Saturday Summary

I've never done one of these summary posts before, but I was drawing a blank over what to blog about today, so I decided to do a quick one for you guys :)

Photograph by Hugo Burnand

• The photo above pretty much sums up what the majority of this past week has been all about. On one hand, I am very glad that the Royal Wedding has happened, as I was started to get tired of the media hype and all the press releases for some of the most ridiculous wedding-related products. The only product that I have been remotely tempted to buy has been this adorable doll from Momiji, and I am very tempted to pre-order this from here. 

Image by Momiji

• On the subject of weddings, this week has also been overrun with another, and that of my brothers. In four weeks, I'll be heading off to Turkey, but in the meantime I've been desperately trying to figure out what the heck I'm going to wear. Regular bloggers will know that I've picked out my dress, but I've also decided that I'm going to order a Lucky Dip from Temporary: Secretary for my jewellery, which rules out any "I can't decide" arguments, with myself.
• I've been really snowed under with work this week, which is great, because I love being kept busy.
• I've also been keeping myself extra, extra busy putting together ideas for a Secret New Business Venture, that I am hoping to launch later in the year. At the minute, it's all maybes and ideas, but I'm looking forward to perhaps taking my business down a slightly different path.
• I'm planning on getting my hair cut in a few weeks, for the first time in ages, so I've been looking through magazines trying to get some ideas together.

Listening to: Linkin Park - Meteora (Yeah, I've been having a good old trip down Memory Lane, this week!)

Loving: The official photos of the Royal Wedding. I have strong hopes that they stay together a lot longer than Charles and Diana. The little glances between the couple during the ceremony were so sweet, and I thought that Kate (and of course Pippa) looked incredible. Although, I wish she'd toned down the eye liner on her lower lid. It sort of aged her a little bit, which was unfortunate.

Hating: The Royal Family haters claiming that they waste all of our tax-paying money. All I'll say is: If you had your way, and we lost the Royal Family, we'd lose more money from the lack of Tourism, than the money we'd save not having the Royals.

What have you guys been up to this week? What did you think of Kate's outfit, and do you see a long, bright future for the happy couple? 

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**CLOSED** A Right Royal Giveaway (minus the Royal)

Hey guys,

You might remember that following from my Ji ji Kiki Giveaway, to celebrate my blog's first birthday, I promised you another one! Well, things didn't quite go to plan.

Basically, the box of products arrived on the Friday that I went to see Sucker Punch, at the Cinema. So, inevitably I missed it, and I kept forgetting to arrange for it to be redelivered. By this point, my Blog Birthday had arrived, and I still didn't have these products (slight mass panic), so I went and picked them up from the Royal Mail Offices. But, I then decided that I didn't want to run two giveaways so close together, so I decided to leave this one a few weeks, and run it alongside the Royal Wedding Bank Holiday Weekend (well, everyone else is jumping on the Band Wagon, so why not enjoy the ride!).

So, here is my "Right Royal Giveaway".

For a while, I've been trying to use more natural and organic products, because I've always been curious as to whether my sensitive skin would react better to them. It's even got to a point where even Simple products are causing me to breakout! So, when Julie from Wikaniko, offered me a few products for this giveaway, I couldn't say no, and yet again, I am very jealous that I don't get to keep these products for my myself!

All of the items on offer are 100% natural.

Items are:


Wikaniko Flushable Wipes

My parents actually use wipes similar to these, and I think they're a very simple, but great little invention. Instead of clogging up the Local Tip, you can throw them down the toilet and they dissolve (I think). I think this would be great for Mothers who are potty training their children, but (little tip), I actually steal my mum's flushable wipes to take off my Make Up when I'm at Home.

Wikaniko Lip Balm in Citrus Delight


First of all, can I say that this Lip Balm smells absolutely DIVINE! I really had to stop myself from dipping my finger in and trying it! Seriously, as a weak-willed lip balm FIEND, this was tough work to avoid!

I actually love how this has been packaged, in a cute little bag, it seems silly, but sometimes I think it's the little things that make the world nice :) Oh, and the weird stuff in the bag, is Lavender, which smells rather nice too. Not sure how long the smell will last on that though :-/


Wikaniko Bath Bomb in Wild Lavendar.
I loooove Bath Bombs, and can never have too many ones from Lush, so yet again, I envy the winner of this!! The packaging looks really crazy, but I didn't want to take it out, because I didn't want it breaking on transit to the winner. Unfortunately, that means that I can't comment on the smell, but if the lip balm is anything to go by, I guarantee that it smells lovely.

And boy is the photo rubbish of this Bath Bomb, but with it being in packaging, this was a pain and a half trying to get the right angle/lighting, so I'm really sorry I can't do the product more justice!

