Cover Girl

Nail colour of the week

2012-01-31T07:11:00.000Z

I finally had a manicure yesterday, the first one of the year with my lovely lady. It's good to be back and to celebrate I chose a new colour, Essie Macks. What is that name about? What can it mean?

Anyway, this is a glossy, beautiful red and much less brown than the picture above might indicate. I am loving it.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres

2012-01-27T08:31:00.000Z

I want this. A long lasting lip stain that is also glossy. I don't know how either, I am sceptical but one must investigate. Apparently a new movement in lip wear is born! Look.

I am going to Selfridges today so I shall enquire and play.

Nail varnish

2012-01-23T18:03:00.000Z

I keep reading about this one - One Perfect Coral by Revlon. So last week I decided to buy it because I'd not bought anything for ooooh, days and days.

I can report that it's perfection. This is the ideal toe colour for summer (or winter but who sees your pedi in winter unless you live in the tropics?) It's really lovely and also looked nice on my fingers but I didn't keep it on for long as I had to go to a funeral and it felt a little frivolous.

I am struggling to write anything positive beauty-wise this January. The most positive thing I can say is it's nearly pay day and we're nearly past January. Hang in there people.

What do we need in 2012?

2012-01-11T21:49:00.002Z

The year that it all ends according to the Mayans. I think we can all agree that we must make sure our hair and make-up is on trend just in case.

The Stylist is a great freebie magazine that comes out once a week. A very nice chap at work picks up a copy for us ladies each week and leaves them on our desks. I was perusing my copy in the bath earlier (with a fabulous new SpaceNK bubble bath) and they had Top 10 products for 2012. All are coming out this year.

Some caught my eye. Let's get to it.

MAC Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel (£26) - released 2 Feb.

Water moisture gel. I am already drawn in. It sounds dewy and you know, I love the promise of dewiness. "An ultra-light gel like cream" says the website. Not too eye-wateringly expensive. It's got to be worth a go.

Dior New Look Mascara (£23) - released 30 January

Royal Jelly. Black Glass Pigment. Yadder, yadder. It's a new mascara and therefore, I am trying it.

London Addixtion Sprax Delight Texturising Spray-Wax (£12.60) - released late April 2012

I cannot find anything online about this. It sounds great. Easy to apply, doesn't weight hair down, gives texture. If I can find it, I shall be investigating.

YSL Forever Youth Liberator Serum (£60) - released 16 January

Firstly, you can already get this at John Lewis so the 16 Jan release date is wrong. I've been reading quite a bit about this. I can't be arsed to repeat all the science guff, Nobel prizes and so on. It just sounds awesome and I want to try it.

January is all a bit blah isn't it? My advice is to have lots of indulgent bubble baths, drink wine (January detox has been scientifically proven to be a waste of time - yay!) and dream of holidays, I've already started planning mine...

Nail colour of the week

2012-01-01T18:43:00.000Z

I've just done my nails and I am delighted with the result. Chinchilly with a layer of Shine of the Times over the top. It's a subtle shimmery grey as a result. Perfecto.

Aveda Air Control

2012-01-01T09:26:00.000Z

I wrote about this when I blogged about my New York awesome blow dry. At the time, I didn't buy a large can due to a misguided attempt to be frugal. I had hoped Santa might pop some in my stocking but that didn't happen (although I am not complaining, I did very well!)

I do like the post-Christmas shop when you can go and buy the things on your wishlist that you didn't get. So far I have ordered the River Cottage veg cookbook and bought a can of this. And I got 10% off it at the mothership Peter Jones so it was worth the wait.

I adore this hairspray and urge you all to go and buy some. It's fantastic and smells delicious. It gives hold without any sticky, weighing down, plastic feel. I can't imagine anyone not getting on with it. It's my first recommendation of 2012 folks!

Happy new year and thank you for reading and commenting. Let's make 2012 count my friends and we'll wear Chanel lipstick as we do it.

Christmas haul

2011-12-28T08:54:00.000Z

Another Christmas has come and gone and Santa was very kind this year. I received the holy grail of all shower gel - Elemis Frangipani shower cream.

I've been eyeing this up for ages. I can report that it's lovely, smells like heaven and is very moisturising.

I also got a mini Diptyque Roses candle.

I adore this candle and it's such a treat to have it.

I got a lovely organiser for my make-up.

I am thrilled with this, it's the perfect size and my old Muji storage was all manky and disgusting. It was time to upgrade. I spent a very happy half hour rearranging my make-up and chucking out old stuff.

Thank you Santa!

In other news, the Essie disco nail varnish on top of Essie Midnight Cami is as delightful as I anticipated but not for all 10 fingers. It turns out even I can't go that blingy! I did it on one finger and it was just right. Plus I think it may start a trend, you read it here first.

James Brown Dry Shampoo

2011-12-20T09:54:00.001Z

Dry shampoo is one of those things I feel I should adore but can never get on with. I've tried it so many times over the years but this whole 'soaks up the grease' thing doesn't work for me. It just makes my hair more greasy. Yet I see other women rocking it and looking fabulous when they've not washed their hair for days and have told me their secret is dry shampoo. At the moment, I really want to get on with it because if I wash my hair less, my Brazilian Blow Dry will last longer. Plus the BBD is making my hair much more manageable and therefore I should need to wash my hair less. Do you all follow?

I've tried Batiste and it doesn't work. Plus all of them smell disgusting, it's most off-putting. I tried the James Brown one in the white can and that didn't work but I got a can of this one and can say, tentatively, that it's working. You have to hand it to me, I don't give up. I've spent a fair bit on dry shampoos over the years. Why I thought this one would work when his other one didn't, who knows?

I've used this twice in the last week (and used it to get through the grim three days of the BBD) and it's good. My hair has more bounce to it and it spins out the time between washes. I shall use a few more times before giving a definitive verdict but so far, it's the best I've found.

I am sure you all have a vision of me with smelly greasy hair now. Nice.

Shower gel of the week

2011-12-18T09:14:00.000Z

It's 1986 at Cover Girl HQ as I bought a bottle of this. I used to love this back in the day and at £4 decided it was worth a try. I'm happy to report it's still really nice. It smells exactly the same and is perfect for these deep, dark days to blow away the cobwebs. Am loving The Body Shop at the moment.

Essie LuxEffects

2011-12-11T15:09:00.000Z

I'm not normally one for glitter in my nail varnish, it's a faff to remove and I find it a bit teenage and not in a good way. However, a girl has the right to change her mind and oh me, oh my, Essie has a new glitter range out and I am lusting after this one. It's called Set in Stones and described as "disco mirror ball chaos". If that isn't made for me, what is?

You can wear it alone or over another colour. I'm thinking over Midnight Cami would be the Ultimate Christmas Manicure.

Am I right or am I right? The other Lux colours look pretty good too but none tempt me as much as Set in Stones. It's love and it must be mine.

What to get a beauty addict for Christmas?

2011-12-10T21:23:00.002Z

Everyone knows someone who lives for Harrods Beauty Hall and so I am here to make your Christmas shopping a little bit easier.

My love for Bliss knows no bounds and they do some really good value boxes for Christmas. I can't imagine anyone not being thrilled to get the Lemon & Sage shower gel and body butter. I can't not mention their Oxygen mask. It's life-changing.

Clarins Eau Dynamisante is still one of my favourite perfumes and it's a perfect Christmas gift as it's so refreshing. A great present for whoever is doing the main cooking for them to spray on after their much-needed shower or bath.

Urban Decay do the best eye make-up, I am convinced of this. They have some great palettes and I love this one particularly.

All beauty addicts know that Guerlain do the best perfume. Don't get a new one, go old school. Apres L'Ondee is lovely and I've never met anyone who doesn't like it.

Dr Hauschka do divine bath oils. The Lavender one will have anyone sleeping like a baby. My tip is to mix it with some bubble bath so the bath doesn't get too oily and don't overload with the oil - one or two drops is fine.

If you know someone with thick hair, get them some Moroccan oil. They will love you forever.

The Muppets OPI collection is pure genius. My money is on Excuse Moi! It's a glittery pink.

Literally every woman I know would love to get a Chanel mirror.

We all need something to carry our makeup in and MAC do some very cool bags or Lulu Guinness if you want something more fun.

I really like the SpaceNK Life range. This gift set is just £15 and is so cute.

I could go on and on. Basically, when in doubt, go to SpaceNK or a Chanel counter and just do a supermarket sweep!

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

2011-12-09T18:46:00.000Z

I bought some of this the other day while I was picking up a present for CoverBoy. It was half price so £5 and not £10. And I have to say, I am loving it. I have very dry hands that border on eczema and they are always bad at this time of the year. I slapped a bit of this on and instantly soft (yet crucially, not greasy) hands were mine.

