Holiday Hush - Kirsten Dunst!

I really like the simplicity of this look, red lips with very neutral eye makeup paired with a simple flicked out bob that matches the whole look perfectly.

Holiday Hush - Paris Hilton!

I love, love LOVE Paris Hilton's hair here, so old Hollywood glamorous... it really works for her! I like her makeup too, but not sure what's going on with her left eye there... bad angle?

Holiday Hush - Olivia Palermo!

A sleek hairstyle with beautifully applied makeup... love this look, but I just look plain when I try anything similar, like I couldn't be bothered to do my hair any better, ha!

Holiday Hush - Mila Jovovich!

I quite like this 'do but think that if I tried to rock this look myself, I'd just end up looking old!

Holiday Hush - AnnaLynne McCord!

Loving the 90210 star's new hair, she looked amazing blonde but is equally as stunning with this new shade! The whole look in this photo works so well for her, don't you think?

Holiday Hush - Bar Rafaeli!

Love this sunkissed beachy look that Bar is rocking above, but equally love the sleek and glamorous look below too. She's gorgeous, isn't she!?

Holiday Hush - Nicola Roberts!

I just love Nicola Roberts' hair in these photographs, 2 completely different styles (although both with a lot of va-va-voom) but both working perfectly for her.

Holiday Hush - Sarah Harding!

Sarah Harding's new hair is gorgeous, don't you think? Brown really suits her, although I liked it blonde also, so I thought I'd throw a couple of blonde photo's in too!

 I love how versatile she is when it comes to her hair... from full on glamour to more daring styles like the one shown below!

I should probably also mention that I rather like her makeup in all photos here too... she pulls off anything from a red lip to the most neutral lip (first pic) perfectly.

Holiday Hush - Geri Halliwell!

Geri Halliwell is every bit the glamorous celebrity here. Her hair and makeup are bang on the money and that bright pink, Herve Leger dress (or at least it looks like a Herve dress) is absolutely stunning!

Victoria Beckham Pregnancy Product Recommendation!

Her latest recommendation comes in the form Elemis, Japanese Camelia Oil; an oil that has been used for many centuries for the care of skin, hair, nails and scalp. It's said to be great for stretch marks so I can definitely see why she'd be using it during her pregnancy, and if it's got the VB stamp of approval then I’d imagine it to be a very good product indeed.

It's widely available in the UK but I've found 2 great deals that are currently on. The first is at Debenhams who are running their regular beauty discount of 10%  at the moment, so you'd get a bottle of it for just £24.84. If you'd rather spend a little more and get 2 bottles of it then QVC is your best bet as they're currently selling them for £44.22 (postage included) - but they are on waitlist only... not such a problem id you don't mind waiting a little longer.

Speechless Sunday - Britney Spears!

I absolutely love Britney's hair here, the colour and curls are spot on... but what is going on with her skin, it looks weird, she looks really old; even her cleavage looks it (I only looked here because I wanted to check out her skin, before you all think I look at all girls chests lol)... and her eyebrows could do with a tidy up too.

I feel like such a mean girl pointing all this out, but I just feel that if she's gone to that much effort with her hair, that she could probably extend that effort just a little bit more to her brows!?

Holiday Hush - Jessica Lowndes!

90210 star Jessica Lowndes' hair looks amazing here, so glamorous!

Almost Holiday Hush - Sarah Jessica Parker!

Ok, so I'm not quite on my holibobs yet, but I am frantically trying to get myself ready for it and make sure nothing is forgotten so I'll be starting my Holiday Hush posts early and hopefully will be able to fit in a little bit of normal blogging if I have any spare time.

These posts will be along the same idea as my Wordless Wednesday & Speechless Sunday posts as I am indeed true to form and running around on the last minute, as per usual! Hope you like! x

I've been loving up-do's recently so it's no surprise that I'm posting up this photo of SJP totally rocking a fabulous messy up-do. I think it looks stunning, as does her fairly natural makeup... and her skin looks almost flawless too!

Deborah Lippmann - 'Superstar' Polish!

I’ve been spending again at House of Fraser, I just can’t help myself whenever I’m out shopping – even if I’m not out shopping specifically for makeup (this trip was for holiday items)! Anyway I bought this beautiful Deborah Lippmann nail polish, ‘Superstar’ just because they still didn’t have ‘Today Was a Fairytale’ in stock... although somebody with more willpower than myself may have just walked away empty handed!

The polish is a gorgeous bronze-y, coppery brown-y colour; and whilst it’s not a particularly summer colour, it is still a beautiful one that will get a lot of use during the autumn and winter months!

I love that the glitter is not just suspended in clear polish; this means it needed less coats to get a decent finish. The photos show 2 coats, although they don’t do the polish any justice at all... the finish of this nail polish is absolutely stunning. I actually need to hide this polish once I’ve posted this as my mum has been eyeing it up ever since I showed it to her – she’s such a magpie (like me) when it comes to the shiny!

The 2 coats with no top or bottom coat (as I wanted to see how it lasted with no extra products) lasted almost 3 days with no chips which is quite good for a glitter polish, especially without the extra grip and protection of a base and top coat!