Something Extra

I'm also adding a Barry M Dazzle Dust to this Giveaway. This isn't something that was donated, or that I have received as a sample/freebie. This is a product that I bought, with my own money, only to get it home and discover that I already own it (only I could do that, right?) It has been opened, as in, there's no wrapper on it, because I'd wanted to check that they really were the same colour but it's never been used. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of this dazzle dust, but I assure you that no photo will ever do this colour justice anyway. It is No. 23 (Midnight) and the name is so befitting, as it is a very rich dark blue colour. It's quite shimmery, and looks fantastic for smokey looks. Personally I'd say that it's a bit darker than this image suggests.

So, that is FOUR prizes for one lucky winner :)

How to Enter:

• Unlike the last Giveaway, this one is only open to residents of the UK (sorry non-UK guys!)
• The point of this Giveaway is to thank my followers (whilst celebrating the Royal Wedding, of course), so to enter you must be a follower of my blog (and yes, I will check).
• To follow, using Google Friend Connect (GFC) either click the "Follow" button at the top, or under the "Follow Me" section on your right!
• All you need to do, is leave a comment below, telling me how you managed to be on my blog today.
• Feel free to re-tweet this Giveaway, making sure that you mention me (KittyFairy) in your tweet.
• Giveaway is open until 12 noon Tuesday 3rd May, so get entering quick, quick!
• One winner will be chosen completely at random, using Random.org

Good Luck Everyone :-D

To find out more about Wikaniko, just click here :)

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I don't want big boobs!!

You might remember, earlier this month, in my April Hottie and the Nottie feature, I had a good old moan about the fact that I have problems fitting into larger sized clothes, because my boobs just aren't big enough to fill them out.

So, imagine my interest, when this leaflet drops out of a well-known beauty magazine (sorry for the bad quality, the lighting was absolutely terrible!)

Photo of Leaflet taken by Me

Noting that I have never heard of Pepperberry, the caption beneath the title reads:

"Clothes designed with your boobs in mind."

I mean, wow, what are the chances that not long after I moan about it, I get a leaflet advertising just what I'm looking for! Brilliant. And, it's amazing that I looked at the leaflet in the first place, because I typically just throw the crap away (or deliberately entice it to fall out when I'm picking the magazine off the shelf *cough*).

Mildly intrigued, I flip the leaflet over to find out more (already having noticed how pumped up the models boobs are. I mean, seriously??)

Leaflet flipped over, the first thing I see is Sizes 8 - 18. Huh, well, that's pretty useless, but the worst bit is:

"3 Curvy Sizes to fit your Boobs:

Curvy

Really Curvy

Super Curvy."

Photo of Leaflet taken by Me

Do not get me wrong, I do honestly think that this is really great for slimmer women who have big boobs, because as the response to my previous post emphasised, there are a lot of women who will really appreciate this brand, and that is absolutely fantastic.  Nevertheless, what about people like me who are the other end of the scale, ie bigger but with smaller boobs? I can't be the only person that has this problem can I?

On a slightly different note. Why the heck do they feel the need to really push up her boobs on the front? She looks bloody amazing, and the dress is absolutely gorgeous (I'd kill to be able to wear a dress like that), but why not just hire a model who doesn't need to be "pumped up"?

Sometimes, the fashion industry just baffles me :-/

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Your Mission...should you choose to accept it!

As the title suggests, I am on a mission and I need you guys to help me (pretty please). But, I guess I should tell you the story first :P

So, Saturday lunch time, I'm happily watching Spirited Away, on the telly, tum te tum, tum, tum, with the boyfriend (I love Spirited Away by the way. If you haven't seen it, you really have to!), when all of a sudden the power goes off. Telly, PC, boiler, lighting, EVERYTHING. And to make matters worse, ten minutes later, my phone, also dies.

After seven hours later, the boyfriend and I were making up games, lying on the bed, drinking Fosters with blackcurrant, my candle light, when the lights flicker on (I'd deliberately turned them on, so that we'd know when the power came back to life), and I was able to get on the PC and charge up my phone.

Over the course of the day, my mum had tried to contact me, a fair few times, and assuming it was important, I decided to ring her (good move), and the conversation went sort of like this:

Mum: When is Andrea coming?
Me: 28th May...
Mum: I thought so...
Me: Why...?
Mum: Well, you've got a decision to make...
Me: Um....okay...?
Mum: We've been invited to a wedding...
Me: Whose?
[Very long pause, throughout which, every family member runs through my head]
Mum: Your brother's...
[Very long pause, as I struggle to take this information in]
Me: What? Where?
Mum: Istanbul....
Me: Istanbul...?
Mum: We fly out there on Thursday 26th...