It has a huge design flaw though, the screw on top is small and fiddly and it is in a weird metal container - this going to make it much harder to squeeze it all out. You'd think they could design a hand cream container a little better, it's not exactly difficult. Flip-top lid please L'Oreal, come on, you are not new to this.

Despite this drawback, I am going to recommend it because it really does work. It's still £5 this week and that makes it a real bargain too but I'd buy it for a tenner too. A perfect stocking filler.

Brazilian Blow Dry, early report

2011-12-09T18:40:00.000Z

I washed my hair today - oh such bliss and joy. I can't tell you how fantastic it is to wash your hair after keratin had been painted on every single strand, blow dried and then sealed in within an inch of its life with hot irons. Then 72 hours (72 hours I say) without tying it back, tucking it behind ears, getting it wet and a sweaty zumba class. It felt disgusting to say the least.

My early report is very positive. It's super duper shiny, it took much less effort to blow dry and it is looking good. However, I do think when you've not washed your hair for ages, it does look so much better when you finally do - it's like it does your hair good to not be washed so much. So my tentative report card is that it's an optimistic start.

I shall naturally keep you all posted. I know you are on the edge of your seats.

The return of the Brazilian Blow Dry

2011-12-07T16:56:00.001Z

Thanks to the joys of Wahenda, I had another Brazilian Blow Dry yesterday and only had to pay 30% full price. It was a different salon to last time and altogether very different. It was at Lisa Shepherd in London which is a new salon although I was told she is big in the Midlands. She also appears to be famous for the TV show 10 Years Younger judging by the marketing everywhere.

The salon was very swish and seriously impressive. You are led to an area to wait for your stylist with the fanciest water machine and coffee maker I've ever seen. And a yellow Smeg fridge! I now want a yellow Smeg fridge. Excellent magazines too.

My stylist was from Dagenham. Really, do I attract stylists from the less glitzy areas of the world?! He was very young, bless him but seemed competent enough. They washed my hair with a clarifying shampoo and left me for 10 minutes with it on my hair. Usually I hate being left with my head back over a sink but it was so comfortable and you even put your feet up. Then he painted on the keratin (no choice of flavours this time) and took me back to the waiting area for 30 mins while it did its thing. Here they have internet access on Apple laptops. Nice touch. So much more interesting than sitting in a chair.

Then he blow dried it roughly and straightened it to seal it all in. I am now in the 72 hour no wash/no tying back period. Fortunately I am not at work so nobody has to suffer me over the next few days. This is the worst bit.

My hair is longer than a year ago so I am hoping it will have the desired effect. I decided to try this again because my hair is getting long and hard to manage. This is its last chance saloon before being chopped into a bob. I'll report back of course. I must say that I would go back to Lisa Shepherd (and I promise you they didn't bribe me to say that!) They were all very polite and not snotty because I had a voucher (some places can be). The whole salon had a nice vibe.

Dior Addict lipstick

2011-12-07T16:38:00.001Z

Back in June when I was buying the miracle product that is Diorskin Nude, I was given a very generous lipstick sample. It was a proper lipstick but teeny tiny. I really liked the colour, it suited me and it was great for the handbag. Being me, I lost the lid and therefore it was not great for the handbag. The lid had the shade of the colour on it so I was somewhat stuck.

However, today I decided to rectify this and take my lidless one in and ask for help. The lovely lady at Peter Jones identified it as Diorkiss aka 578. I was very impressed until she told me that was the only sample they did of the Dior Addict lipsticks as it was the one Kate Moss wore in the advert.

Obviously I look better in mine than Kate but she's had a hard life so it's not her fault. I believe this is one of those magic lipsticks that suit all - it's lovely and bright without being garish and it's great for day or night. It also doesn't appear to dry my lips out. It's expensive but at the moment Debenhams and John Lewis are doing 15% off all cosmetics so run, don't walk. With all this Christmas shopping, you need to treat yourself and up the glamour for the Christmas party season.

Edited to add - I now, of course, have found the lid to the sample lipstick. The law of sod.

Nail colour of the week

2011-12-05T08:22:00.000Z

I love this colour - Angora Cardigan. I've had it for a while now and it's the perfect dusty rose that is very easy to wear. It also has the perfect name. A snuggly, perfect colour for early December. We'll be breaking into the sparkles for Christmas soon...

New and exciting mascara

2011-11-30T21:56:00.000Z

Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells mascara. Where do they come up with these names? And how do they do so with a straight face?

Anyway, another in-flight purchase. 12 hours is a long time, I got bored, ok? This promises to 'regenerate' your eyelashes, used continuously it says it will make your lashes thicker. I am so sceptical, I have a face of pure scepticism.

However, I can report that this is almost a perfect mascara, it applies beautifully, it amplifies one's lashes, it barely smudges and it comes off without the need for a shovel. It's £22 so frankly it should be good but it really actually is. Something to buy in-flight again (where it only cost me £18 - I say only, it's still really expensive for a mascara). It's not often I find a new mascara I actually would buy again but this, I would. Recommended.

Nail colour of the week

2011-11-28T21:52:00.000Z

Jamaica Me Crazy. Stupidest name ever. The colour is nothing like the bottle above. It's much pinker with some sparkle. It's the sort of colour a ballroom dancer would wear. And why not?

My New York City awesome blow dry

2011-11-27T14:48:00.000Z

I was in New York the other week staying with a friend of mine. I arrived somewhat jaded, with a cold I'd had for days and on the red eye from LA. Let's just say, I wasn't at my most gorgeous. My first day was taken up with shopping. My second day still involved shopping but we were also meeting in the evening for cocktails and dinner in the funky meatpacking district. I walked past a mirror, saw my hair and decided Something Had To Be Done. It was while I was in Origins buying Christmas presents I had this realisation so I asked them where the nearest hair salon was. They directed me to Aveda just round the corner.

I used to adore Aveda. They definitely had a moment in the late 90s as being the place to get your hair care products. However, I hadn't investigated it for some time. Needs must and all that, I high-tailed it there and asked if they could squeeze me in for a blow dry (or a blow out as the Americans call it much to my amusement) and of course, they said yes.

Up I went to the very fancy salon (I was on Spring St - one of the hippest streets in Manhattan) to be met by my stylist. It's clearly impossible to work in Manhattan unless you are the coolest cat in town, she was no exception however it emerged she was from Hull. Really, I go all the way to New York, decide to splurge on a blow dry and my stylist is from Hull? I had to laugh.

She started by offering me a choice of three oils for my scalp massage. I picked peppermint, she massaged it into my dry hair and it was heavenly. Then she shampooed and conditioner very thoroughly. Then someone came over and gave me a hand massage which was very lovely but I had just had a manicure so a little redundant. Oh, and I was given a delicious cup of liquorice tea. She asked what I wanted and I said BIG HAIR! Forgive me but I was in Manhattan, I wanted Fifth Avenue bounce. Most hairdressers really struggle drying my hair and it ends up being too flat. This is a bug bear of mine, I don't want flat, ironed hair. It doesn't suit me and it's too Atomic Kitten for my liking. But the lady from Hull understood! She gave me the most awesome blow dry - she really put herself into it, volume lotions, hair spray and pulling that brush up rather than out. It was fabulous. If I say so myself, my hair looked better than it's ever looked. If only I could have that sort of blow dry twice a week, I'd be sorted. When I am mega-rich, I am doing that.

The point of this post was to tell you about the hair spray she used. I never thought I could be swayed away from Elnett but we have a new upstart; Air Control.

She used loads of this. I was a bit worried as too much product makes one's hair greasy the next day but this didn't. It was very light and yet just gave the hair flexibility. I bought a little travel can and have been using it and it's a revelation. You can read about it here. It also smells yummy. I've put it on my Christmas wish list as a full-sized can costs £16. I don't know why I've decided to be frugal after the Sisley mask but hey ho!

So I bounced out of there, hair a-swinging and sashayed off for cocktails. Life felt good. Life always feels good when your hair looks good. True Fact.

By contrast today my hair looks a complete mess. My roots need doing (roll on Wednesday!) and it needs washing but I am seeing my personal trainer so no point washing it before seeing her. In breaking news, I am getting a keratin treatment the week after next. Expect full reporting back.

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask - review

2011-11-27T14:23:00.002Z

I mentioned I wanted this a week or so ago. Well, that want turned into an obsession as seemingly every magazine I opened was reviewing it. I had £50 in John Lewis vouchers and decided if I put them towards the cost, it wouldn't be quite so extravagant. Yesterday I hot-footed it to Peter Jones and bought it. They had a 10% off all toiletries offer on too. So the total I had to pay out was £29. Yes, told you it was expensive.

The very nice lady asked me the magic question: "Would you like any samples?" Does anyone ever say no to this? Here is what she gave me:

Here is what was in that pouch:

10 samples! I was astounded but very grateful.

