Reporting back on hair, face and nails

I have good news all round.

Firstly, the Babyliss Big Hair. I've now used this twice. One was a work day morning and my first go at it. I was a bit perplexed getting the hang of it I must say. You push a button - one to spin it one way and one to spin it the other. Working out which one to push depending how you hold the brush took a little bit of practice. And you have to section all your hair and do it in stages. So I don't think this is a work day morning thing. I just don't have the time or energy at 7am to be sectioning my hair off. However, I just used it again on a lovely Saturday morning where one has more time to be vain. And it's actually brilliant. It mimics what your hairdresser does with a blow dry but can be done by us mere mortals. I love it the most for the underneath of my hair which I usually find hard to blow dry smooth. This does that job in seconds. I did get a bit tangled up but I am sure with practice, I'll get better. I am currently swishing my hair in amazement. Thumbs up and absolutely recommended if you have mid to long length hair.

Next, the Maybelline Eraser foundation. £9.99 from Boots. I bought the nude shade. It only seems to come in three shades. Seriously, what do black and Asian women do? I think it's a disgrace. Anyway, it has a spongey top that claims to get into all the crevices and fine lines (should you have any, obviously I don't!) giving you a perfect finish. Well, my first mistake yesterday was twisting it too much so I had way too much product on the sponge so I couldn't test the sponge thing as I had to just put it on with my fingers. And I put more on than I would have normally. Having said all that, I was very impressed and my friend was very complimentary about my skin when I saw her yesterday. It's very natural looking. Today I just put some on with the sponge and can't see any particular benefits to that application method but I am still really liking it. Yet again, Maybelline give us a foundation that doesn't cost the earth and works a treat. Recommended.

Finally, the Dior nail varnish. Oh me , oh my. Be still my beating heart. This is divine. It's just a perfect shade of blue/dark grey. If you are as obsessed with blue as I am, then you need this. Also, no fears on the application front. The brush is a little thick and odd but it goes on perfectly. I am not going to recommend this until I can measure how long-lasting it is. For £17, I expect no chipping for at least 3-4 days. If it does chip, I will not be impressed. The picture above is not mine, I took it from this blog where you can read about the other two colours too.

And so I sit here with bouncy hair, perfect skin and funky nails. I think I need to go out and show the world...

Christian Dior me, from my head to my toes

Today I had the opportunity to go to the Dior shop on Bond St to look for their limited edition nail varnish. I was convinced this would be sold out but no, all three were available. Picking one to buy wasn't difficult. Far and away the most interesting colour was Bond St. A lovely bluey/grey. I can't wait to paint my nails in it.

It's the most beautiful shop. These top-end shops really are wonderful experiences and I urge you all to go into them. I know they look intimidating but they are really not and the staff could not have been nicer. One assistant let us paint her nails to try the colours (we didn't want to ruin our manis after all!) The nail varnish costs £17 which is expensive, no doubt about it but look how they present it to you:

So irresistible. The brush looks a little thick and I am not sure how it will be to apply but hey, who cares? It's a beautiful product. Their sunglasses are also awesome, I don't know how I resisted buying a pair but I did. 

I also found time to nip to the Lancome counter in Selfridges and look for the Dewy Glow Base. They had it and I had a little play. It's a spray. I wasn't expecting that at all. It's nice but not a must-have. Which is good as I spent quite a lot of money today...

Nail colour of the week

I am loving my nail colour this week. It is Essie's Velvet Voyeur. It's the most gorgeous dark, dark purple, almost black. I can't stop looking at my hands.

Babyliss BIG hair

I've been dithering about whether to buy this Babyliss Big Hair Rotating Styler for months and finally, after hearing so many good things about it, I have just succumbed and ordered it.

I had my hair done yesterday which was very overdue as it needed cutting badly. I told my friend this week that I was looking like the wild woman of the west and it wasn't an exaggeration. You know things are bad when your adoring husband doesn't say "no, no darling, your hair looks great" and just sniggers when you mention it to him.

I've been growing my hair for a while and it's now at a point where you might say "oh, yes Cover Girl, the one with the long hair" and I can't really have layers as I find them too high maintenance. If they are blow dried in a salon - fabulous. If I attempt to do the same - triangle head.

Anyway, so my hair is long (ish) with shaping round my face and I figured I'd be the ideal candidate for this. India Knight raves about it and I trust her.

I shall, naturally, keep you posted.

Nail colour of the week

This week's nail colour is Pepperoni by Essie. It's a bright red (as you might expect with a name like that) and it's my attempt to chase away the January blues.

I like it but still prefer A List.