So, as you can imagine, my head went into overload, and I will admit that this all took quite a while to digest. In fact, Sunday morning, I woke up, absolutely convinced that I had made it up. But, when the boyfriend knew what I was talking about, I guessed that it was for real.

I've only been on holiday that involved flying once, and that was to Canada in 2008, this this is a HUGE deal, and I haven't been to a wedding since I was really young, and it's my eldest brothers so like WOW!

So, anyway, I've already picked out a dress, which I actually bought at Christmas, but never had a chance to wear because of the really cold weather, meaning that I didn't go out over the Festive Season. But, now I'm not really sure what to wear with it.

I've already decided that I'm going to wear a black bolero with it, since apparently, the Turks don't like it if you have your upper arms showing (fair enough, I don't particularly want to share them with the world anyway!), but with it being a relatively hot country, I'm not sure what to wear on my legs:

• Leggings
• Tights

And even what colour. I'm thinking black so that it'll pull the bolero into my outfit (if that makes sense, so maybe tights would be too much? What do you guys think? I'm thinking calf-length black leggings might be a good idea? I definitely have to wear something underneath it, by the way, because the skirt material is so flimsy and transparent, I just couldn't get away without it.

And then, there is my feet. I'm thinking something silver, maybe sandals or pumps, but I'm struggling to find anywhere that was some nice ones that are cheap, but don't have a "thong" between the toes. I'd rather wear pumps, but I'm happy to wear a sandal if it's nice. 

So, opinions/ideas are greatly welcomed, and any advice on where to look for a nice pair of silver shoes would be greatly appreciated. Leave a comment, and let me know your thoughts :)

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Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! I hope that you're all enjoying eating Chocolate for breakfast, and aren't too hungover ;)

I'm currently in a mad dash to catch up on work, that I missed out on yesterday, due to being without power for seven hours (thanks National Grid!).

Image from Google

So, service of blogging should resume tomorrow :)

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Clinique Even Better Make Up SPF15

A couple of months ago, I received a free sample of Clinique's Even Better Make up SPF15, in an issue of Psychologies Magazine. I've had sachets of this stuff before, but from past experience they never seem to be the right shade for my skin, so I typically don't bother. However, during a tidy-up this afternoon, I came across the sachet and since it was a "neutral" shade, I decided to give it a try to see what it was like.

Image from Google

Clinique and Me: I have honestly never tried any product by Clinique. From experience, in my local Boots, the staff can be incredibly pushy and if anything is going to put me off, that will always be number one. I can not stand pushy staff. If I want to buy something then I will.

The second thing that puts me off Clinique, is the price. At £21 for a full-size bottle of this product, I can't help thinking that it's a little bit expensive. I mean, what makes Clinique any better than other cheaper brands? But, I think the price issue, was part of the reason why I decided to try it out. I wanted to discover if it really was worth the money. I know one use isn't that great of a trial, but it's the only option I had.

Information

Make Up SPF 15 evens and corrects.
Shade: 05 Neutral
Skin Type: Dry combination to Combination Oily
Tests: Dermatologist tested. Allergy tested. 100% Fragrance Free.
Coverage: Moderate to Full
Concern: Uneven skin tone.

My Skin: Naturally, I have really oily skin, which is of course still the case, however, I noticed when I applied a mineral foundation the other day, that my skin appears to have become really dry around the top of my nose and forehead area, so I figured that trying a product that was for combination oily skin would be a great thing.

What Clinique Say:

"New Even Better Foundation SPF15 oil free formula, a powerful foundation developed to help combat hyper-pigmentation and deliver brighter skin, both immediately and over time. Includes treatment benefits to help even skin tone and SPF protection to help prevent future hyper-pigmentation. Provides moderate to full coverage, leaving skin instantly perfected with a unique mineral blend."

What I Say:

Initially, when I squished the product out of the sachet, into my hand, I didn't think that there was enough product, but when Clinique say that this is a full coverage product, they do actually mean it. It really did not take much to hide everything on my face, from the spot on my skin, to my red cheeks, including the bumps I have in that area and even a tiny mole! So for coverage, it most definitely gets full marks.

Admittedly, the shade was completely wrong for my skin tone, but although I'm still slightly useless in some areas of make up, I did manage to remember to blend it into my neck and such, so it didn't look too bad.

The skin did kind of make my skin look bright, but to be honest, I think that was more shine than anything else. So, I'm really surprised to see that this is an oil free formula, but it certainly didn't look oil free on my face. Maybe, I'm just used to matte foundations, or maybe it's just my greasy skin (highly likely), but this really didn't look too great. It didn't feel that great either.