To the mask, what's it like? Well, I put some on after my long bath yesterday. You leave it on for 10-15 mins and then simply wipe off excess with a cotton pad. I hadn't realised this when I got it and had I known I may have had second thoughts as I am a fan of masks that require rinsing off because I think they work better on my skin. My verdict is it's lovely. It smells gorgeous and it rehydrates your skin. I wasn't too wild about just removing excess with a cotton pad as I did feel quite sticky for a few hours afterwards but after about four hours, my skin felt softer and plumper than it has done for ages. This would be a great post-flight mask.

Is it worth over £80? Well, it's a tricky one. I honestly am not sure it's any better than the Olay masks. It's obviously more luxurious etc but in terms of performance, I'd have to use it a few more times to give a rounded verdict. I can say that it's not as good as their Radiance mask.

The samples almost made it worth the spend though! I've always wanted to try their hand cream and now I have two sachets.

Original Source Mint & Walnut body scrub

2011-11-25T13:39:00.000Z

I bought this on an impulse as I was in Boots and running out of body scrub and I have to tell you all that it's amazing. It smells lovely and it's refreshing and minty, it scrubs beautifully and it's cheap. What more could you want?

On a Winter morning, it's nice to have something to get the blood pumping and this makes all your bits, and I do mean all, tingle. Recommended.

Nail colour of the week

2011-11-21T20:56:00.000Z

Be still my beating heart, we have a new blue on the block and it's lovely. It's very similar to the Dior blue I hunted down at the beginning of the year but Essie and therefore cheaper and better.

I love this, it's called Bobbing for Baubles and it's part of the new Winter Collection.

Size Matters is also lovely and I nearly went for that one. The rest don't inspire me much.

YSL Beauty Sleep

2011-11-16T21:51:00.000Z

A name so clever, you wonder why nobody else did it first. I bought this on the plane because frankly, who wouldn't? I was staring down the barrel of looooong days and jet lag, I needed every bit of help I could get.

So far, I am impressed but not wowed. It does leave your skin feeling super-smooth. I was so tired on this trip and had a cold so nothing short of a face lift would have really wowed me but it's not that expensive (compared to Midnight Secret) and it's worth a go with the party season coming up. I shall be reporting back as I continue to use it.

You can read more about it here.

Nail colour of the week

2011-11-15T07:27:00.000Z

Sometimes you just need to give your nails a bit of a break from bright colours. Pink Glove Service by Essie is the perfect rosy pink that is almost not there but makes you look finished and polished. A great neutral.

Best hotel toiletries ever

2011-11-14T19:02:00.000Z

I've been away with work and spent a few nights in Palm Springs. Usually work hotels are very corporate, nice and comfortable but not somewhere you would choose for yourself. This hotel was very different - the Parker Palm Springs - it was beautiful and funky. The rooms were divine and imagine my joy when I saw the toiletries. I was so excited, I took a photo of them to share.

Penhaligans shampoo and conditioner, Molten Brown very large shower gel/bubble bath and best of all Hermes soap. Also, loving the lip salve since you are in the desert, you need it. So what did I do? I forgot to bring it home with me. ROOKIE ERROR! Am kicking myself about the Hermes soap. Ho hum.

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask

2011-10-31T21:15:00.001Z

I so have my eye on this and if I read about it one more time, I am getting it. Who am I kidding? I plan to get it anyway and I shall report back. Sisley is the Rolls Royce of skincare.

Nail colour of the week

2011-10-31T21:13:00.000Z

I love this one - Luxedo by Essie. It's a proper vampy dark purple, almost black and it's an excellent Halloween colour. Not that I could care less about Halloween, when did this country embrace Halloween? Bah.

Anyway, yes, this is lovely.

Body care must-haves

2011-10-21T08:11:00.000+01:00

I don't want to ignore the body, after all, it makes up most of our being! It's easy to neglect it but we all know that would be a mistake.

First up, let's scrub. There's nothing like a body scrub to energise and get your blood pumping. I do like to scrub once a week and I've tried many scrubs over the years. At the moment I am using a Body Shop one and I really like it, not least because it's in a tube. Why do they make scrubs and put them in pots? It's such a faff in the shower. For this reason I have to exclude the delicious Ren Rose one I was given as a present which is divine but very impractical (and very slippery) and it also excludes the Bliss one which is probably the best in terms of results but again, comes in a pot.

So, by default, I vote the Body Shop Satsuma Scrub. It's nice and zesty, it's not too expensive and it lasts ages as you don't need much - I use those funny gloves to apply it, makes it last far longer.

In terms of shower gel, there is only one contender and that's Bliss. I am currently on the Blood Orange flavour but used Lemon and Sage throughout the summer.

Yes it is quite expensive but it lasts for ages, it is a very large bottle, it has a pump (again no fiddling with flip lids in the shower) and it smells heavenly.

Body moisturisers. I love Neutrogena Deep Moisture Creamy Oil. It sounds like it's going to be a greasy disaster but it sinks in like a dream and is lovely. It's a total bargain at £4.99.

Hand cream. I can't live without hand cream and have tubes of it all round my flat. I am not going to lie, the Bliss hand cream is gorgeous but I don't buy it because I get through way too much hand cream to justify that. I really like the Nivea Nourishing hand cream - not greasy and nice and cheap.

That's all folks! I think you'll agree this is my most thrifty post (apart from the Bliss!). I shall save specific Bath products for another thread.

Nail colour of the week

2011-10-17T21:59:00.000+01:00

Today I went old school with Bahama Mama from Essie. A lovely classic deep purple. I am feeling the purple love after last week's Carry On which lasted me a whole seven days with NO chips. None. This is a miracle.

Anyway, am loving this and it suits my autumnal mood.

Make-up must-haves

2011-10-16T16:56:00.001+01:00

Continuing in my series we come to the fun of make-up. A difficult one this as make-up is meant to be playful and I have so many things I love playing with and I like to experiment with new colours and so on. However, when I go away I always pack the following.

I'm not going to bang on about Origins VitaZing again but yes, I take it. I get anxiety if I am apart from it.

Blusher and for me Bobbi Brown wins every time, her cream blushers have a lot of pigment so last for ages.

You can use this on lips as well but I never do.

Eyes - first up is the primer and nobody makes a better one than Urban Decay. It's miraculous. Everyone should have this.

If I am feeling tired or I look tired then nothing is as good as Bobbi Brown Corrector.

I can't stress enough, apply with a brush and not your fingers. I put this under my eyes - not much at all and blend it in and it does perk you up no end.

Then I dust my eyes with Boots Seventeen powder - no point going expensive with this but then I don't powder my nose and if you do, you probably would want to upgrade.

Then my everyday look is an eyeliner and I cannot bear to be parted from my Urban Decay ones.

All the pretty colours! My favourite is Graffiti - the second from the right. But I have many and vary them depending on my mood. I have dozens of eye shadows too but that's for those days when I am prepared to make more effort.

To the mascara. Ahhhh, how many have I tried? And yes still none top Max Factor Masterpiece Max.

It goes on easily, gives you nice thick lashes and lasts all day. I don't like any others as much.

To lipstick. Now I don't wear lipstick by day but for a night out and especially for a night out after work, nothing fast tracks you to glamour more than a bright lippie and since I don't wear it all day long, it's worth getting the Rolls Royce which is Chanel Rouge Coco. It's fabulous, moisturising and divine in every way. Even if I did wear it every day, I'd still buy this.

For more of a day look and when I can be bothered, I do enjoy the Clinique Chubby Sticks. Nice and moisturising and easy to put on, I love the watermelon and the cherry ones.

There we have it. To put all the above on takes me five minutes - I've spent years practising. I can't sit for ages applying make-up, I don't have the patience for it.

Hair-care must-haves

2011-10-13T21:24:00.001+01:00

How much money and time do we spend on our hair? I think we're much more obsessed with hair than anything else and it's because we believe with just the right product, cut and colour we could transform our looks.

So we come to my must-have hair products. Boy do I feel well researched, I have dozens of appliances I've tried gathering dust and I could fill an ocean with the amount of shampoo, conditioner and styling products I've thrown out half used. About my hair: it's thick and not dead straight but not nicely curly or interesting, more kinky with frizzy bits and annoying curls underneath.

I get my hair coloured at the hairdresser because I simply cannot be bothered with doing it at home and recreating an abattoir scene in my bathroom plus my towels are white and I'd like them to stay that way. Also as my hair is thick, it would be impossible to colour it at home and do a good job. So I get the roots tinted which is much better for your hair than a semi-permanent colour. However, to eek out the visit between hairdressers (and as I am getting older and have more grey), I am a huge fan of Clairol Root Touch-Up.

You put it in the obvious places (temples and parting), wait for 15 mins and rinse out. It works wonders and costs less than £5. It's easy to apply (I ignore the brush and just dab it on - using the gloves, obviously) and it really means you can wait a few more weeks before going back to the hairdresser. It just seems to blend with your colour, I really think this is a miracle product.

