My favourite lipbalm EVER EVER EVER

I am a total and utter lip balm addict and can confess that I have bought nearly every single one on the market over the years and I can also confess I have loved.... just about none of them. Too greasy, too expensive, too slippy, too smelly, too this and too that and none have been right - UNTIL NOW.... I am too excited about telling you about this product as it is a great price, a great product and it stays on! hurraaahhhhh.  Plus is is SPF 15, available on the high street, organic, super conditioning and and and....... ok.....here it is

THE BEST LIP BALM IN THE WORLD - according to me

It is from Holland & Barrett and is just £3.25 for a 5.7ml tube. My advice to you is GO OUT AND BUY IT AND THROW ALL YOUR OTHER RUBBISH LIP BALMS AWAY!


The End

Michelle Ganz's Wedding Morning

Michelle first contacted me back in November 2010 with an enquiry about having her make-up done for her wedding in August 2011. It seemed such a long time away back in November but a few weeks ago was Michelle and Darren's wedding day and I was honoured to make her and her bridesmaids up for her big day. Her wedding took place at the Runnymede on Thames Hotel in Surrey and the view from her room was a beautiful and busy River Thames with barges and boats cruising along it - just gorgeous!

We had two make-up trials over the months leading up to her wedding day and we really perfected her glam, but bridal look that made her really stand out in her fantastic dress and great hair by Rebecca Wakeman - think red carpet chic mixed with beautiful bride and you can imagine how incredible she looked when we had finished!

I have a selection of photos for you to see (non official ones) so take a look and let me know what you think. I will post some official ones soon when Michelle gives me the nod!

Few hours to go until hair and make-up, so just relaxing (and posing!) 

View from the hotel window; a very British game of croquet by the Thames

Just about the leave for the ceremony

A real red carpet snap!

See what I mean about ultra chic........

Working with Michelle Ganz, now Lee, was an absolute joy from beginning to end.  I enjoyed her relaxed nature immensely and her organisational skills were second to none throughout the whole process and I loved it how she kept me in the loop with decisons she was making.  Michelle's skin is just so beautiful to work with too, she has a great skincare routine and went for regular facials with a trusted beautician for many weeks before her wedding day and this paid off enormously.

Many Happy Returns and Mazel Tov to Michelle and Darren and may you have a brilliant and happy marriage together.

x

Shiny Shellac from CND (Creative Nail Design)

This morning Rowena from Sei Bella Nails & Beauty came to my house to tackle my (and only I am allowed to say this) dry flaky finger nails and my VERY dry and neglected feet.  After a consultation over email where I told Rowena I am a Mum to a busy toddler and a make-up artist where my hands need to look lovely and presentable she recommended Shellac nails for me and I jumped at the chance.


My nails before any treatment



First of all Rowena gently filed my nails and attended to the cuticle area to create a smooth base for the Shellac to go on to. She then applied a coat of the CND Shellac base coat and this was allowed to set under the UV lamp for just 10 seconds.



Base coat has been applied and under the UV lamp for 10 secs


After the base coat she applied a layer of CND Shellac 'Cocoa' to each nail and each hand was placed under the UV lamp for 2minutes - the process was then repeated so that two coats of the coloured polish were on each nail. Even without the top coat my nails gleamed and glistened in the natural daylight. 

Check out the final look. I totally love this colour, do you?

CND 'Cocoa' - the finished look

Watch this short video from CND about Shellac http://www.cnd.com/Products/Color/shellac-video.aspx

My toes were done in much the same way but instead of 'Cocoa' I opted for 'Wildfire' which is a vibrant but traditional red - see the images below

Ta-Daaaaa. My finished CND 'Wildfire' and luxury pedicure



I think I need to tan my feet / legs now I have these fab nails :)

 For the luxury pedicure Rowena used the following products in order. It was so wonderfully relaxing but could have been more relaxing if my 14m old toddler wasn't jumping all over me and Rowena and trying to hide all of her products!

CND Luxury Marine Spa Pedicure

1 - Mineral Bath Sea Soak
2 - For exfoliating legs - Marine Salt Scrub
3 - Exfoliating base of foot - Sea Scrub
4 - Solar Oil and cuticle eraser on nails and cuticles plus Sea Serum on hard skin patches
5 - Marine Cooling Masque
6 - Massage with Marine Hydrating Oil
7 - Cucumber Heel Therapy Cream to finish

I have to say as I sit here at my computer I can smell wafts of the CND Marine products that Rowena used and it is making me feel really relaxed.  The foot massage skills that she has too are fantastic, she is firm but fair and I even stopped talking for about 4 minutes which means she really must have hit the spot!

One of the products that she used I already had and have recommended it to countless people over the years, this is Solar Oil. I buy this from Cult Beauty but there are lots of places online to get it from. It works so well with Shellac (which was new to me) as it penetrates through the formula and conditions your nails, it also conditions the cuticle area wonderfully.  Rowena recommended buying a few tiny bottles of it (which she sells for £4 each) to keep in your bathroom, kitchen, handbag etc - this way you have no excuse for not applying it. I thought this was a simple but brilliant tip as I often can't find mine so I don't use it, hence the flaky dry nails I normally have.  Solar Oil is £11.95 for a large bottle, but will last forever.

