Essie 'Luxedo'

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!  Now Christmas Day is over (boo) the only way a girl can console herself is by trying out any new goodies she got in her christmas stocking...

I was lucky enough to get a new nail varnish from my sister for Christmas, which is a shade I have been dying to try...'Luxedo' by Essie.

You'll know from my previous blogs I have recently turned into a bit of an Essie convert, and am slowly building up my collection.  So far I own 'Mink Muffs', 'Skirting the Issue' and 'Lilacism'.

I'm a fan of Essie nail varnishes because at £7.99 they aren't horrifically expensive, they are easy to apply and quick drying, the don't go gloopy quickly and they sell them in my local Boots store which means I can peruse the colours much easier than OPI (which I have to do online).

The only shade of colour that (so far) had kept me true to OPI is their 'Lincoln Park After Dark'. 

As you've probaby guessed, these aren't my nails!  But this photo gives a really accurate representation of the colour.

I love this shade, I have been through over 5 bottles.  It is notoriously hard to get hold of because I would imagine it is up there with some of OPI's best sellers. It is a deep purple colour which almost looks black when applied but has just enough purple pigment to make it look slightly softer than black, and (in my opinon) more luxe.  Black can sometimes look a bit cold and harsh, especially against winter skin.  The only colour I have found to match it is Rimmel's Black Cherry, although this goes gloopy so quickly.

My mission has therefore been to find an Essie that matches the OPI 'Lincoln Park', and I would say 'Luxedo' is sufficiently close.

The first thing that struck me about this shade was how dark the first coat went on.  You will know from my previous reviews of Essie that I find their darker colours do take a few coats to really get going colour-depth-wise, but this was quite dark for a first coat. At this point you can get an idea of the purple undertones and this purple is definitely a colder purple than the 'Lincoln Park' shade.

First coat (please excuse my nails!)

I found this shade only needed 2 coats of colour to get really deep and dark.  This is a bonus as it takes less time drying-wise and you can really load on the clear top coat to make the nails super glossy (which is a must with darker shades).

After second coat

After clear top coat

You can see from the last photo that a hint of the purple still comes through when the nail catches light (in this case the flash, but you get the same effect with sunlight, artificial light etc).  I like that you still get this hint of colour, as again, it keeps this a softer alternative to black.

That said however, I do feel this fails to fully match the 'Lincoln Park' shade.  Don't get me wrong, I love this colour and think it will become a staple of my nailvarnish collection, especially because of how quickly the colour builds which is a bonus when short for time.  I think the problem with this is that it lacks something of the luxuriousness I feel with the OPI shade.  The 'Lincoln Park' shade seems to be a slightly warmer purple which gives it a richer, more full-bodied effect.  The Essie shade does look quite black when not getting picked up by a flash or by light, whereas the OPI one tends to maintain the colour pigment a bit better despite how dark it gets.

There's a possibility my reluctance to announce Luxedo as a bona fide alternative is down to me being such a die-hard fan of Lincoln.  I've used it for years and it is always hard to tear yourself away from your holy grail product.  I can see myself wearing Luxedo for everday use and Lincoln for special events.  All that said, if you want a cheaper alternative to OPI's Lincoln Park after Dark, you could do a lot worse than Luxedo...

Samantha Chapman Expert Face Brush - A review

On a recent shopping trip to Norwich, I came across a new make-up brush range in Boots by Samantha Chapman.

Of the collection on display, the brush that caught my eye was the Expert Face Brush.  It didn’t really look like any brush I had seen before; it looked like a large version of the Mac 227 ‘large fluff brush’ for eyes, but this brush was for your face.  That was my curiosity officially aroused.

I did the usual, and stood with it in my hand for about 5 minutes trying to decide if I needed yet another make up brush.  At £9.99 it wasn’t expensive enough to immediately discount, but wasn’t cheap enough to warrant an “oh go on then”.  My will power won and I put it back.