To maintain my colour, I only use shampoo and conditioner designed for coloured hair. This is really important, I know it's a bit of a bore but I promise you if you don't your colour will fade faster. This is an area I have tested extensively, trust me. Also, wear a hat on holidays in the sun.

I am currently loving the Fudge range and it's not too expensive (about £7 a bottle).

And I really do love Pureology which is more expensive but lasts ages.

Both smell divine and the matching conditioners are great too. However, one needs a deep conditioner once in a while (especially on holiday) and so to Bumble and Bumble Creme De Coco Masque.

Nothing is as good as this. It deep conditions yet rinses out easily, my hair never feels heavy afterwards and it smells like heaven. It is £20 but I promise you it's worth it.

Since I am obsessed with conditioning my hair, I adore the Moroccan Hair Oil.

Glossy, shiny, bouncy hair? Yes please. All yours. If I could only take one thing to the desert island, it would be this. It also smells so good.

Combs? I have three combs. One for the shower to comb the conditioner through - wide toothed and from Origins, had it for years. One to then comb it after it's been wrapped up in a towel for 5 mins and then another finer toothed one to comb it again after I've added my oil. I am so high-maintenance, it's almost embarrassing.

Phew, so now we have clean and perfectly conditioned hair. Time to style it! I've tinkered with styling products and have to admit, I've still not found one that's right for me. I tend to just go to the hair dryer without any additional styling products. However, I have middle to long hair all one length, it's hardly cutting edge punk.

My new Parlux hair dryer that I blogged about very recently is, as it turns out, life-changing. It is so powerful that my hair dries much, much faster.

I recommend it highly. I do like my Babyliss Big Hair but it's much more effort to use. I use a paddle brush to blow-dry my hair, round brushes just tangle up and cause me no end of heartache. I don't use an expensive one - just one from Boots that I knacker and have to replace about once a year. When I win the lottery, I would have a hairdresser to blow dry my hair all the time. I don't think Kate Middleton is extravagant having this, I so would if I were her too.

Time to hairspray! I only ever buy Elnett as it seems to do the job for me.

The very essence of hair to me. I adore the smell, the can, the fact it never changes. It comes in handy handbag sizes, it brushes out, my hair never feels stiff. I adore it. I don't use a lot of hairspray so a can lasts me a long time but I've never seriously bothered with anything else.

And after all that, I am ready to swing into the world with my mane of glossy hair (well, in my dreams!)

Nail colour of the week

2011-10-11T07:31:00.000+01:00

Back in my comfort zone this week with Essie's Carry On from the new collection. It's a deep purple, almost black, bit like an aubergine. It's divine. I am so in love with it. Not for the faint hearted though.

Skin-care must-haves

2011-10-09T17:52:00.002+01:00

As we move properly into Autumn, I thought it was worth doing a round-up of the skin-care products (for the face) I really would struggle to be without. I am constantly blogging about new things I try but here is my list of serious must-haves:

Origins Checks and Balances face wash. I've been using this for years and I still love it. I also love the Origins Clean Energy Oil but if I could only have one, I'd have to go for C&B.

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask. This stuff still wows me. I adore it and really believe it works, it makes your skin more even, glowy and just fabulous. I can't imagine being without it.

Soap & Glory, No Clogs Allowed! This is a scrub that can also be used as a mask. It's a new favourite for me. It does leave your skin a little dry but if you suffer from blackheads, it's the business. I use it once a week in the bath so my pores are all opened up and it works wonders. If you live in a grimy city, this is indispensable.

It's hard to pick one moisturiser but if I had to, then it would be Origins Starting Over. It smells lovely, it sinks in and my skin feels just right when I use it. It doesn't have an SPF though.

My contender for product of the year is Origins VitaZing. If you've not tried it yet, I must implore you to run and don't walk to your local Origins counter. It's fantastic for that healthy glow. Perfect for those of us who don't wear foundation.

Five products and we're only on the face. Hmmmm. I really would struggle on a desert island! This post is not sponsored by Origins (I wish).

Next up will be hair care must-haves.

Nail colour of the week

2011-10-05T10:55:00.000+01:00

This week I went for Glamour Purse from the new Essie collection. This picture above is nothing like it. It's much darker and browner. More like a taupe. I really like and am enjoying a muted few weeks on my nails. After not being sure about last week's, I ended up loving it and NO CHIPS. None. Very impressive.

Nail colour of the week

2011-09-27T07:48:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd try something more muted and classic this week so I went for another one of the new Essie collection, Lady Like. It's quite violet and not as insipid as that photo suggests. I like it but it's weird to not have a banging colour on my nails, I always go for something strong and this feels like I am turning down the volume a bit. I shall enjoy it this week but next week I plan on having something properly vampy to compensate.

Reporting back - Benefit mascara

2011-09-24T12:12:00.000+01:00

I have used this every day this week and there has been no better test for it. Twelve hour days in the office, extreme tiredness and much stress. How did it stand up to this rigour?

Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is this does make your eyelashes look longer and fuller. It is a great brush, easy to apply, no smudging on application, no clogging and clagging so full marks there. However, it 'travels' I had to wipe away smudges of black under my eyes from about lunch time onwards. I promise you I hadn't cried (although felt like it on occasion) or rubbed my eyes. By evening, it was really smudgy. Also, a bugger to remove despite me investing in two new eye make-up removers (more on them at a later date).

In conclusion this is a great evening mascara when you might only need it on for five hours or so but the jury is still out on its staying power. For £18.50 I expect it to do everything and make me coffee.

New super-powered hairdryer

2011-09-24T08:08:00.001+01:00

I am always on the look out for something to make styling my hair easier. In this month's Red magazine, there was a feature with a woman saying this hairdryer had changed her life. As if I could resist investigating!

Parlux is the brand hairdressers use and they have lots of choice on the website. Anyway I ordered the 3200 last week in a frenzy of online shopping and it arrived and I've only used it once so far but I can already report that it is amazing. So much more powerful than my old hairdryer. What's more, it comes in different colours! I got purple. Recommended.

Sampar Three Day Weekend

2011-09-20T20:36:00.000+01:00

I got this little baby on the plane on the way back from France. I needed something to cheer myself up after all. It's a self tan but without the nasty smell and it's very subtle. I love it. I am so pleased with it. I normally find self tans such a faff and the smell so off-putting but this light gel is amazing. It's my new miracle product.

You can read a bit more about it here. I really recommend this.

Nail colour of the week

2011-09-19T19:47:00.000+01:00

Oooh all the new Fall colours in today when I zoomed down to get my nails done. Essie's new collection is inspired by handbags. Whatever. I picked Power Clutch (great name) which is a gorgeous grey/blue/green. Yes, it's all those colours depending on the light. It is nice to have a more muted colour on as I've been having a colour-fest lately.

A quick review of the other colours:

I loved Carry On, a deep, almost black purple.
Very Structured is a weird orange, like terracotta. Not wild about it.
Case Study is odd, sort of beige. Not sure what to make of it.
Glamour Purse is gorgeous, a nice subtle choice.
Lady Like - nice enough pink.

You can see them all in more detail here.

Benefit - They're Real, Beyond Belief Mascara

2011-09-18T14:33:00.000+01:00

I've been hearing very good things about this. Because I still like to believe there is a miracle mascara out there, I bought it. I only just got it today but I have high hopes. Full reportage will occur.

£18.50. It had better work.

Nail colour of the week

2011-09-13T07:02:00.000+01:00

I have two colours to share this week. Not because I am wearing one on one hand and one on the other. Although I bet that's a craze that will happen at some point. I am just a little behind on my blogging since I've been swanning around the south of France. I bought a great new product on the plane that I will tell you about soon.

I am milking those last days of summer with these colours. I had Tangerine (bottom one, obviously) the other week and loved it. I used to hate oranges but now I am soaking them up. And yesterday I picked Super Bossa Nova which is a fabulous pink with a little shimmer to it. I am wearing it today with a neon pink top. I am very pink.

Soon it will be time for more muted autumn colours and I am liking the look of Essie's Fall Collection. Especially Carry On.

Mmmmmmm.

Bliss Fully Loaded Facial

2011-08-27T20:00:00.000+01:00

Today I skipped off in the torrential August rain for my Bliss Fully Loaded Facial as mentioned last week. The Spa is on Sloane Avenue and given that I have no sense of direction, I managed to get lost and it was raining in a biblical manner so I hopped in a cab for a four minute journey. I arrived fraught and damp but was soon soothed by this fabulous place.

This is a spa to end all spas. Never mind my cosy little facials down the road for a fraction of the price, this is where the serious moneyed come to maintain their glossy good looks. From the minute I entered, I felt like all was going to be well. I was ushered downstairs with my printed itinerary. Lockers were stocked with white robes, a towel and a bottle of water. I changed and waited in the Bliss Lounge which had every single magazine you could ever want to read and a plate of cheese and fruit, brownies, some super-healthy cold tea bursting with antioxidants and various other goodies. I managed to have some tea before the impossibly beautiful facialist (darling) came to collect me.