Whilst the product didn't feel as heavy as some do, it really did feel like it was just clogging up all of my pores, which is not a good thing for someone with oily skin, that is prone to breakouts.

Image by Clinique

Despite feeling a little heavy, and looking a little too shiny for my likings, it did last quite well throughout the rest of the day, well except for my biggest problem area which was my cheeks, where the redness has really come through. And, this definitely wasn't down to me touching my face (that I'm aware of).

Shades: There is a HUGE selection of shades, so I'm fairly sure that if I tried hard enough, I'd probably be able to find one that was better suited, but Neutral is not the one for me!

Price: At £21 this is an expensive product, for most people. I would like to say that you're paying for good coverage, but it just didn't stay put on my cheeks, which for me, is a really big deal.

Who should avoid this product: Anyone with really problematic skin, because although it does offer full coverage, it doesn't necessarily last in the most-needed places, and to be fair, my cheeks aren't even that bad these days.

I also wouldn't recommend this particular product to anyone with oily skin.

I definitely will not be buying this, but I'm really glad that I tried it, because at least I now know, that although a lot of people love it, it's not for my skin.

Has anyone else tried this, or any other Clinique product? What are you opinions? Do you think Clinique is worth the money? Or is your cash better saved for cheaper alternatives? I'd love to hear what you guys think :)

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Eyebrows, Eyebrows, Wherefore Art Thou Eyebrows

I hit puberty relatively young, when I was about ten or eleven. Of all my friends, I was only the second to get my period. That I could handle. The growing of boobs and having to wear a bra, wasn't so much fun, but shaving was something that I was a late bloomer doing.

When I was about twelve/thirteen, I'd asked my mum if I could have a razor, to which she responded, something along the lines of:

"What do you need a razor for? You don't have anything to shave!"

She was, of course, right (no matter how much we try to deny it, 95% of the time, mothers are always right!). Well, it wasn't that I didn't have hairs. It was more a case of having hairs that were incredibly fair. In fact the fairness of my body hair, brought two comments around that time:

Of my arm hair:

"Do you shave your arms? You haven't got a single hair!"

I didn't shave them, and I did have arm hair, but people couldn't see it.

On another occassion, during a PE lesson, in the days when I still had the nerve to wear a PE Skirt, instead of Adidas Tracksuit Bottoms (that were actually banned from our School, like Adidas Shorts which were both fashionable at the time, but because everyone wore them, the School were practically powerless to do anything about!). But, my friend commented:

"Wow, you're so lucky that you have such fair hairs on your legs. You can get away without shaving."

Yeah, so maybe they were fair, but it didn't make me feel any better, because I still felt like I was being left behind by not shaving

A similar comment to the one about my legs, actually came up not that long ago, when I commented to a friend that I have genuinely never plucked my eyebrows (and still haven't!). I was basically told that whilst plucking would be good to just shape my eyebrows, I didn't really need to pluck, because the hairs were really sparse and pale.

However, this isn't the reason why I have never taken tweezers to the little hairs above my eyes. It's more a "Fear Factor" thing, where the idea of self-inflicted pain is just not very appealing. Heck, I'm the kinda girl who will never be successful at Waxing my legs, because I just do not have the balls to rip those bitches off fast enough.

So, I have never ever touched my eyebrows.

That was, until a year ago, when I introduced by mum to Urban Decay, and she picked up one of their Brow Boxes. Having never done anything with my eyebrows, I decided to give it a try, and was actually amazed, at how filling in with a bit of powder, made my face look so different, but in a very subtle way.

Roll forward to yesterday, and I found myself stood in front of the MUA counter, and being only £1, I decided to "treat" myself to an Eyebrow pencil, of which I decided to try out last night.

Now, I have to confess, that it wasn't until I tried doing it, that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I did the first one quite heavy handed, and looked like I was working on re-creating those scary caterpillar eyebrows that women sported (fashionably, and for an example, think Brooke Shields) in the 1980's! The second eyebrow I did much lighter. Ultimately, both eyebrows looked ridiculous. They didn't look like twins, but they also didn't look like sisters haha!

But, it made me realise something: I don't have a clue whether I'm supposed to put the colour on the actual hairs, or work it onto the skin? Neither method looked particularly attractive, so not sure I'll be trying this again!

Is there anyone else out there, who has never plucked their eyebrows? Is that a personal choice, or just because you don't have much to pluck? Or maybe you've had some funny eyebrows experiences that you might like to share :)

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The Freebie Conundrum

A topic that seems to rear it's ugly head, every so often, especially amongst the broad elite of beauty bloggers, is that of Freebies.