However my curiosity continued to niggle and I found myself checking out reviews on the beauty blogs.  I couldn’t find a single bad review.  I then went on the Samantha Chapman website where she gives video tutorials of how to use the brushes.  I got 11 seconds into the tutorial for the Expert Face Brush and then found myself clicking “add to basket” on Amazon.  Expert Face Brush...purchased.

So what’s the verdict?  I love this brush.  I normally apply my liquid foundation with either my fingers or the Mac 190 foundation brush.  I have dabbled in the past with the Mac 130 stippling brush, but never quite worked out how to use it properly.

This brush is like nothing I have seen on the market before.  It has shorter bristles which are densely packed and graduated to make a smooth ‘bulb-like’ shape.  The bristles are soft, very soft. They are synthetic but you wouldn’t guess.  And the bristles are so dense and tight that it feels like a very expensive brush.

Application is so easy.  Watch Samantha’s video and you’ll see she literally just brushes her foundation on with little care.  This is all down to the brush.  The head is small enough to give good control, but big enough to allow quick coverage of the whole face.  It requires barely any blending as it leaves none of the pesky brush strokes that you get with a standard foundation brush.  I also like the way it almost buffs the foundation into the skin.  I find some foundation brushes just push the foundation around your face, but this seems to buff and apply at the same time.

It feels very luxurious on the skin, which is potentially one of my favourite things about it.  Even my Mac foundation brush can get scratchy at times and gets very loaded down with the product.  The Expert Face Brush stays light and soft whilst still giving great coverage. 

The effect this brush creates is also impressive.  I don’t think I have ever used another brush that could rival it in its evenness.  I definitely see what other bloggers mean when they say it gives a very flawless finish.  I also found it didn’t accentuate my pores quite as much – I’m not sure why but it didn’t seem to make the foundation cling quite as much.

For £9.99 this brush is a steal, and has become the staple of my make-up collection after just a week of using it.  I need to clean it soon, so I am hoping it cleans up nicely.  If it does, I am definitely consigning my old foundation brushes to the bin.  I doubt it will be long before the big make-up brush names will be bringing out a copy.  Samantha Chapman, I salute you.

Essie Mink Muffs - A Review

I have long been searching for a nail varnish which is in the taupe/mink/slate type family.  I always think these nail colours look really nice, but the key seems to be in getting a shade that suits your skin tone.

I’ve so far failed to find one where the colour suits me.  My hands are not my best feature, they are quite wrinkly for my age, and get very red and sore in winter.  They can therefore be quite unforgiving when it comes to the more unusual nail colours.  I had tried No. 7’s ‘Beanie’ a few years back, but I hate the consistency of No.7 nail varnishes, and the brush is too thin.  The colour wasn’t bad, but the application was too difficult. 

I’ve found this family of colours tend to only pop up in the higher-end nail varnish ranges.  You’ll struggle to find a decent taupe-based shade in any varnish under the £7 mark. 

On a recent girly shopping trip with my Mum, she randomly ended up buying Chinchilly by Essie for her Christmas parties.  Both of us were a little surprised at how nice the grey shade looked on her nails – my Mum because she thought it would look too “young” on her, and me because we share a similar skin tone and normally the grey based colours look awful. 

Following her success, we then started having a play with different colours and I then ended up purchasing Essie’s Mink Muffs... (on an aside, I recommend playing with colours when you have the time and are with an honest companion.  Like in this case, you often find colours suit you which you weren’t expecting)



Mink Muffs is a pinky-purple based mink colour.  The colour reminds me of one of the colours offered by the Impress press-on nail range, which I have always liked.  It looks a completely different colour in the bottle, almost terracotta-based.  I’d never have picked it off the shelf in a million years, but it looked completely different when I tested it on my finger nail.

The application is typical Essie.  The desired depth of colour is easily achieved in two applications, although it always leaves me hankering after a third application to really give the colour some punch.

After 1 application

After 2 applications

I struggle to describe the colour.  It definitely has warm undertones which I think makes it look a bit less harsh against my skin tone.  It also changes quite drastically in different lights.  In my bedroom last night it looked very taupe based, but when I was walking through town on my lunch break today I noticed it was very purple! (Hence why I had to take a photo – ignore the sainsburys bag!)