The room I was shown to was lovely and she told me to get into the bed and make myself cosy. The bed was heated underneath - heavenly. She came back in and proceeded to ask me the usual questions about my diet and skin routine. She did some preliminary investigation of my face and declared I'd be ideal to have a peel - not a chemical peel, some Japanese mushroom thing. She must have seen me coming. It cost an extra £50. At this point, I am entranced so I said yes (bearing in mind a large proportion of the cost was a giftcard). She went away and came back with some vial of elixir which she applied to my visage.

What followed was literally dozens of applications of unguents on my face and decolletage, waiting for various amounts of time and then being taken off with scented hot flannels. While the potions were working I was treated to arm and hand massage, foot massage, shoulder massage, head massage and she put a hair mask on me too. It was utterly over the top and of course I loved it. There was one bit I didn't like, she went away and came back in with some rubberised potion and said close your eyes and then put it on, it was very heavy and basically sets on your face and you cannot open your eyes with it on. I suddenly felt very claustrophobic and sweaty. I told her I didn't like it and she very sweetly said she could only remove it when it set. This made me feel worse. So we had a rather awkward five minutes of me trying to calm down and her giving me an extra foot massage before it was peeled off.

To the extraction. I've never had extraction like it, she used some electronic thing all over my face (no idea what it did) and then a plain old blackhead remover but oh my word, she was thorough. She went behind my ears. Who knew I had blackheads behind my ears? Actually, nobody would ever know but I am pleased to report they are now gone. She practically went up my nose, in my ears. No square millimetre was left untouched.

At the end she consulted with me in the lovely big light mirror in the changing room, looking at all angles of my face, to check I was happy. What service! Then I showered with gorgeous Bliss products (to get the gunk out of my hair) slathered myself with their expensive body lotions, used their state of the art hairdryers (totally need one of them) and downed a bottle of water - very dehydrating having a facial.

Upstairs she'd picked out products to try and sell me (they sell more than Bliss and use more than just Bliss in their facials which I think is nice) but honestly, it was more than enough money for one day so I resisted. She gave me a load of very generous sized products though and I swung out feeling like a million dollars. Oh, and my skin is properly glowing - not red at all from all that extraction work.

Upstairs was amazing. It's where they do manicures and they have television screens playing Sex and the City episodes which is kind of obvious but nonetheless, quite cute.

The whole experience was sublime, I've never had a facial like it. I want to move in for a weekend and have every treatment. If you aren't lucky enough to be given a gift card and feel like spoiling yourself, I can't recommend it highly enough. It's rare for a spa to be so normal and down to earth and yet make you feel really special. Bliss gets it just right.

I am already plotting a future visit.

Nail colour of the week

2011-08-22T21:01:00.000+01:00

I've not done a nail colour of the week in ages. This is Essie's Too Too Hot and it's a lovely coral with red in it. Gorgeous.

Maintenance

2011-08-19T21:36:00.000+01:00

I need these medicinal looking women to spend about 48 hours making me gorgeous again. Work is rather intense at the moment and I have spots, yes, spots. My roots need doing and my nails are a mess. I need to be dipped in a vat of wax, pummelled with massage, hair coloured and cut, a facial and a mani/pedi.

Today I had five minutes free at work and so I spent them usefully. I booked in for a Bliss Spa Fully Loaded facial. I got a very generous Bliss gift card for my birthday so it's free! I am very excited about it, especially the Hair Dew treatment. I am going next weekend.

Then I booked a leg wax - not very exciting but the South of France calls and I can't turn up looking like a yeti. I booked in for a cut and colour with my hairdresser too. I call that five minutes very well spent. I topped it off with buying a pair of shoes online.

Sometimes you need to just spend money on yourself. Now I am 21, this is more important than ever...

Another day, another shampoo

2011-08-06T07:35:00.000+01:00

My quest for the perfect shampoo is always ongoing. Sometimes, you just fancy a change so the other week I ordered this Fudge Colour Lock shampoo and conditioner. It smells heavenly and is really rather nice. My hair is now officially quite long and naturally enough, having grown it for some time and worked through the painful 'difficult' length I am now considering having it chopped.

Cell Food Elemental Herbology

2011-08-04T21:32:00.000+01:00

In my SpaceNK haul was a sample of this little beauty so naturally I gave it a go. It's really nice, it smells all medicinal like it must be doing you some good. I put it on this morning before my VitaZing and this evening by itself. It's quite rich, it doesn't sink in immediately but once it has sunk in, it leaves your skin quite matte and ready for make up.

I have some more left so will be finishing it off tomorrow. Of course it is expensive - £140 so I won't be splashing out on the full bottle, I'll just have to blag some more samples!

Late birthday haul

2011-08-02T21:04:00.000+01:00

Just when I thought all the fun was over my boss sashayed into my office carrying a SpaceNK bag for me today.

In it was a Jemima Kidd Iris Enhancer Kit. Three colours designed to bring out your eye colour so the website says. She got me the blue shade and I have brown eyes but no matter! I am sure it will be gorgeous. They are very decadent and you can use them wet or dry. And hot off the press, they only came out in July!

That wasn't all. Also a Terry nail varnish in Trafalgar Red, it's divine. And, little samples of this and that which she said she always gets when she shops at SpaceNK. I am impressed as I can never seem to get any samples out of them. My other boss got me Bliss vouchers by the way which weren't mentioned in my rundown. I think we can agree, I work with lovely people.

Excuse me while I go and paint my nails...

New moisturiser

2011-08-01T18:10:00.000+01:00

Summer is here and my need for a lightweight moisturiser became urgent. I've always loved Elemis products so I thought I'd give this a whirl and it's really rather nice. As always with Elemis, it smells lovely and sinks in like a dream but no greasiness. No SPF though which I forgot about as I went on my annual walk (I am not a walker) yesterday and burned my face. Probably about 10 years of ageing right there. Oh well.

Body Shop Satsuma Body Polish

2011-07-24T09:10:00.000+01:00

As always I am on a mission to find the perfect body scrub and I was in The Body Shop the other day having a browse and thought I'd give this a go. I don't know when TBS got so expensive - £12 for a scrub? I think that's quite a lot.

Recently I had a revelation when I realised that you are meant to put a scrub on dry skin before you get in the shower. It's far more effective. Obviously you all know that and I am slow. I used this scrub yesterday morning and can report it smells lovely - very zingy and pleasing. The results are pretty good but not life-changing, I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Birthday Beauty Haul

2011-07-18T10:16:00.000+01:00

Happy Birthday to me. I just had a significant birthday - 21 again - and my lovely friends bought me some delicious delights.

Benefit Bathina. This is in a beautiful tin so easy to take away for weekends and holidays. It's a satiny smooth solid moisturiser that you apply to your body with the little pouf. It smells very retro and 50s which is a good thing in my book. I tried some last night and it was lovely.

Nails Inc - I Can Paint A Rainbow. How fun is this? Six very cute little bottles of bright and summery colours. I love it. Not played yet but I can see many hours of fun ahead.

Essie - Meet Me At Sunset. It's like my friends know I love nail varnish! This is a truly bright orange. I can't wait to apply it.

Guerlain - Mitsouko. Please pay attention, this is a parfum. A parfum. Now I feel like a proper grown up. And look at that packaging. It's heaven in a box. I am deeply in love.

Jo Malone Grapefruit. I asked for this but my friend being ever so generous super-sized it. I adore this and have just run out. Yay.

These are some of my presents - they didn't all fit in the picture. You may be able to see a gorgeous Mulberry make up bag nestling in there. Oh so stylish. And a wonder woman mirror! And yes, that is a Selfridges box with a gift card inside...

Truly life does begin at 40. Thank you to my generous friends - love you all.

17 Falsifeye mascara

2011-07-14T21:43:00.000+01:00

I saw this today in Boots and thought I had to buy it with such a brilliant name. I was preparing for disappointment as I always do when trying a new mascara and it didn't start off hopefully as it's a very thick brush and quite cloggy. However, I have to say it was easier to apply than I was expecting and it stayed put through glasses of champagne and laughter with my mate.

It's cheap as chips so give it a go.

July shower gel

2011-07-03T15:59:00.000+01:00

Mmmmmm - lovely. Bliss is my favourite.

Three eyeliners, one look

2011-07-03T08:48:00.000+01:00

I've not bought any new products to tell you about for a while. Sorry about that, not sure what's happening. Maybe I've found skin and make-up nirvana although I doubt it.

I thought I'd tell you about the eye make-up I wore last night. All courtesy of Urban Decay. The 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils are The Business as I've said before. I have a fair few of them. My fall back colour is Graffiti and I wear this most days.