Mavala nail varnish remover

My mother in law bought me this for Christmas. Not just this I hasten to add. It is a slightly odd present to give most people but the perfect present to give me. And stone me if it isn't amazing. It is easily the best nail varnish remover I've used.

And so I share the wisdom of Cover Girl MIL with you. You can buy it here.

Boots 3-Minute Mask

It's January. We're all saving pennies and looking bleakly down the barrel of at least two months more of winter. It's miserable isn't it? And, horror or horrors, I have a spot. I rarely get spots so actually take it as a personal insult when I get one. This one is a humdinger and impossible to cover up. All day it's been brewing and I didn't pick it or touch it. I did however have a video conference and felt like saying to the other person, "honest, I don't get many spots!" while covering my face with my hand.

Anyway, I came home, cleansed my face, had a little squeeze and popped a dab of this little hero on it. I have left it on all night. Nothing dries spots out so well as this and look how cheap it is!

I fully expect the spot to be history tomorrow and my normal beauty restored.

Nail colour of the week

Did my own nails this week. Yes, I am becoming more and more self sufficient. I used Suzi Skis In The Pyrenees, an Opi colour I forgot I had as it's a mini bottle and part of a set.

Those mini bottles are a nightmare to apply. The brush is too small and just arrrggghhh! I won through and can report it's a bluey dark grey. Rather nice. Not quite as nice as Smokin' Hot by Essie but yet another fabulous name.

If I ever get fired from my job, I am totally going into the nail varnish naming business.

Hand wash

It's not terribly glamorous but we all need to wash our hands. I have to have three bottles of hand wash in situ. One in the kitchen and we have two bathrooms.

I don't like bars of soap by the sink as they get all slimy and messy. I have bought many different hand washes in my time in the quest to find the best one and I have a contender. A'kin Eucalyptus and Tea Tree. It sounds like it's going to be very drying (a particular curse of mine) but it's not and it has no nasties in it. It costs just £5.60 from lookfantastic.com (one of my fave sites). MrCG watered our one down as we are running out (new order on the way so I am not panicking) and actually I think it's better for it. So a handy and thrifty tip from him.

A word on Molton Brown - it looks pretty but it's the most drying hand wash I've ever encountered and I think it's way over-priced.

2011 must-haves

Well, right now I am feeling a bit smug. What's new there? I hear you mutter. Today's Sunday Times Style magazine and the Top 10 beauty products we need for 2011 and number one under The Nail Varnish is the Dior varnish I asked for weeks ago in Westfield. The Dior counter woman had no idea what I was talking about. It does annoy me when products are talked about in magazines and are not in the shops for ages.

Anyway, for those of you at the back, the Dior varnish comes in three shades of grey to celebrate the brand's new stores in London, Paris and New York. Called Dior Vernis Gris City. I need at least one. At £17.50 each I may stop at just one. Pictures can be found here. Damn, I actually do want all three. The London one looks fab-u-lous.

What else does Style say we need? Well, the Givenchy blush caught my eye being a blusher obsessive. Blush Gelee in a limited edition shade called Candide Pink it is 'sheer and the formula is light as air'. I want that. £23.

There's a new Maybelline foundation. Isn't there one every year? Last year's was a hit. The new one is called the Eraser. Great name. £10.

Ooooh, Lancome's Dewy Glow Base. It has the word 'dewy' in it. We need it. It's limited edition annoyingly. £30.50.

Jo Malone has two new fragrances out. Assam and Grapefruit and Sweet Milk. Eeeeewwwwww @ Sweet Milk. Do we want to smell like mothers of new-borns? Hell no. But the Assam and Grapefruit is worth a sniff although I am a little over Jo Malone.

I've saved the best to last... Mac's new False Lashes mascara. Now, Mac's mascaras are legendarily bad but. BUT. This has a rave review: 'it doesn't clog or thicken lashes, just coats them to make them look longer and more curled - and you can see it all happening as you apply.' I am going to have to investigate. £17.50.

Suddenly I am excited about 2011 and ready to hit the shops.  Bring it on.

Clinique Pore Minimiser Instant Perfector

I bought this a few weeks ago. It caught my eye as anything that promises to minimise pores does. It comes in two shades and is a very reasonable £13. You don't need much of it. The only place I need to minimize pores is my nose as I do get some blackheads. These are worse in the summer so I may review this product again then. However, so far, I think it's pretty good. It does what it says. I don't use it everyday but it's a useful standby.

I don't think it's as good as Pore No More but it's much cheaper.

Happy New Year by the way. May all your dreams come true.