A few months ago, a young woman decided to take it upon herself to attack Urban Decay, on their Facebook page. Urban Decay had asked who people thought were the best UK-based beauty bloggers, which drew in the usual Lauren Luke and Oxford Jasmine replies.

This young woman's argument was basically that Urban Decay was expensive, which let's be fair, is definitely true, because Urban Decay is pricey compared to brands such as Rimmel or Barry M. But, her argument didn't stop there. It continued into this huge barrage, that beauty bloggers were the only people who could afford to buy Urban Decay, and by afford she went on to say that it was because we're all sent stuff for free. And despite arguments to the contrary, she really had herself believing that all beauty bloggers are in it for the freebies.

I'll throw my hands up, and confess that I've had a few freebies in the twelve months that I've been blogging, but in all honesty, those freebies probably only make up about 5% (if that) of what I actually blog about.

But, this acceptance and blogging about stuff we haven't paid for, raises a lot of debate too. Some bloggers believe that this is "selling out" and not being "honest". I have to disagree. I've even come across people who don't think it's right to blog about stuff that they won in giveaways, or bought from a blog sale. What does it matter how you came to have something? The fact that you have it, and have used it is more important. Sometimes I get freebies. Sometimes I pay full-price. Sometimes I pick up offers. Sometimes I even manage to find a good bargain in a Charity Shop. Does that make the product have less meaning? Of course not.

People will gladly review a product that they got free with a magazine, so why not from a PR company?

As far as I am concerned, beauty blogging is about talking about products that you have used, and whether you like them or dislike them. It's about helping other people to distinguish whether or not a product is right for them and their skin.

General consensus, on Twitter, amongst various bloggers and blog readers, seems to be in agreement, which is good. But, a couple stated that there were a couple of "circumstances" that they really hated:

1. Blogs that are just full of press releases. Personally, I think blogging about a press release is acceptable, but only occasionally, and only if you really feel a need to share a product. A need to share could be because you're excited about the product, it's from a company that you use a lot or it's a product that you think will be rubbish. But, I think that press releases should only be used, if you intend to give an opinion on it. I hate it when press releases are just copy and pasted, with a few stock images added and that's all. I want to hear a bloggers thoughts.

2. Blogs that are driven by "freebies". You know the ones. They always start with this line, or very similar "So, I was sent this amazing/stupendous product". And they don't really review the product, more like show you a couple of images, tell you what it is, but don't ever give an honest opinion of it. And whenever they do, it's more about how much they love it, without any kind of gripes. Of course, sometimes we do love products, but all the time?? Yeah, I don't think so.

So, to sum up, I think that it doesn't matter where you get your products from, as long as you buy something at least occasionally (c'mon, no one is that stingy!!) and give at least a hint of a personality, by gracing us with a review.

Most beauty bloggers receive freebies, in some shape or form, because let's face it, most of us don't get paid to write these blogs. We are 100% out on our own, so a few perks is actually very nice. But what's your opinion on how bloggers should "review" them? Do you think some bloggers take this freebie "culture" too far?

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Urban Decay Super-Sexy Rollergirl Palette

I really hate promoting products straight from a press release, but this one, I just felt that I had to. Recently, I've been in two minds about Urban Decays newest products, for example, I seem to be the only person alive, that didn't think much of the Naked Palette, but then again, that was more to do with browns making me look like I have black eyes, and the fact that I'm not really a fan of neutral colours. But, anyway, when I received the email about their new palette, I actually surprised myself with how much I like it.

There are of course, three neutral browns in it (Verve, Suspect and Darkhorse), but what really appealed was the choice of a bright, bright pink in Woodstock. Although, I'm convinced that I wouldn't buy this, because I own a bright pink Barry M dazzle dust that just looks ridiculous on me, I still wanted to share this palette with you guys, because it seems, on the surface, like a really mad colour to place in a palette with three shades of brown. But, personally, I think that it really works.

It also comes with a full-size Whisky eyeliner, and a Lip Junkie.

And the packaging is just gorgeous! As someone who grew up going to Roller Discos, at my local YMCA, in the early 1990s, I absolutely love the retro vibe to the outside.

I only discovered this product from the email sent from the American Urban Decay website, so I don't know when or if this will be coming over here. Fingers crossed though :)

What do you think? Would you buy this new palette? And what do you think of the packaging?



NB. None of the pictures belong to me. 

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Ji Ji Kiki Giveaway Winner Announcement

First of all, I just want to thank Emma from Ji Ji Kiki again, for donating the two wonderful prizes for this giveaway. And second of all, I want to thank everyone who entered, and of course good luck to all of you.