In daylight!

Thus far I am a fan of this colour.  It is taking a bit of getting used to, because it isn’t as dark as what I normally use at this time of year.  However it seems to go really nicely with cream clothing, and also offers a less harsh alternative when wearing a lot of black.  I also think it will come in handy for the xmas season.

As usual I am impressed with the actual Essie varnish – creamy application, good shine, good colour depth, decent sized brush.  You can't go wrong for £7.99!  They are also buy one get one half price at the moment in Boots. 

Essie 'Skirting the Issue'

I posted a few weeks ago about how impressed I was with my first experience of Essie nail-varnishes.

Following the success of the pastel lilac colour I bought, I have been itching to try out the rest of their range.  I caved a few days ago and bought “Skirting the Issue” – a deep burgundy colour from their new ‘Stylenomics” range.

I am normally loyal to OPI, but seeing as they do not sell them in any shops in my local town centre, I struggle when picking colours as they look so different on swatches on the internet.

Normally before I purchase a new cosmetic, I have a scout around the beauty blogs to see what kind of buzz is surrounding the product.  In this case, I did it the other way round – I purchased then searched the blogs.

Several of the blogs criticised the varnish for needing several coats to get an even finish.  The colour (when photographed on people’s nails) also looked a lot lighter than I expected.

Oh dear.

Anyway, seeing as I had bought it, I had to try it out.  Here’s my opinion....

The first thing I noticed was that the consistency is quite runny.  It is easy to overload the brush and it was difficult to control it around the base and sides of my nail where I found it tended to run or collect.  I think there is a fine line with nail varnishes between them being runny enough to glide on the nail and dry quickly, but thick enough that you still maintain some control.  This erred on the runny side.

These are my nails after the first coat. 

 

It did ‘glide’ on quite nicely, which is the same experience I had with the lilac shade, but you can see on my thumb what I mean about the product ‘collecting’ and you can see on the edge of my ring finger where the product has started to run.  However, it was generally quite even for a first coat of a darker nail-varnish. 

These are my nails after the second coat.

I expect a nail varnish to reach its intended colour after two coats, as I find anything more than 2 coats makes it tricky to dry properly.  I found it quite difficult to get an even covering with the second coat.  I tended to get a bit of a ‘dip-dyed’ situation going on, where the tips of my nails were darker than the base.  My thumb nail gives the best representation of how even the colour ended up.  You can also see where it has run again on my middle finger.

The colour was definitely lighter than I was expecting.  It is a nice burgundy, but not as deep as I would have liked.  The flash on my camera makes it look lighter....the photo [below left] is without a flash and you can see it looks considerably darker.  The photo on the right gives the truest representation of the colour I achieved.  Some of my nails are definitely darker than the others...there is a definite lack of consistency in the depth of colour.
 

Having said that, I love the finish.  Both this varnish, and the lilac I previously bought, both have a very luxe, shiny finish. I did apply a top coat of cheap clear nail varnish but after a day of wearing it my nails have not dulled as much as they do with other brands of nail varnish.  It is also the kind of nail varnish, both in colour and finish, which makes your hands looks quite ‘groomed’. 

Overall I do like this nail varnish, once I accepted the colour was not what I was after!  I maintain that the consistency is difficult to control – I doubt I will be able to use this if my nails are shorter as you need enough nail space to be able to even out the colour and the brush carries too much product.  It will certainly not be a ‘quickie’ nail varnish that I can apply in a rush.  It needs a steady surface, concentration and time to apply.  But if applied with care, it does produce a good, glossy end result in a colour that is very ‘this season’.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE:  In a pang of boredom the following day, I decided to paint another coat of colour and clear polish on top.  I do have a tendency to do this.  I find that 3 coats of colour, plus a base and top coat, never dries properly if all applied at the same time.  They give the illusion of being dry but will still smudge or pick up texture patterns.  This may be my lack of skill in application!  But often I find if I do the generic 2 coats of colour and a base & top coat, they dry easier.  Then the next day if I apply again I find it dries a lot more robustly.

