Birthday beauty haul

It was my birthday two weeks ago. It was hard to miss if you are vaguely acquainted with me. I like to announce my birthday and give everyone plenty of notice to go shopping. I did very well on the beauty haul this year. My lovely sister knows me so well. She got me a tub of Molton Brown bath soak. Which is really very yummy. It turns the water a beautiful blue and it has a subtle, clean scent. I just had a bath with it and feel very relaxed. Which it promised me. And it looks pretty in the bathroom.

She also got me Ren Rose body scrub. Oh me, oh my. Regular readers will know my love of the rose scent. I've not used it yet but I cannot wait to break into it this weekend in the shower.

And she got me (I know, I am lucky) some blue nail varnish. Now how could she have thought I wanted that? Hmmmmmm. Essie, Mesmerize which is a very pretty denim blue. My toes are twinkling in it.

So special thank you to the best sister a girl could have. Another very sweet friend got me a Penhaligons taster set. It comes in a dinky tin and has several scents in it - like a cool chemistry set.

So I am delighted to report that I shall be smelling fabulous over the next few months.

A scrub that smells so good, you want it to be a perfume

I got a small pot of a scrub from Bliss in my Christmas stocking. At this time of year, I always try and use up things and this morning I decided to use up what I had left of this. Sundays are for full on body scrubbing action and my skin was feeling very dull.

Anyway, this really is a lovely scrub. The grains are just the right consistency - fine but not too fine. And it smells heavenly. I wasn't expecting it to smell so nice after it had all rinsed off but I am sitting here sniffing my arm and realising I smell fabulous! And I am smooth as a shiny conker!

The scent is vanilla and bergamot. I usually am not a fan of vanilla but the bergamot stops it being sickly.

Lipstick - the holy grail

I don't wear lipstick. Not because I don't like it but because I find it becomes a mess very easily. It doesn't stay put, you leave lipstick marks on coffee cups. This may provide inspiration for great Take That songs but it's annoying in real life.

Every now and then I buy a lipstick and then remember why I don't wear them. Today I was in Boots browsing the make up and was buttonholed by an OFL*. She told me all about the new Revlon colourstay lipsticks. I had read about these and thought they sounded worthy of investigation. The usual promise - this lipstick lasts all day. So she let me test some and I must say, it glided on beautifully. And they had a £2 off offer on and I am a soft touch. So I bought one in 'nude'. I got home after a hard few hours' shopping and can confirm the lipstick was still there. It did feel a tad drying though. Is there anything worse than scuffy lips? Urgh. It didn't give me scuffy lips but I felt it could be in danger of doing so in the winter.

I shall report back on how I get on with it. I also looked hard for Opi nail varnish but no joy. Apart from Selfridges, where else sells it? Not online, a real shop. Anyone?

*OFL = Orange Faced Lady

Nail varnish

Continuing my summer theme. It's important to have sunny colours for this time of year. Deep reds have no place on summer feet (or hands).

Here are my top colours for the sunshine.

Jam n Jelly - Essie - gorgeous bright pink. This is a funky, slightly shimmery pink. I am wearing it on my hands at the moment.

Clam Bake - Essie - I can't wear corals but if you can, this is gorgeous. Perfect on tanned feet.

Footloose - Essie - named after a classic Summer film, how can it not deliver? A perfect purple.

Blue nail varnish can look fabulous on toes. I think this only works if you have tanned feet or you run the risk of looking dead. Opi do a great blue. Add a bikini and a cocktail and you're laughing.