Unfortunately, there can only be one winner, so to make things fair, I decided to put all of your names into Random.org to randomise you all, which gave each of you a unique number, as you can see here:

So you can see which number you were all allocated :-D Ooooh, isn't this exciting?

Next up, I used Random.org to pick a number between 1 and 10 to pick the winner, and the number picked waaaaaaas:

Therefore, my powers of dedication and deduction declare that Pamela is our winner :) Congratulations Pamela. I'll email you shortly, and the Mr. Gingerbread ear rings will be winging their way to you very soon!!

Thanks again to everyone who entered. I have another giveaway on the horizon, but not sure when I'll be putting it up just yet, so make sure that you keep reading ;)

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Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Eyeliner

I have been meaning to review this eyeliner for absolutely ages, and after my ELF Cream Eyeliner review, over the weekend, I though that today would be a good day to get this review done.

Rimmel Eyeliner and Me: Until I discovered the wonders of Urban Decay, I used to swear by Rimmel's pencil eyeliners, and they were the only brand that I would wear.

Therefore, it might actually surprise you, to know that I've never actually tried a Rimmel Liquid eyeliner. In fact, my liquid eyeliner experience generally spirals around Barry M. So, when Rimmel recently had a 3 for 2 offer going on, in my local Tesco, I had to give it a shot.

Why I picked this eyeliner: I was really keen to give this liquid eyeliner a try, from the moment that I opened the container in the shop. As I mentioned in my ELF Cream Eyeliner review, I'm really heavy-handed when it comes to eyeliner, and as a result, I tend to struggle to get lines that are a. straight and b. quite fine. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I want a thick and dramatic line, but sometimes, especially during the day, I want a subtle line that frames the eye and makes it "pop" a little, rather than a bold one that makes a statement.

So, finding a liquid eyeliner with a brush that was as fine as this one, left me thinking:

"Oh thank god, I have finally found the liquid liner that I've spent the past five or so years looking for."

That might sound a little extreme, but this really is the type of liner I've been looking to use, for a very long time!

Usage: I found this eyeliner really easy to apply, and you don't need a lot of product on the brush to get a really good effect. Out of all of the liquid eyeliners I've tried, I definitely rank this one highest in terms of creating a fine line. And, if I can go it, then anyone can.

 As you can tell from the picture, the liner works great for both fine and thicker lines, and if you look closely, especially at the thicker one, you can just about tell that the liner isn't completely back, but has a bit of shimmer to it, which makes it great, if you're not comfortable wearing a really bold black eyeliner. Or, even if you fancy a little bit of sparkle in your life.

Downside: As much as I like this eyeliner, there was of course, one downside. It takes absolutely ages to dry. Maybe this was just me, but I dunno, it just seemed to take so long and when you're dashing about trying to get ready, it's easy to suddenly realise that you have a big dollop of eyeliner on your eyelid, which is really annoying.

To be honest, I don't think I've ever experienced a liquid liner that has taken this long to dry. Mascaras are normally the eye make up that leaves dots everywhere, so I'm a little surprised with this liner.

Available in four different shades:

• Black Glamour
• Intense Plum (which looks more lilac than plum, on their website)
• Diamond Kiss
• Precious Green

Available from:

• Boots
• Superdrug

Price: £5.29, although often part of various offers.

Have you tried Rimmel's Glam'Eyes Liquid Liner? What do you think? Or perhaps you know of some other liquid eyeliners that create a thin line, without too much effort, for those of us who are heavy-handed. 

PS. The Ji Ji Kiki Giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part. A winner has been selected, and I'll be announcing that very lucky winner later today :)

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Glasses: Express Yourself with Optical Express and Vue Cinemas

I first started glasses when I was thirteen. They were these huge purple things, that I am very glad that I don't have any photographic evidence of. At the time, I only wore them at School, to read the blackboard, but as time has gone by, I've had to wear them all the time, and I've grown to really love wearing them. Throughout my life, I've been told not to wear them, because I look "silly" and it's been suggested that I wear contact lenses. So, why don't I? Because my glasses are a part of who I am.

I know this is something that I blogged about recently, but when I found out that Optical Express were trying to promote a new line of cool glasses for teenagers, I was really keen to get involved.

Our teenage years are potentially the most difficult years of our lives. Everything is changing, from our bodies to our outlook on life. That nice little bubble that we existed in, before we reached Secondary School, has well and truly been burst, and we start to become a lot more aware of the world around us.

We feel awkward about how we look. We feel too fat, or too thin. We think our ears are too big, or our boobs aren't big enough. We want to fit in, but we still want to be able to express ourselves, within the tight constraints of the education system. And that last part, is the thing that I think needs to be encouraged amongst teenagers today: Stay unique, and express yourself.