So anyway!  Here is a photo of my nails after a 3rd coat of colour and a further clear top coat.  I definitely prefer the depth of colour this extra coat has given and the colour is now much closer to what I was originally after.  Quite a long-winded process though to get this nail varnish to work for me...
 

Boots Simply Sensitive - gentle on the face and your bank balance

I have always struggled with skin care because my skin is so sensitive and very dry.  I suffer from eczema and if my skin disagrees with a product, the skin around my eyes will quickly flare up.

As a result, I have had limited success with facial moisturisers and cleansers.  I have reacted to products ranging from Liz Earle's much-raved about hot cloth cleanser, right through to moisturisers specifically designed for sensitive skin, e.g. E45 and Avene.

The only two facial moisturisers I have had success with are Aderma and the La Roche Posay Toleriane range.  Both are specifically designed for sensitive skin and definitely kept my flare-ups at bay.

But I had niggly issues with both - Aderma was very thick and had a rather unpleasant whiff to it and La Roche Posay was (in my thrifty opinion) quite expensive for a daily moisturiser.  At £16 a tube (a small tube) I was shifting through a lot of it as I moisturise at least twice a day.

The products I now use were definitely a bit of a miracle find for me.  It is the night moisturiser and face cleanser from Boots Simply Sensitive range.

I am guessing this range was brought out as Boots answer to the incredibly successful 'Simple' range.  I use Simple's eye make-up remover and would never switch, I love it.  Boots had their range on offer when they first launched it, so I decided I'd try it.

Boots Simply Sensitive Night Moisturiser

The night moisturiser comes in a little pot which is easy to store and use, and being a pot rather than a tube, you can make sure you get every last bit out of it.  It is fragrance and colour free and contains typical sensitive skin ingredients such as aloe vera and mineral oil.

It is completely fragrance free, there is no scent to it at all other than a basic 'cream' smell. For a night moisturiser it has quite a light consistency and I find it rubs in very easily.  No stinging at all.  Sometimes if I apply loads it can leave a bit of a sticky residue but that doesn't last long.  I find it to be a good base for my foundation, and my skin feels soft all day (despite working in an air conditioned office!)  I use it both mornings and evenings, despite it being designed for night only. I did buy the day moisturiser but it just didn't provide enough moisturisation, it was far too light and thin. 

I have been using this product now for over a year and, although my skin isn't perfect, it is definitely calm and moisturised!  I haven't (touch wood) had any skin breakouts or reaction to this product and it has seen me through wind-induced chapped skin in the winter and sunburnt (naughty) skin in the summer.  At £3.79 (and regularly on 3 for 2 or 30% off offers) I'd highly recomment it to any dry, sensitive skin types out there.  The price tag means that if it doesn't work you haven't wasted too much money, but if it does, you've discovered a very cheap way to moisturise your skin!

Boots Simply Sensitive Cleansing Lotion

For your £2.79 price tag you get a big bottle (200ml) of this stuff.  The neck of the bottle has a plastic stopper so it is easy to control how much you pour out, and again I find you can use all of the product up.  I squeeze a bit onto cotton wool pads and wipe over my face until the pads are clean.  I wear quite a bit of foundation and this cuts through it easily.

Because it is a lotion, it doesn't dry my skin out at all.  If you suffer from greasy or combination skin you may not like this product as it does feel as if it is leaving a slight film on the skin.  I wouldn't say I get that 'squeaky clean' feeling you get with some cleansers, but then I find the cleansers that make my skin feel clean, also dry it out. So it doesn't bother me that this cleanser doesn't leave me with that clean feeling.  Don't get me wrong, you feel you have lifted the products and 'muck' of the day from your face - it just feels fresh rather than squeaky clean.

