch blog, but lately I feel a little more like just… talking, or even just exploring what else I can bring to the blogging table. Please don’t feel as if you need to listen, I talked on here (and my old blogs) before I knew any of you, and I’m sure I’ll continue long after you get bored with me. I’m just feeling a little disillusioned with blogging, it’s been that way for longer than I’d like to admit but I’m not sure how to mend it. If I took my own advice, I’d probably have a break… step away from wordpress, twitter, my online existence for a while. Except, how does one box up their online life until they’re ready to rediscover its contents when it’s such a huge part of who they are?

Eleven years ago, I wrote my dissertation on virtual communities, I met my husband-to-be in a chat room, he makes online flash games for a living, and I… well I contribute to the household income by writing a blog. Approximately 93% of my friends, I met online and communicate with… online. I’d need a fucking big box wouldn’t I?

The blogging community I was once proud to be part of has evolved into something different, as things tend to do. I’ve never blogged for fame or with any desire to be a blogging it girl and I have never been comfortable pr-ing myself. I’ve never been part of a blogging network and I’ve never seen this as a stepping stone to something better. I rarely attend events because I hate networking and putting on a facade of confidence which positively drains me the next day. I tried upping my competitive nature for a short while but it made me unhappy. The only undercurrent of a desire except for the enjoyment of blogging has been to earn enough money so that I can do it without being a drain on my family. I’m not sure that this is entirely possible without a legion of You Tube fans or at the very least, one hell of a killer instinct.

So, instead of taking a step back, I’m just going to accept that I may need to diversify as the year progresses. Will I have to go and find a “proper” job? Maybe. Do I want to? Hell no… I’ve loved enjoying spending so much time with Leila, it’s been a privilege that I don’t want to give up. But, she’ll be starting school this year and I do miss blogging for nothing other than the sheer love of it, so perhaps it will be for the best.

I think Winter does this to you, I’m aching for the warmer weather that signals the start of our geocaching season. Now that Leila is bigger, she will hopefully, finally show an interest in some wonderful weekend-long treasure-hunts with her Mum and Dad. Moving into the flat meant that to a certain degree, last Summer was a bit of write off… we were so busy fretting over starting our new life, that we forgot to actually live it. Christmas was amazing, as it always is but when my sister returned home to Australia, I think she took a bit too much of my heart with her.

You see, I’m not really sure what I’m saying… but I’m glad I’m saying it. The perils of wanting to be a pro-blogger without wanting to always conduct yourself in a professional manner are playing havoc with my blog relationship and as with any relationship, they all require hard work and a lot of honesty.

Don’t reply. I’m not fishing for comments… I’m just alleviating a bit of my blogging-guilt. Tomorrow, I’m building Leila a wendy house from the huge cardboard box that her “big girl’s” car seat got delivered in, and who knows… I might even bring myself to give away that massive bar of Fruit & Nut Dairy Milk that’s been doing nothing for my diet-guilt.

Down with guilt x