We express ourselves in a variety of way:

• The clothes that we wear
• The way we style our hair
• Our jewellery
• Our shoes
• The music that we listen to

In my opinion, glasses are an excellent accessory for expression. Glasses say that you are an intelligent girl or guy, who is bang on trend. And let's face it, glasses are becoming more and more trendy, as more celebrities (including Justin Bieber and Anne Hathaway) are stepping out at Award Ceremonies and photo shoots, wearing prescription and non-prescription glasses.

Glasses are a fashion accessory in the exact same way, as wearing a hat, or a kitschy bracelet, proven by the fact that celebrities who don't even need to wear glasses are wearing them.

But, most importantly, the glasses available these days are definitely not as "geeky" as they're renowned for being, and you really don't have to ask your parents to buy you really expensive one. Instead, you can buy awesome ones, that are so trendy, that teenagers can choose a style that suits their face shape, but matches those worn by their favourite popstar or actor.

To celebrate the launch of this really cool new range, Optical Express are running a competition, exclusively through Facebook, with the incredibly prize for the very lucky winner, being an iPad2 (jealous, much?). To enter, all you have to do is help Optical Express choose a name for their cool new range of teenage glasses.

The competition ends this coming Friday (April 22nd, which is of course Good Friday) so hurry over there, and get your entries in now, by liking the Optical Express Facebook page, and filling in the form under "cool glasses".

This competition is supported by Vue Cinemas, who are currently running a couple of awesome (awesome, as in I'm very jealous not to be able to take advantage of this) offers:

• Cheap Tickets - Take advantage of a 20% saving, off the price of an adult ticket
• Teen Screen - To coincide with Mother and Baby, and OAP Clubs, Vue Cinemas are launching a brand-new weekly film club, aimed at 13-18 year olds. Running after school, tickets cost £2 for a standard ticket, or £3 for a 3D ticket. But, the best part is, that you get to decide what films are shown each week!

For more information, check out the Vue Teen Screen Facebook page, or check out your local Vue Cinema.

Are you 13-18 years old? Or maybe you're the parent of a teenager? What are your thoughts on both of these new schemes, brought to you by Optical Express and Vue Cinemas? Personally, I think they're both great, and I just wish we'd had this sort of stuff around when I was at School!

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Guest Blog: Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor

A couple of months ago, I asked the boyfriend if he wanted to review the new Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor for my blog, which he kindly agreed to do (perhaps due to the fact that I was also offering to buy it for him. I think that he thought this to be a very fair compromise). Two months, and plenty of use later, here is that review for your viewing pleasure:

I decided to buy the ProGlide razor after seeing the advertisement, which is unlike me as I normally don’t get swayed by advertising. Shaving for me is usually a case of slap on as much shaving foam as my face can hold and hope for as few nicks and cuts as possible. My stubble is dark and can still be seen after a shave which is why I have to apply a bit of pressure on the razor when shaving. I’m sure I’m not the only guy out there who has a hard time scraping off the old stubble, so let’s here it for the ProGlide razor. I decided to review this razor to let you all know why it’s so good, and of course to point out the negative aspects.

Packaging

I usually struggle with razor packaging as it tends to be wrapped in some kind of unbreakable fortress. It usually takes a pair of sharp scissors to cut through the hard plastic so I can get to the point where I can just rip it apart. It’s a long winded process. The ProGlide packaging is nowhere near as hard to open as it is covered by a thin piece of cellophane which all you have to do is lift up a corner and pull. 

Features

 

●     Five blades for a greater level of precision

●     Anti-clogging rinse slots

●     Low rinse coating to help the blades glide through stubble

First impressions?

There is no doubt about it, the adverts are actually right, this razor really does glide down the skin. Gillette recommend a specific shaving gel so that you can get the best shave from the razor however I have to confess that I have used a supermarket brand. This is partly because of money as the Gillette gel costs almost as much as the razor. I personally believe that if the razor is good enough then you shouldn’t need to spend a fortune on shaving gel. In the end I opted for a middle ground shaving foam which did the job well enough. This razor had a tough first test as I hadn’t shaved for about four days and my stubble grows pretty quickly. I have to admit that it struggled as a result but compared to previous razors it did a pretty good job.

Eight weeks later

This razor has made shaving less of a chore and even glides pretty well over four day stubble which means that it provides an effortless shave when used daily, and I’m still on my first blade. As I’ve said though, I sometimes go a few days without shaving which has contributed to the longevity of the blade.

Negative points

The only downside to this razor is that it doesn’t quite cut the stubble down to the skin, although this is probably because I have tough stubble. So it’s fair to say that there aren’t really any downsides.