Again, I have used this product for over a year and have had no reactions or flare-ups.  I still get spots, but not on a regular basis, which makes me confident that the cleanser is removing my make-up etc.  Once again, for the price, it is worth a shot

Overall
I love these two products and it will take something pretty impressive to drag me away from them!  For the price, I think you couldn't really ask for much more.  Is my skin glowing and flawless? No.  I still have prominent large pores, I still get the odd spot and angry blemish and my skin tone is generally still pretty uneven.  But based on my previous experience with skin care, it's the best results I have found so far.

Little flit into H&M

I just found the most amazing pencil skirt in H&M.  Grey tweed (yum), perfect length, fitted well and only £14.99.  It was quite a stretchy fabric and I was a bit concerned it might not 'wear' well - i.e. it might get baggy over time.  But then I walked out of the changing rooms and..."why is it in the maternity section!?" Oh wonderful.  It's a maternity skirt. 

Immediate dilemma.  Do I purchase a maternity skirt?!  I didn't.  I'm convinced that although it fitted fine now, it would probably stretch really easy and quickly get baggy.  In fairness though, I can't see how you could fit a bump into it, but I guess it would stretch to requirement.

On an aside though, I'd totally recommend H&M for any petite people who need serious office clothes.  You have to be patient - a lot of their stuff they don't bring out in a size 6 so it's a bit pick 'n' mix as to what you can get.  But I have pencil skirts in black, grey and taupe which I live and die in at work - all size 6, all £14.99.  I've had them about 4 years and they still look fine.

They also do quite a good line in suit jackets.  Not the most brilliant of materials, but when you are a size 6, getting office clothes can be an absolute nightmare.  So for good value and decent fit, I'd definitely point you in H&M's direction...

You may also have noticed from my 'H&M A/W drop' post that I was lusting after a v-neck jumper from their catalogue.  It popped up in my local store today, already sold out in every size under a Large.  They only had an XS in the grey.  So I grabbed it.  I'm not sure though.....at £19.90 it is pretty expensive for H&M knitwear and it already has a somewhat 'out-of-shape' look about it which makes me think it won't wash well.  I'm also not sure whether it looks cool-baggy or stupid-baggy.  I'm undecided.  I'm going to fit it on at home, parade around in it a bit, ask my sisters for advice....

Giorgio Armani Designer Shaping Cream Foundation - Review

I was introduced to the expensive world of Giorgio Armani foundation through one of my best friends.  She suffers with dry, sensitive, spotty skin much like myself.  So when I saw her sporting radiant, even skin I literally begged her for her secret.  Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation.

She warned me it was expensive.  It is also hard to get hold of.  So when in London one weekend, I hot-footed it over to Selfridges and headed straight for the Armani counter.  Problem was, I couldn't remember the name of the foundation.  No problem, I just asked the very helpful gentleman (yes, gentleman) working behind the counter. Alphazeus (yes, that was actually his name) told me it must be the new Designer Shaping Cream Foundation. 

As is typical with higher end make-up brands, he offered to do my make-up.  I obliged of course.  I left Selfridges not more than 20 minutes later with a full face of flawless make-up and swinging a little yellow bag containing a £45 foundation.  Yup.  £45.

I tried my new foundation the very next morning.  And was disappointed.  My flawless face the day before had apparently got more to do with a) Alphazeus' make-up skills and b) the dozen or so other makeup products he swiftly mixed and applied around the foundation (e.g. bronzing cream, concealer, powder).  In honesty, I don't know how much of the foundation he even used.  This is the one danger with make-up counters, especially those in high end stores such as Selfridges.

This foundation has since sat in my bedroom as a haunting reminder of the fact no foundation is worth £45.  If I'm honest, the price tag probably makes me harsh on the product, but it just generally leaves me a little cold.  Anyway, here is my full review....

The bottle is typical Armani.  Heavy frosted glass, black screw lid.  It is big, and holds a decent amount of foundation.  The design of the bottle is a nightmare though, with a wide base and thinner neck, you have to dip your finger in a bit like dipping a quill in ink.  Pouring it is an absolute no-no.  It quickly gets messy and is not travel-friendly. 