I would recommend Rowena without a doubt but I do have one very minor minor point to make: I do think that the edge of the nails could have been cleaned up a tiny bit more than they were so that there was no colour on the skin but I honestly don't think of this as a criticism of Rowena, I truly liked her and her work was good! I will post some more pictures of how they look after two weeks so you can see how they wear.

So if you live in London email Rowena at info@seibellabeauty.co.uk for a consultation and quote.

My daughter Nancy and Rowena The Shellac Queen!

ONE WEEK LATER

Well, it's 8 days later and unfortunately due to the Shellac peeling off on 2 nails I had to remove it.  The method I used was to soak a cotton pad with acetone (check the ingredient list on your nail varnish remover for acetone) for each finger, therefore x10.  I wrapped the pad around each nail and wrapped it tightly with a square of tin-foil - it sounds a bit weird and it also looks a bit weird, I felt like Edward 'Tinfoil' Hands!  Leave for 10 minutes.  When the time is up, remove one of the wrappings and scrape off the Shellac using a wooden nail stick. If there are any stubborn bits of Shellac, use one of the already acetone soaked pads to gently wipe over the nail until it comes off. Repeat for each nail.  After rinsing the hands with soap and water dry and generously apply Solar Oil to each nail and massage in. Do this as often as you remember for the next 48hrs.

Summary - I loved the look and feel of Shellac, but it didn't last for the 2 weeks. I used gloves for housework and applied the recommended Solar Oil at least 4 times a day, so I am not really sure what went wrong.  It wasn't cheap either so I don't think I would have Shellac again in a hurry, I'm going to stick to my OPI and Barry M colours!

Is 'b.right' The Right Buy?

I was sent five samples from Benefit Cosmetics' new skincare range b.right before the bank holiday weekend and I have spent the last four days using them so that I can tell you what I think. The advertising campaign claims that the range is 'SO RADIANT, You'll need a dimmer switch' so I have put this to the test, will my husband need to wear his Raybans when I have cleansed, toned and moisturised?

I have photographed the samples so you can see the packaging and the containers they come in (please note these are sample sizes, not the size you would get in the shops plus excuse the bad lighting on the pics)

The first thing that struck me when I opened my post was the packaging.  The boxes are designed to look fresh and clean, which makes obvious sense when inside them are moisturisers, cleansers and scrubs.  Over the four days I ditched my usual trusty products and used the b.right range consistently morning and night so that I could really tell you how it worked for me.  I have slightly dry / sensitive skin and as most of the products I was sent were 'For All Skin Types' I was comfortable with trying everything.

I used the FOAMINGLY CLEAN Facial Wash to start with.  It smells lovely and you only need a small amount which quickly works into a good lather when used on damp skin.  I found the cleanser really easy to wash off and my face didn't feel tight and overly cleansed after patting it dry.  As I used it in the morning it wasn't removing make-up but the same night I used it to 'wash off the day' and it removed my make-up beautifully without stinging my eyes! I like.

After the Facial Wash, I went for the TRIPLE PERFORMING Facial Emulsion. As it is oil free it glides onto the skin well and sinks in well too, no slippery film was left after applying it all over my face.  Don't make the mistake I made by applying it too near to the eyes - it has an SPF 15 in it and I must say it did sting, only my eyes though, not my face.  A really lovely moisturiser that didn't feel greasy or too light for my dry skin.

That same night I cleansed with the Facial Wash again then used the REFINED FINISH Facial Polish.  I am a sucker for scrubs and polishes but often they are too harsh and although initially they feel like they have whipped off the dead skin they tend to leave your face dry and sore, but NOT the b.right one. It has a very fine exfoliation within in and it left my skin feeling polished (as it say on the box!) and really soft. I always advise to exfoliate twice a week and it says this on the packaging, so if you follow this rule, your skin will be gleaming. I really like.

After the polish, I added IT'S POTENT Eye Benefit Cream all around my eyes. It feels cold when you apply it which is always lovely for an eye cream and it is absorbed by the skin really nicely.  It says that it fades dark circles, but after one application I couldn't see much difference. However, you need to use something like this for about 2 weeks to see a real change, so I will report back on how it has worked for me, but in the meantime it does feel lovely to use and again, it smells gorgeous.

I ended the process with the TOTAL MOISTURE Facial Cream which I love! This one is for Normal to Dry Skin and the texture of it is creamy but not too thick.  It soaks in really well and leaves a highly mosturised face, ideal as a base for foundation or tinted moisturiser.  After four days of using this cream I think I am converted. It is scented but not too scented, which I like, and a little goes a long way which I really like. 

The two products I want to rush out and get would be the REFINED FINISH Facial Polish and the TOTAL MOISTURE Facial Cream, both I would happily add to my own bathroom cabinet and my pro make-up kit. The others are great too, but if I had to pick it would be the two above. 

Going back to the statement by Benefit 'SO RADIANT, You'll need a dimmer switch' - I think there is some truth in this to be honest. If used regularly and as directed on the box, you will need to ask your friends and family to pop on their sunnies to avoid being dazzled!

Buy the products here from the Benefit UK website prices are on the links too.