But last night I thought I'd experiment a bit more. I am fairly obsessed with navy blue and had just seen a feature in Red magazine about navy blue eyeliner. Of course their model looked impossibly perfect in it. I dug out my Deviant liner.

By itself it looked a little harsh. So I added a line of Dime.

It still wasn't quite right so I used Yeyo in the corners of my eyes. I really recommend this - it opens up your eyes and makes them look bigger.

Three eyeliners! Usually one is a bit of an effort to be honest. After layering on black mascara, I was pleased with the result. With the help of the magical properties of Urban Decay primer, it stayed put all night.

Where was I going with such glamorous eye make up you ask. To a friend's to help look after my goddaughter (who is three) and a nine month old baby who doesn't sleep through the night yet. The sleep-deprived mum noticed. No matter the occasion, Cover Girl always makes an effort darlings.

New nail varnish

2011-06-19T08:58:00.000+01:00

Lately I have become obsessed with orange-coloured things. For example, I just bought an orange skirt. And a new orange skirt requires some new nail varnish, I think you'll all agree.

I was in Selfridges yesterday looking at their Opi colours but having just got the skirt, couldn't persuade myself to buy any. Of course by the time I had come home, I was convinced my life would not be complete without some Cajun Shrimp.

Then while I was browsing online (having put the shrimp in my basket), my eye was caught by Conga-line Coral.

And then I saw Red Hot Ayers Rock which was in the sale so I had to have it.

Colours of nail varnish online are hopeless. None of these look particularly orange but the first two definitely are. The last one is more red but I couldn't resist it.

I shall be watching my letterbox eagerly and reporting back.

Beauty birthday wish list

2011-06-12T09:16:00.001+01:00

It's my birthday in a month or so and I thought I'd help my dear friends out by making a wish list. I do this because everyone is asking me what I want and I live in hope rather than expectation...

Dolce & Gabbana bronzer - I believe only Selfridges stock this and it may be sold out but I still really want this and can't justify buying it myself.

Hermes Voyage - I don't need more perfume but I want some.

Dior eye palette - also not needed but so very much wanted.

Ren Moroccan Rose Shower Gel - the best and always a treat.

Vouchers for Bliss Spa which I am dying to go to.

I'm running very low on Mitsouko which I mention fairly frequently. Guerlain divine perfume.

Diorskin Nude

2011-06-10T22:20:00.000+01:00

I've been dying to blog about this; Diorskin Nude Healthy Glow Complexion Enhancer. My friend suggested we buy it for a mutual friend's birthday. Shockingly I hadn't got it on my radar. We all have blind spots. I was intrigued and hot-footed it to Selfridges to purchase and was told they'd sold out. I worked my way down Oxford St department stores to be told at each one they'd sold out. One lady said 'oh we sold the last one an hour ago'. Like that makes one feel better.

By this time, not only was I late back to work but I really wanted it. Thank you John Lewis, we can always rely on you. Paolo told me he had just one left. Being the kind person I am, I bought it for my friend (Paolo gave me a generous sample - we're firm friends now).

I tried the sample and was more obsessed. But oh my word, this stuff is divine. It's the elixir of youth. No wonder it's sold out. If you see someone glowing, they are using this. And not telling you.

I trekked to Kings Rd, Peter Jones. They were bloody well sold out. I stomped. The woman gave me three samples. I'm good at getting samples.

But I had to have my own bottle. Yes, I was still determined my friend would get the one I have. I can report that House of Fraser at Westfield has it in. Run don't walk people. I have a bottle now and four samples to take travelling.

About the product. You can either wear it alone (after moisturising) or under foundation. I have taken to the following application in order: serum, Diorskin, VitaZing. People have to put their sunglasses on as I approach as I am blinding them with my dewy, translucent skin. Well, maybe not, but it is well worth getting some of this. If you can...

Happy Birthday Linz!

Sad news

2011-06-07T21:25:00.000+01:00

I love Essie's Bermuda Shorts. I wore it on my wedding day. It's my desert island nail varnish. And what have they done? They've changed it. It's a completely different colour. It's still nice but it's not special anymore. I shall be clinging on to every drop in my precious bottle.

Woe.

Nail colour of the week

2011-05-30T21:06:00.000+01:00

I fancied a bright pink colour today so I popped into Superdrug and bought the cheapest nail varnish I have purchased for a really long time. Appropriately enough it is called Bright Pink and it is by Barry M. It was a princely £2.99. I could have bought two for £4.99 but I didn't fancy any other colour.

I am impressed with it. Very easy to apply. We'll see about staying power.

Pureology Blow Dry Amplifier

2011-05-29T18:15:00.000+01:00

I actually bought this product months ago when I was loving the shampoo and conditioner. I used it once and thought I didn't like it but I decided to give it another go recently and I'm glad. The problem, I realised, is that when I first tried it, I put it on wet hair and then pottered around for a bit. When I went to blow dry my hair, it had sort of set into crispy strands. Nice.

The key is to put this on damp (not sopping wet) hair and then blow dry there and then. It sort of sets your hair and gives it some oomph which is something that as my hair is getting longer, I appreciate. It feels natural too. I rather like it. I wouldn't say rush to buy it however if you are tempted, you can get it here.

Nail colour of the week

2011-05-23T21:39:00.001+01:00

I got my nails done properly today. I have a long week ahead, I needed something kick-ass so I went with this little number from Essie. First Dance. A classic, tomato red. Perfection.

Body scrubs

2011-05-22T08:55:00.000+01:00

It's the time of year beauty editors love. Pick up any woman's magazine and there will be a feature about how to get beach-ready skin in just five days! And the models will be all honeyed limbs of silky smoothness, taut and toned.

Being an optimistic soul, I believe I can achieve their perfection if I just found the right body scrub. Body scrub is a product that I don't believe the more money you spend, the better it gets. In the last few weeks I've been road testing two.

First up is Korres Basil and Lemon scrub. Lovely scent of course and a pretty good scrub - a good all-rounder. You could do a lot worse and it's not overly expensive but it's not cheap either - £12.

Then I bought Good Works scrub in Boots. Weirdly it wasn't with all the other scrubs. In my Boots it was by the water filters! Who knows what the logic of that is.

It smells divine. It's packed with essential oils and is gorgeous. It's much grittier than the Korres one and if you have sensitive skin, it might be too much. I found it fantastic on my feet which are now baby-smooth.

So I may not have a taut, toned and perfect body like the models but my feet at least are looking good!

Dolce & Gabbana Bronzer

2011-05-15T20:40:00.000+01:00

Never has one picture needed so little words. WANT. Obviously.

Nail colour of the week

2011-05-15T17:14:00.000+01:00

My nails were looking a little stained and pitiful so I went for a mani/pedi today and decided to go neutral on the hands so I picked an Opi pale pink. It may be this one above, it may be another one as I don't recall the name. It's so boring. How can people bear to have such dullness on their fingers? I bore myself just looking at my hands. Utter tedium.

A return to colour next week I think.

New Jo Malone scent

2011-05-15T15:20:00.000+01:00

I've not been paying much notice to Jo Malone since becoming obsessed with Guerlain scent but it has come to my attention that there is a new perfume and it's Cherry Blossom. I do love me some cherry blossom. And doesn't it look pretty? I must investigate.

It has the word powdery in the description. Oooh, I am convinced I will like it.

Essie's Summer 2011 Collection

2011-05-12T20:03:00.000+01:00

Inspired by Brazil. Want. Want. Want. Especially Too Too Hot and Super Bossa Nova. You can examine in more detail here.

Bring on the beach and the bikini please.

Perfect Summer Shower Gel

2011-05-11T21:31:00.000+01:00

Summer is here my friends. It's official. I am embracing it. And to celebrate I've found the perfect summer shower gel. Fresh and zingy - that's what we want, right? Good old Bliss makes this little gem and it's magnificent. Lemon and sage, what's not to love?

I recommend you all buy some for the long hot summer we are going to have.

Fishy pedi - reporting back

2011-05-09T22:11:00.000+01:00

I was going to post a picture from Google of fish eating feet but the faint-hearted among you may not thank me. Google it if you are interested.

Last week, as advertised, I paid to have fish nibble my feet. It was bizarre. You have to wipe your feet with a wet wipe first and then you literally plunge your feet into a tank of fish and they swarm round and start eating. I hated the first 60 seconds and wanted to pull my feet out but then I had a word with myself and settled in. It's deeply weird and icky but I must say after their 30 minute dinner, my feet were very smooth.

Having said that, I am not sure I'd have it done again as the more I think about it, the more I think urggghhhhh.

Nail colour of the week

2011-05-09T22:07:00.002+01:00

Not done this for a while I know. It's been weeks since I've seen my lovely manicurist. Today I plumped for Watermelon and it is really nice - very summery and pretty.

Fishy pedicure

2011-05-03T22:03:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow I am going to let fish eat my feet. Lucky fish. I shall be reporting back. This might be my shortest post ever. Has anyone else had a fishy pedi?