The consistency is lovely.  Not too runny, but not too thick - it feels nice to the touch and it is easily applied either with fingers or a brush.  It blends extremely well.  It is definitely oily based though, and if I wear it alone then I have a strong 'dewy' sheen (verging on greasy).  It also has quite a heavy feel to it, you are aware of it on your skin for a good few hours after application.

The coverage isn't bad.  It covers redness well, and evens out the skin tone.  Blemishes need a bit more work.  The coverage is technically buildable, but because it feels quite heavy, you don't really feel like you want to build it up.  It definitely makes the skin feel claustrophobic. 

The top photo is without any make-up (yuk) and the bottom photo is with the Armani foundation applied with a foundation brush.  As you can see, the coverage is very good, but I had to take the flash off the camera otherwise my face looked like an oil slick.  To be fair the photo makes it look slightly better than it does in real life because my camera doesn't focus as sharply without a flash!

You definitely get everything you expect from a high end foundation - decent colour matching, luxurious consistency - but for the price tag there is no way this is worth it in my eyes.  If I'd paid a tenner for this, I might be more complimentary as it is a pretty good product.  But pretty good shouldn't come with a £45 price tag. 

Incidentally I never went back and tried the original Luminous Silk foundation I initially wanted to buy.  Once bitten and all that.....

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation - A Surprise Find!

I have recently been contemplating embarking on a mission to find an alternative foundation to my beloved Diorskin Nude foundation.

As much as I love the Dior foundation, I have to admit it is far too expensive for daily wear (£29.50).  But the problem is it has spoilt me. Whenever I use cheaper alternatives for 'day-to-day' wear, I end up slipping back into using the Diorskin everyday because the alternatives just do not hit the spot.

So yesterday (after an expensive month what with holidays to Devon etc) I decided to re-ignite my search for a thrifty alternative foundation.

And what timing!  I went into Boots and it appears several lines have released new foundations.  Maxfactor have released their Facefinity All-Day 3-in-1, Bourjois their Perfect 123 and Maybelline their Fit Me foundation.

I tried several on my face.  The Maxfactor offering seemed to be no different to my previous experiences of their foundations.  They appear to have potential, their marketing blurb hits the spot, but their foundations are just too thick, dry and cakey and yet fail to cover my blemishes.  They all seem to have a very similar texture and colour base, so if you've found Maxfactor works for you in the past, I imagine you may quite like this one.  It is meant to be primer, concealer and foundation in one.  To me, it felt no different to their Colour Adapt foundation.

 

The Bourjois one I was tempted by, as I am quite a fan of their Healthy Mix foundation.  But I have a lot of

faith in a make-up blogger I follow called Fleur de Force.  She reviewed the foundation and gave it quite a lukewarm reception.  A lot of what she said sounded very honest and did ring true with my previous experience of Bourjois.

So I tried the Maybelline one.  My previous experience with Maybelline has been that their foundations are very drying, apart from their Dream Creamy foundation which is the other extreme!

Normally I don't put much stock by "colour match" foundations.  Mainly because I don't struggle to find colours to match my skin tone, I have more trouble finding foundations that match my skin type.  But it was in a pretty glass bottle, and at £7.99 it was within reasonable budget so I purchased.  And so far, I'm very impressed. 

Full review here

To Hydraluron or not to Hydraluron....

A couple of weeks ago I confessed to purchasing a rather expensive new product called Hydraluron by Indeed Labs, and at the time I promised a review.

The reason I haven't yet posted a review is because, to be perfectly honest, I haven't formed a cast iron opinion yet on this product.

One thing I can confirm hands down is that the product makes your skin softer to the touch.  This is a definite.  As soon as your moisturiser soaks in, your skin will feel dreamy soft.

I also think my foundation is easier to apply and even has better staying power.  I wouldn't say these effects are particularly pronounced, it was more something I started to notice over time.  My foundation spreads more evenly, blends in easier, and definitely stays better.  I suspect this is because the product is meant to prevent my skin "drinking" the water out of my foundation, and I can see some evidence of this.