Where to buy the Gillette ProGlide Razor?

My girlfriend bought my ProGlide from Tescos as she noticed that it was being sold at a discount price. You can find this razor at all major supermarkets and chemists such as;

●     Morrisons

●     Asda

●     Sainsbury’s

●     Boots

●     Superdrug

●     The usual retailers

You’ll be able to find it online too. While browsing the Internet I found it being sold at Lloyds Pharmacy and on Amazon.

Final thoughts

I would definitely recommend this razor as it certainly lives up to its name. After much searching I think I’ve found a razor that won’t make me bleed. 

So, there you go. A lovely review from my lovely boyfriend. Has anyone else's other half tried out Gillette's latest razor? What were their thoughts?

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ELF Cream Eyeliner

I realised the other day, that I haven't done a product review in absolutely ages, which I shall dutifully slap myself on the wrist for, because my list of products waiting to be reviewed is probably a lot longer than the list I have in my side bar, which I should probably update at some point!

But, anyway, I bought the ELF Cream Eyeliner back in February, and here it is:

Why I bought this product: After lip balm, eyeliner is my number two favourite beauty item, and I've been wanting to try out a cream or gel liner for over a year, but the only ones that I'd actually found (admittedly, by search hadn't exactly been that in-depth!) had been very much out of my price range.

So, back in February, when ELF were holding one of their Free Delivery offers (as I've literally just succumbed to today!), I noticed that they in fact offer a relatively cheap cream eyeliner, that I just had to try out, out of principal.

Initial Thoughts: I have to say, that I was really excited about getting this product, and very happy that it comes with a handy little eyeliner brush. I'm not normally that fond of using the brushes that come with beauty products, which I typically find to be inadequate. But, I decided to give this one a chance just because it looked more substantial than some applicators.

First Use: I was really impressed with how easy this eyeliner is to apply. Unlike with liquid eyeliners, where I usually have to do a couple of strokes to get the desired effect, with this cream liner, it took one sweep and I instantly got the intensity that I am always looking for, from a black eyeliner.

The only downside I found, was maybe I'm just very heavy-handed (which is very likely a strong factor), but I found using this product to be very messy, and it is definitely easy to find yourself applying too much.

What this eyeliner is perfect for: Doing winged looks. In fact, I say this as someone who has an absolute nightmare doing wings or flicks, so I can assure you that creating those dramatic looks with this cream liner was easy peasy.

Who this eyeliner probably isn't for: Anyone who is heavy handed like I am. I struggle quite a bit with hand-eye coordination, and although I'm getting better at doing eye make up, using a cream eyeliner makes it a little bit more difficult for me. Or, that's what I've found, personally.

Available in: The Cream Eyeliner is part of ELF's Studio Range, and is available in the following shades:

• Metallic Olive 
• Copper 
• Gunmetal
• Purple
• Coffee
• Black
• Midnight (Blue)
• Ivory

From the looks of the website, I'd say that Metallic Olive, Copper, Gunmetal and Purple are all shimmery colours, whilst Coffee, Black, Midnight and Ivory are all matte.

Available from: The ELF website.

Cost: £3.50

Don't forget that there is still two days left to enter my Giveaway, where you can win a star necklace and the cutest earrings, possibly ever! Giveaway ends at noon (BST) on Monday 18th April 2011.

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Breaking Down the Barriers of Salons

Hi guys,

Just a really quick and snappy blog today.

I treated my mum to her first manicure today, as a surprise Mothers Day present, and she absolutely loved it, which I'm really chuffed about, because I was really worried that she wouldn't like it, but yay! I think I enjoyed the experience more than she did. As you know, I don't have very long nails, so I've never really seen the point in having my nails done, but it was interesting to see how it's done, what they do and even received a mini education on how gel nails work! Wow, I honestly never knew!

The Salon I took her to might not have looked anything special from the outside, but I have to say for my first experience inside a beauty salon, I was honestly impressed, and I am now considering investing in some treatments. Perhaps a trial facial or maybe have my eyebrows done. We shall see!

It's funny, because it doesn't seem long ago that going to a beauty salon seemed so, well, not me, if that makes sense. But, I feel like writing this blog has really opened me up to trying out new things. I may even have to try out a spray tan....whoa! Okay, I think I came over a little faint then, because that really is never going to happen. I'm happy to try most beauty treatments, but I stand firm that I will never have a spray tan, or a bikini wax!! Just no.

Don't forget that there is still time to enter my giveaway, to win two absolutely gorgeous pieces of jewellery donated by the lovely Emma, from Ji Ji Kiki. To enter, click here. Giveaway closes at noon on Monday 18th April 2011.

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