Working out and staying beautiful

2011-05-01T21:44:00.000+01:00

My project for the summer is to get fit. Too long have I sat on the couch and made excuses and I am staring down the barrel of a significant birthday (21 since you ask sweeties) and so needs must and all that. I've enlisted a personal trainer as I am sadly lacking in any motivation when left to my own devices.

My dilemma is well, the sweat. The straggly hair. The chipping of nail varnish. The lycra darlings, the lycra. Must one? When your style icon is Alexis Carrington then the notion of getting sweaty is Not Good.

In Dynasty, I remember seeing her in the Carrington gym and she looked magnificent. But if I attempt the same look I fear people will point and laugh. It involved an electric blue leotard.

I look for hints in the following: how to keep your hair off your face when running. Regular tying back of hair doesn't work in the face of wind and sweat. What's the best anti-perspirant? I don't mind sweating as needs must and it shows I am working hard but I'd like to feel I am doing my best on the sweaty front. How can I keep my face from taking half an hour to return to its normal hue. Beetroot red is not becoming.

Any advice is welcome and I apologise for the overuse of the word 'sweat' in this post. It won't happen again.

Clinique Chubby Sticks - update

2011-04-22T09:14:00.000+01:00

I bought one yesterday in Debenhams. They didn't have them on display, I asked the OFL (Orange Faced Lady) and she said they are not on sale until June but she could sell me one. Like it was contraband.

Anyway, the watermelon one is way too pale so I got Chunky Cherry and I am pleased to report it is excellent and exactly what I've been looking for. It's basically a tinted lip balm, it's not a gloss. So your lips look natural but better. And that's what we want make up to do, right? Recommended. Plus 10% off at Debenhams this weekend.

New shower gels

2011-04-21T21:24:00.001+01:00

Today CoverBoy asked me to buy him a present. Not one to turn down my dear true love, I headed to The Body Shop and picked some of this rather nice shower gel. It's a new range called Earth Lovers. It has no nasties in it and if you buy one, you get another one half price. I used the fig and rosemary one (hey, share and share alike) in my bath earlier and it's really rather lovely.

If you are looking for a non-chocolate Easter present (not sure why you would be) then this could be the ticket. He got me an After Eight easter egg. We were both content.

Clinique Chubby Sticks

2011-04-19T18:17:00.001+01:00

I keep seeing these in magazines and I want one. I am annoyed as I was in town today and completely forgot that I wanted one. That'll teach me not to trawl Selfridges beauty hall as a matter of course. I want it in Woppin Watermelon (stupid name). Or Chunky Cherry.

Want, want, want. For summer. Perfect. Anyone have one?

Soap & Glory - Make Yourself Youthful

2011-04-17T15:52:00.000+01:00

I know I said that I couldn't be bothered with the Clinique Laser Focus but since buying VitaZing I have been using it every morning as it gives a little extra something under the tinted moisturiser and it's been a success. However, I still think £45 a throw is steep. Yesterday I was browsing Boots (is there a better way to spend 20 minutes on a saturday?) and I noticed this so I bought it on a whim. There is currently an offer with a third off all S&G products so it was a steal.

I used it last night and this morning and I can't see how the Clinique one is any better to be honest. Also, this one smells nicer. I shall be keeping a close eye and reporting back naturally.

In other news VitaZing is magnificent and is my top find of the year so far. Run, don't walk, and buy it. You won't regret it.

Simple eye make-up remover pen

2011-04-13T22:07:00.000+01:00

Hayfever season is here. I sneeze a lot and shock, horror - eye make-up smudges. Not a problem with this little beauty in your bag. It works really well at removing mascara smudges. And it is less than a fiver. I think we all need one.

Bumble and Bumble Texture Creme

2011-04-09T09:01:00.000+01:00

I read about this in the Evening Standard magazine last night (a terrible magazine but it is free) and I think we need to try it. It gives your hair volume, makes your blow dry 'stick' and gives your hair texture. It does the opposite of serums, oils and conditioners and roughs your hair up a bit. I am intrigued and think I might have to investigate as summer is coming and beach hair is where it is at, no? You can read more about it here.

Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara

2011-04-02T09:09:00.000+01:00

I reported that I bought this in Burgundy last week. I've had a week to get used to it and here is my review. People rave about this mascara (not necessarily the Burgundy colour) and say it's the best mascara out there. I am sceptical about this claim. I think it's pretty good, it applies very nicely, it gives you nicely plumped up lashes but at £22, it's not exactly ground-breaking. It doesn't do anything Max Factor Masterpiece Max can't do.

I wouldn't buy it again based on all round mascara performance, however the colour is magnificent. It's hard to explain what a difference it makes, just so much softer but in a much more interesting way than a brown mascara. It looks fabulous with grey/green/brown eye shadow. In fact, I imagine it looks great with all eye shadow.

It freaked me out a bit when I removed it on day one and my cotton wool pad was purple. When it flakes (and all mascara does on me after 12 hours) it flakes with little purple bits. I am so used to black that I found this very novel.

If there was a cheaper mascara in this exact shade (and it's quite a deep purple, not a bright one) then I'd buy that. If there isn't, I shall have to buy this again when it runs out.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino

2011-04-01T16:48:00.000+01:00

I've been wanting to have a sniff of this for a while now and today my opportunity came when I found myself in Selfridges. Some frankly, rather risque advertising; all very Tom Ford. He is so beautiful isn't he? In fact, let's take a look at him.

He's just infinitely stylish. Only gay men seem to look so good.

So, what's the new pong like then? I am here to tell you it's divine. DIVINE. So sexy and fresh. It's definitely more of a masculine but women could wear it. I have been sniffing the back of my hand all day long. It's ruinously expensive though - well north of £100. I resisted. For now.

Origins VitaZing

2011-03-27T11:01:00.000+01:00

I got this yesterday and have just tried it this morning. It's a tinted moisturiser! Nowhere does it say this is so on the packaging. How utterly bizarre. Having read about it on the Origins site, it says it adds a healthy hint of radiance that mimics a week's vacation.

I have to say that I am already loving it. It is one of those tinted moisturisers that blends with your skintone and adds a tiny hint of colour rather than a full on orange face. It also mattifies your skin ready for make-up. I am delighted I got this ready for Spring/Summer and can already tell it is a winner. Recommended. I do love Origins skincare.

Sometimes you just need to spend some money

2011-03-26T14:17:00.000Z

It was time to go and sweep the Peter Jones beauty department today. As I have said, I've wanted some purple mascara for a while. I went to MAC where there was NO SIGN of any Wonder Woman stuff. Woe.

Instead I went to YSL in Peter Jones and got this in Burgundy.

I also got these three products from Origins.

I then got this hand cream for CoverBoy as it's his favourite.

And a friend recommended this.

And so I came home happy with my haul. Can't wait to try the mascara. Full reporting will occur.

Eight hour cream - anniversary edition

2011-03-25T21:19:00.000Z

It's soooo pretty and therefore I had to have it. It lives on my desk at work and makes me smile every time I see it. It's the small things...

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

2011-03-24T07:30:00.000Z

Elizabeth Taylor has always been a bit of a figure of fun to me. It's easy to forget how gorgeous she was. Look at this photo.

It's timeless. I love everything about it, including that coral lipstick. Wonder where I can get one in that shade? As if I could ever rock it like Liz though.

Famous for her love with Richard Burton, I just did a Google to look at some pictures of them. Oh my word. Smokin'! This one is so glamorous. We can only dream of looking so elegant, sexy and amazing all in one photo.

I think this one is so cute and relaxed. Loving her outfit here too.

And this one is gorgeous - a holiday snapshot by the looks of it. Look at her earrings! What a woman.

I know this has little to do with make-up (except the lipstick!) but I think when a Hollywood legend dies, you take a moment to remember why they were legendary. RIP Liz. Hope you're somewhere with Richard.

Nail colour of the week

2011-03-19T20:06:00.000Z

Opi: Shootout at the OK Coral. Contender for one of the best names? I think so. I subscribed to Red magazine last month simply because they had an offer of three free Opi nail varnishes. What's an addict to do? This is one of them and I put it on this morning and I kind of love it.

Normally I hate corals on me but somehow this works. It's bright, I'm not gonna lie, but in today's glorious sunshine, it was just the ticket. This is a classic holiday toe colour. I might book a holiday just so I can start planning...

Nail colour of the week

2011-03-16T21:29:00.000Z

Merino Cool - Essie. I love this colour. It's a perfect neutral grey with a bit of depth to it. The kind of colour you could wear for weeks and it won't annoy you. And that's all I have to say about it!

MAC - Wonder Woman

2011-03-12T12:39:00.000Z

Oh my giddy aunt. Check it out people! I am late to the party with this as the beauty bloggers are all over this new range from MAC. It's so covetable. Frankly, I don't even care what the cosmetics are like with packaging like this.