But the product generally..?  I'm not sure.  It may be because I bought this expecting a wonder product.  I thought a couple of weeks down the line and I would literally be flawless and glowing.  Flawless and glowing I definitely am not.  But then the product does not claim to do this in fairness.  I still have red blemises; one of which has literally today just popped up into an angry, hot, red spot.  I also haven't noticed much difference in my pore size.  I suffer from large pores especially on my cheeks, and the product did claim to combat this.  Maybe it will be a more long-term effect.....

Something I found a bit weird was that the first night I used it, I woke up and my skin felt very tight and dehydrated...more so than normal.  So that morning I put more moisturiser on than normal.  I did the same that night.  I experienced this tightness for the first few mornings.  I did wonder if this was the product working...it does say that it encourages your skin to absorb and hold water, so maybe my skin was just so dehydrated to begin with that the product caused mass absorption!  I don't get the tightness anymore, and have gone back to using a normal amount of moisturiser.

The texture of my skin is definitely improved though - there's something more 'refined' about it.  It does seem a tad more 'glowy' but I think that is more down to a couple of cheeky sunbeds I naughtily indulged in (never again!)

Overall I can't decide about this product, but something tells me it is the type of product where I will notice the difference if I stop using it.  There is improvement, I just can't put my finger on what it is.  The proof of the pudding will come when I run out.  At £24.99 it is going to be a big decision as to whether I repurchase.  When it runs out I may not repurchase for a few weeks and see if I notice any difference.

I'll keep you posted.......

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE:

So, my Hydraluron has finally run out, which means it has lasted for 17 weeks of applying twice a day.  This works out at about 10p per application ... not too bad?

So it is crunch time ... am I going to buy again?  I was originally in two minds about whether I would re-purchase this, but now I have shifted to a definite yes.  There are two main things that contributed to this shift. 

Firstly, I was away at the weekend and forgot to take the product with me.  I didn't notice any drastic difference in my skin, but it did feel less 'well-behaved'.  One of the most noticeable differences was that my foundation literally melted into my skin within a few hours.  So on a review basis, I can definitely say that Hydraluron makes my make-up last considerably longer.  I guess this is because it creates some form of barrier which prevents my skin absorbing the foundation.  For information, I was using primer at the weekend as well, and my foundation still disappeared.  So the Hydraluron is doing something more than a primer.

Secondly, my skin is having a bit of a nightmare generally.  I think it is due to the change in the weather as I tend to get this every year.  My eczema is playing up, my skin is dry, I'm itchy and I've got lots of angry red patches on my arms and legs.  Noticeably though, I haven't had any problems with my face.  I'm putting this down to my new power partnership of Hydraluron and Body Shop Hemp Face Protector.  My skin is notoriously difficult in this weather, so the fact my face is coping well this year means Hydraluron must be packing some kind of punch in the hydration department.  Now all I need is a similar product for my body.....

Escape to the Countryside

I've just returned from a mini-escape down to Devon.  I haven't travelled down to this part of England since I was too young to appreciate it, and wow, what an amazing place.

We stayed at a hotel called The Three Crowns in Chagford on the edge of Dartmoor and I couldn't recommend it enough.  The perfect blend of rustic comfort and stylish class, with friendly staff and a chef who cooks up the tastiest of cuisine.

We spent four blissful days trekking the moors, climbing up waterfalls in our wellies, driving down narrow country lanes and having cream tea by the sea in Salcombe.  We were lucky with the weather..crisp cold air and brilliant sunshine. 

You just can't beat a break away in the English countryside; all you need is good company and a trusty cagoul and wellies in the car boot...

Obsessing about Essie

My local Boots has recently started to stock Essie nailvarnish.

I've seen Essie before on blogs etc, but it has never been on my radar enough to prompt online purchase.  Plus I am a bit of a die-hard OPI fan.

But the Essie display looked so inviting, and I have been looking for a pastel lilac nailvarnish and Essie had one right there on the shelf.

At £7.99 it is expensive for a nail varnish, and therefore takes itself into OPI territory.  So I went in sceptical.

