Nail colour of the week

Today I fancied a proper old-fashioned red so Essie's Fishnet Stockings it is. I love this colour, it's a proper glamour red.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

I have a new love. Oil. Well, actually I've been enjoying oil-based products for a while but pure oil on your face? It's a leap of faith but one I am very pleased I've made.

Last week I bought one of the Clarins facial oils having heard a lot of buzz. I was with my sister who said she wanted one and so it was a done deal as we sidled our way up to the Clarins counter. We had a delightfully helpful lady who explained there were different types depending on your skin. I went with the Combination/Oily one because the others were Very Dry or Dehydrated and I had a slight fear of applying oil designed for very dry skin.

You can mix it into your usual night cream (this is not a day treatment) or apply as is. I've been applying alone to get the measure of it. It smells absolutely divine. It's full of essential oils and I can't describe how heavenly it is; like you're in a high-end spa. You don't need much at all, just one or two drops. Warm it in your palms and then just press on to cleansed skin. That's it. It sinks in so you don't look like a greased up turkey ready for roasting.

I really am loving it and at £29, it's good value as I can see it lasting a long time. Recommended.

Nail colour of the week

Canyon Coral by Essie = summer in a bottle. It's perfect and I'd recommend it to anyone, I love it.

BB creams

One of my adoring fans asked me to investigate BB creams. Alright, it was my sister but hey ho, it was feedback and I like feedback.

BB creams are everywhere now. I must admit I was a little baffled as to what they actually are so I Googled and am informed that BB stands for Blemish Balm and are very popular in Asia. They were designed to protect skin after laser surgery. They are a moisturiser, foundation, sunblock and primer all in one. This is the part I am exceptionally dubious about.

I've seen loads of different brands at all prices but today I decided to dip my toe in the BB waters and go cheap with Superdrug which costs a princely £6.99 (£2 off at the moment). It comes in Medium and Light and I went for Light. I haven't properly experimented but did put some on half my face this afternoon to see if I could see a difference. And I really could, it actually does seem to cover up imperfections and make skin glow. I shall be properly experimenting this week and reporting back but early feedback is positive.

Have you tried a BB cream? Please share in the comments.

Nail colour of the week

I'm over the Shellac. I had three and they are great because you have maintenance-free nails for about two weeks. But getting the stuff off is hideous and my nails couldn't cope with much more. So I am back to my weekly manicures happy in the knowledge that I've experimented two months before The Guardian beauty writer.

Spring is here - it's going to be sunny this week, everyone is telling me so. Therefore I went for Cocktail Bling (best name ever) by Essie this week. A lovely blue/grey and very pretty.

Tom Ford

I am lusting hard for the Tom Ford make-up range. I was in Selfridges last night playing with the cream eye shadows. Oh my. They are divine. They are also £30. I want Platinum but how many eye products does a girl need? (Don't answer that!)

And look!

Lipstick of JOY. TF engraved. Engraved.

It's only a matter of time before I cave.

Tangle Teezer

Firstly, I've no idea why the post under this is the Bliss shower gel one that I wrote a year ago. Baffling!

Anyway, tangly hair, we've all been there. Mine's been terrible lately so I invested in one of these (in pink naturally) and it's miraculous. If you have tangly hair, get this immediately. I got mine from Look Fantastic but I've seen them in loads of places.

I've also had a bit of a radical haircut. I got heartily sick of the same cut so I've had inches cut off, layers put in and red bit. Oooooh. It's quite exciting. I might need new products to maintain...

Perfect Summer Shower Gel

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.

Revlon Lip Butters

There's a lip sensation on the internet. I keep reading about Revlon Lip Butter and how awesome it is so while stateside last week I went to a CVS pharmacy (be still my beating heart) where they had a special offer, buy one, get the next one half price. It would have been rude not to indulge. I got Tutti Frutti and one called (I think) Plum Berry.

The blurb is that they are ultra moisturising but not sticky like a lip gloss. My verdict is a big thumbs up. I am very impressed, they glide on like a dream, they don't dry your lips at all, they have good staying power and they were $6 each! What's not to love?

Get involved.

Another day, another mascara

Another flight and more mascara. This time from Dior with Diorshow. It has an exclusive nano brush dontcha know?

Anyway, it's very good. It applies very easily with no smudging, I do prefer a smaller brush. It's quite hard work to get off though! However that means it lasts all day and there is very little in the way of panda eyes. I'd recommend this if you are in the market for a high end mascara.

Lancome primer

A friend told me I had to buy a new miracle product from Lancome.  I quote: "it literally fills in wrinkles and lines on your face."

Hot-footed it I did to the nearest Lancome counter where I managed to buy the wrong product. She was talking about this:

But I managed to buy this. This is because the woman on the Lancome counter was hopeless. Now I hear Lancome are in a bit of trouble and if their staff don't know the products, then I am not surprised.

Anyway, I've been using what I bought because hey, a primer is always useful and I'm not about to waste £25.  It's very much like the Smashbox primer I got last year but not as plasticky. It's pretty good and nice with my new Bobbi Brown foundation over the top (yes, I bought it, nobody is surprised are they?) However, I wouldn't say it's a 'must-have'.

However, I am loving my Bobbi Brown. I went back and bought everything else from my recent makeover. The blusher is great but the foundation is a revelation. It glides on, you hardly need any and it smells truly lovely. The mascara is the only meh product. It's not rocking my world.