I've not looked at this up close yet - but oh, I totally plan to. However, I notice they do a purple mascara and I've been wanting to try purple mascara for a while. Black is so obvious, no? A purple Wonder Woman mascara? I am actually almost too excited to type.

I shall be reporting back.

Compagnie de Provence Foam Bath

2011-03-05T08:10:00.001Z

Another day, another new bubble bath to tell you about. I love this brand - Compagnie de Provence. The packaging really appeals to me as I like simple clean lines and their stuff always smells wonderful. I ordered this from lookfantastic.com and I got it in Fresh Verbena and Wild Rose.

Both are heavenly but the Verbena one is especially lovely. Zingy and fresh without being like washing up liquid, I applaud it. You too can buy it here. I want to try Summer Grapefruit next.

Nail colour of the week

2011-02-28T21:51:00.000Z

I had to do my own nails today. Yes. What is the world coming to? My lovely lady was all booked up and couldn't fit me in. So I trekked home, had a much-needed bath (will tell you about my new bubble bath soon) and painted my nails in a colour I picked up in New York called Miami Nice. See what they did there?

It does bring to mind beautiful beaches and sunshine so it is suitable to cheer me up on a grey miserable February day. More of a toe colour perhaps? Am liking it so far though.

Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel

2011-02-27T19:50:00.000Z

I haven't bothered blogging about this year's In Style Top 100 Beauty Buys as they don't have much new in. However, this little beauty caught my eye. Probably because when I was reading it, I had a spot. They say dab this on, go to sleep and wake up to a much reduced spot. It had to be tried.

I ordered some online and it arrived just as I had another spot. What is going on? Anyway, for once I didn't mind as it meant I could road-test this. I can confirm it worked brilliantly. I dabbed a teeny bit on the spot and woke up to find it almost gone.

I hope this lasts me for the rest of my life as I don't get many spots. It wasn't cheap so here is hoping!

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus

2011-02-23T10:16:00.000Z

How do they come up with these names? I bought this back in November and haven't reported back. A friend requested I did so. What do I think?

Well, this is something you have to put on twice a day before your moisturiser and wait for at least a month before you can expect to see results. Everything about that sentence is contrary to my personality. I am all about instant results and very little time spent in the bathroom. It's why I like 5 minute face masks instead of those 20 minute jobs you have to chisel off your face.

So, obviously I have not been doing this religiously which is why I can't give you a proper review. However, I have noticed that when I am feeling a little below par skin-wise and I apply this, my skin does look a little better the next morning. I really should make an effort and get involved more enthusiastically. I have friends who have more patience than me and they give very positive reviews of this.

It's worth noting though that if you did follow the instructions, you'd get through this in about six weeks. Which would be £45 spent every six weeks plus the rest of your skincare routine. It's a little steep to be honest. I would rather spend the money on monthly facials. So I doubt I'll buy this again but if you are prepared to cough up the money, apply it regularly and wait for results, then yes, it does work.

The joys of Sephora

2011-02-19T15:26:00.001Z

Yesterday I had a few hours to kill in Manhattan before my flight. I know, what a drag eh? As I was only there a few weeks ago, I didn't feel the need to buy clothes. So I had a very nice mani/pedi and then wandered into the mothership known as Sephora.

Sephora opened in the UK a few years ago but didn't survive. It's such a shame as it's easily the best beauty shop in the world. If I was locked in Sephora for 24 hours, I'd be fine with that and not get even remotely bored. The one in Times Square is huge, it has a brow bar, it has its own DJ, it's full of teenage girls in Ugg boots. In short, it is heaven.

So I spent an hour in there looking at stuff. What I love about Sephora is no sales people bother you and ask if you want any help. You can play with all the high-end brands in complete peace. It's beautifully laid out and it is the ultimate beauty shopping experience.

So, what did I get? First up, some Tweezerman Tweezers, you can never have enough and when they are polka dots, well, who can resist?

Then, mindful of the flight coming up and any excuse to buy a primer, I bought this little set. Fresh is a popular brand stateside. I am very impressed with the illuminator part of this.

You can never have enough hand cream especially when Bliss makes it and it only costs $8.

And how cool is this? A teeny bag full of emergency repair kit. Full list can be seen on the link. For $13? Only a fool would walk away without it. I got it in gold. I might give this as a present, it is such a cute idea.

I actually think I was quite restrained. The challenge in Sephora is not going mad but I'd love to win a supermarket sweep in there. I was very interested in the Nars Orgasm nail varnish but figured I had bought enough varnish for one week and left it there but it's a great colour. Maybe next time...

Russian nails

2011-02-19T13:53:00.000Z

Two nail colours to report and both are from the Opi Russian collection. First up, Vodka and Caviar. I love this colour so much and being the control freak that I am, I made my sister wear it to my wedding. It's a gorgeous deep red. I had that colour on my nails last week.

Then yesterday I had a colour change manicure in NY ($7!) and went for Russian Navy which is the most beautiful blue with a purple tinge. I am loving it. I have it on my toes too. New York is the best place for a mani/pedi - cheap and so efficient.

I bought some other bits and pieces while I was there too. This time I did make it into Sephora...

Nail colour of the week

2011-02-07T21:33:00.000Z

Essie's Decadent Diva which I bought in NY where it was called Decadent Dish but it is, in fact, the same colour. How confusing. It's a nice shimmery brown with an almost purple undertone. Not usually what I would pick but I am liking it.

Exclusives all round

2011-02-06T14:50:00.001Z

Back in the summer, I splashed out and bought an exclusive Chanel perfume for my wedding. I justified it as being worth it for my wedding, and indeed it was, I absolutely love it still and am only about a third of the way through it. However, there is another Les Exclusif I have wanted for the last six months: No 18. Another bottle of 200ml perfume at £173? I just couldn't bring myself to do it especially since I am not exactly suffering from a lack of perfume in my life.

Then I heard a rumour. Bendel's on Fifth Avenue stock the exclusives in 100ml. Be still my beating heart. So this trip to NY, I hot-footed it to Bendel's and raced up to the Chanel counter. By the way, Bendel's is the nicest department store I've been to. Yes, it's even nicer than Fenwicks on Bond St. I just wanted to move in. But disappointment awaited. Only regular old Chanel perfume at Bendel's. However I was told Bergdorf's had it. Luckily Bergdorf's is right next door so off I went (dragging my poor friend with me) and YES! It was there. All the exclusives in 100ml. For $119 (including tax). At current exchange rate, this is £74. Not bad. So I bought No 18. You can read more about it here. It's not a scent for everyone, it's quite a challenging one but I simply love it. It really grows on you and I can't stop sniffing myself when I wear it. Also, it has a magnetic lid. That's worth it alone, right?

From the sublime to the ridiculous. I bought a new Essie colour in Walgreens called Dive Bar. I didn't think I'd come across it before so I Googled it and it's exclusive to Walmart! That made me laugh. It's a very pretty colour - like a peacock. You can see a swatch here. I am amazed Essie is doing an exclusive with Walmart but I had heard they had been bought by L'Oreal so maybe that's why.

Also, there was an Essie sale on in another pharmacy I was in - $6 a bottle. That's is so much cheaper than here in the UK. It makes me angry how much we have to pay over here. Anyway, I bought three bottles to celebrate such a bargain.

Finally I bought a packet of Sally Hansen Nail Effects for a friend who asked me for them. They must be the hot ticket in town as they were sold out everywhere. But I am no quitter and I tracked them down for her. She wanted the butterfly ones. You can read more about them here.

I didn't even go into Sephora. Shocking I know.

Shopping on the plane

2011-02-06T14:29:00.000Z

And why not? Flicking through the duty-free magazine on the flight is a wonderful way to waste half an hour or so. I've just come back from New York and I have plenty of beauty news to report but first up is my duty-free splurge.

I got two Smashbox products. First up is the foundation primer. I was seduced by the offer of a free travel sized sample with it. I love travel sized products, anything that has travel sized written on it, I tend to buy. This is a weird product, it feels like plastic on your face. I am not sure what to make of it. My skin is always a bit weird in New York so I shall see how it performs back in London.

I also bought O-Glow - an intuitive cheek colour. I've had my eye on this for a while. It reacts to your skin and gives you a pink glow. Regular readers will know my obsession with blusher. I adore this. It looks like a clear gel, you put a tiny bit on and instantly you look all dewy and healthy. It's wonderful. Recommended.

I also bought an old favourite that I've not used for ages. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. I still love this, in fact I had forgotten how much I like it. It's a perfect pick me up for jet-lagged skin.

Reporting back on hair, face and nails

2011-01-22T10:32:00.000Z

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

2011-01-21T17:14:00.001Z

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

2011-01-17T20:51:00.000Z

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

2011-01-15T13:42:00.000Z

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

2011-01-10T19:16:00.000Z

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

2011-01-08T12:46:00.000Z

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.