But I must say, after my first application, I love it!  The colour is exactly what I wanted and I found it so easy to apply.  I find pastel nail varnishes can be tricky to get an even 'block' of colour without ending up with a thick gloopy mess.  But two normal layers of this Essie varnish was plenty enough.  I put my cheap Miss Sporty clear nail varnish as a base coat and top coat.  Generally the varnish dried quickly, it has stayed shiny, hasn't chipped yet and the colour is so pretty.

Problem is I now want more.  I've seen a dark red, a dark purple AND a mink colour I want already.  At least with OPI I have to order online so the effort needed tends to curb my purchasing...but we could be entering a danger area here.  Expect many more Essie posts to come!

This is the colour I bought.  It is called 'lilacism'.  Please note these are not my nails (mine are horrible and short) but it is a good representation of the colour, quality and shine.

H&M A/W drop

I arrived home from work yesterday to be greeted by H&M's catalogue detailing their Autumn/Winter offerings.  Muchos excitement.

I'm a bit of an H&M addict.  A combination of good pricing, small sizing and a decent sized store in my home town are all contributory factors to my H&M love affair.

A couple of items caught my eye in the catalogue....

I haven't seen this jumper in store yet, so cannot vouch for the quality and fit etc. But it is a NICE looking classic jumper.  The deep neckline is reminiscent of a Zara jumper that I coveted for most of the Spring/Summer.  The colour looks like a nice fresh cream as well, which is always a welcome addition to my drab winter wardrobe.  At £19.99 it's the upper end of what I would spend on H&M, but it looks like the makings of a classic "wear-every-year" jumper.  Now here's a dilemma...do I wait for it to come in store so I can check quality and fit?  Or do I order online now whilst they have my size (and in case it doesn't come instore).  I'm undecided...

LOVE this.  To start with, it is in this season's dark berry shade (tick), it comes with a belt to define the waist (tick) and it looks so warm (double tick).  But it starts at a size 8 so I doubt I'll purchase it.  My shoulders are where I am my tiniest, which means jackets that are slightly too big just look stupid on me.  Especially when I know how good this could look if it fitted well.  It's such a versatile piece though, it would go with boots, pumps and heels.  You could literally wear it with jeans, dresses, skirts or shorts.  It could easily be dressed up to look polished and classy, or dressed down to look stylish but warm.  It would look cute with a black hat as well, and so nice with a pair of black leather gloves.  A perfect way to get this season's colouring into your wardrobe as well.  Oh H&M why must you tease me!

Putting my faith in Hydraluron

I was having a wander round Boots the other day (as you do) and stumbled across the newest offering from Indeed Labs - "Hydraluron Moisture Booster".

I'd heard of Indeed Labs before, from the buzz surrounding their Nanoblur product.  Although I haven't tried Nanoblur, it did cause the kind of stir in the skincare world that is reminiscent of genuinely effective products.

My skin is extremely dry; it drinks anything I put on it, including moisturiser, foundation etc.  I have tried drinking more water, but I'll be honest, I'm rubbish at keeping to it.

This product has been hailed as "a drink for the skin".  Containing the purest form of hyaluronic acid, it is meant to create a "water reservoir" under your skin.  You are meant to apply it under your normal moisturiser, and it is a product that should actually improve your skin over time.

Sounds good. 

I tried a bit on the back of my hand and, I can't deny it, my hand felt SO smooth.  So it ignited a bit of excitement in me...always dangerous.

At £24.99 though, it's wayy outside my comfort zone with what I spend on skin care.  My moisturiser and eye makeup remover are both under a fiver, mainly because I go through them so quickly.  So this is quite a leap in price for me.  But I did my usual and looked it up on some blogs and it seems to be getting glowing reviews; I didn't manage to find one negative or even mediocre review.

So, I'm breaking my "no-purchase" rule for September and am going to use my hard-saved Boots Advantage card points to buy this.  I can't help being a bit dubious, but also stupidly excited.  I'm purchasing on my lunch break (eek!) so a review will follow in a few days, and hopefully it will be glowing...