It’s not a cheap polish, coming in at about £14 (which is a bit annoying since Americans pay about the same, but in dollars – which is a lot cheaper) but I do think it’s worth it – especially if you feel like really treating yourself!

Available at House of Fraser stores and online!

New ESPA Lift & Firm Range!

The internationally acclaimed skincare brand ESPA have unveiled a new look, and also some new products for 2011. Their new Lift & Firm range has been specially designed using as many natural ingredients as possible to tackle those dreaded signs of aging – sounds good to me so I’m rather pleased that I’ve been given the opportunity to test out the range as my first signs of aging are definitely starting to show!

I’ve been studying my face pretty much daily for a while now, driving myself mad about any negative changes or signs of aging... you know the type of thing I’m talking about; it’s that first fine line, the one that you know will turn into your even more dreaded first wrinkle, or maybe you’ve noticed your skin starting to look a little less plump – all these signs are never really wanted, but along they come anyway! I know these laughter lines etc show part of our life story, and that worrying about it probably makes matters worse but that doesn’t stop me worrying and wanting to prevent them as much as is humanly possible.

Super Active Lift & Firm Mask (£45, 55ml)

They say:

“An intensely rejuvenating treatment to actively lift, firm and smooth lines.

Key Benefits:

• Toning, lifting and firming, the mask reduces the appearance of lines
• Nourishes and softens the skin
• Calms and desensitises the skin
• Suitable for maturing, stressed or de-hydrated skin types

Key Ingredients:

• Larch extract - a very powerful anti-ageing ingredient that has been proven to reduce the appearance of lines and tighten the skin to improve firmness and elasticity
• Argan Oil - known to restore the hydrolipid layer, reducing the appearance of lines. It also has extremely high levels of antioxidant Vitamin E and Essential Fatty Acids to nourish the skin
• Pelan Silt – encourages cell renewal Frankincense, rich in Vitamins A and C – regenerates
• and protects

Treating the Skin:
Apply a generous layer to the face, neck and décolleté after cleansing once or twice a week.
Leave for at least 20 minutes. Rinse off thoroughly and finish with Lift & Firm Moisturiser. Apply
Lift & Firm Intensive Serum beneath your moisturiser for maximum effect.”

I say:

I loved using this mask; I really think that using a mask like this can benefit your skin greatly. Firstly because masks are usually crammed full of great for your skin goodies (this one has antioxidants, vitamins AND super ingredient of the moment, Argan Oil in it, to name just a few), and also because a mask is left on the skin for a decent amount of time (20 minutes in this case) so these potent ingredients can really penetrate into the skin and do their thang!

I was really very impressed with the results when using this mask; it was a doddle to use, surprisingly un-messy and left my skin feeling beautifully soft, smooth and surprisingly firmer! I loved using it on my neck too, I’m always scared that my neck will be one of the areas that really shows my age without me being able to do anything about it (along with m y hands) so seeing that this says to also use it on the neck was really encouraging!

Lift & Firm Intensive Serum (£47.50, 15ml)

They say:

‘A concentrated, ultra smoothing and rejuvenating treatment

Key Benefits:

• Firms and restructures the skin
• Lifts the skin and restores elasticity
• Stimulates collagen production and plumps the skin to smooth lines
• Protects the skin from free radicals and boosts cell regeneration
• Hydrates and deeply nourishes
• Ideal for maturing skin

Key Ingredients:

• Gotu Kola – stimulates the renewal of collagen and restores elasticity
• Larch – a powerful active that lifts and firms the skin
• Irish Moss – hydrates the epidermis and nourishes the skin

Treating the Skin:
Gently press two pumps of serum onto the face, neck and décolleté morning and evening before
moisturising. Apply before Lift & Firm Moisturiser and Lift & Firm Mask for optimum results.’

I say:

Serums are a hero product for me, and this one is no different; I absolutely love using it. The texture/consistency is gorgeous, it’s a dream to apply to my skin and a little goes a long way. The photo of the serum on my hand shows one pump and that will cover my whole face, I use a second pump for my neck and décolleté (as instructed) and again that is a more than adequate amount for these areas!

My skin absorbs this serum so quickly and the potency of the ingredients in it makes my skin feel instantly moisturised and look much brighter.

Lift & Firm Intensive Eye Serum (£55, 15ml)

They say:

‘An ultra-firming, age-defying, smoothing treatment developed specifically for the delicate eye area

Key Benefits:

• Stimulates cell renewal and collagen production to lift and tone
• Gives an instant firming effect
• Reduces the appearance of dark circles and helps reduce puffiness
• Smoothes lines
• Deeply nourishing

Key Ingredients:

• Micro-Algae – smoothes the appearance of fine lines
• Cyatheaceae Tree Fern – instant lifting and firming effect
• Golden Root – instantly brightens the eye area and reduces puffiness
• Inca-Inchi Oil – nourishes and hydrate

Treating the Skin:
For optimum results, gently press one pump of serum from the inner to the outer curve of the
eye socket (avoiding the eye lid) morning and evening before moisturising with Lift & Firm Eye
Moisturiser.’

I say:

This product is amazing, if you can only afford to get one product from this range then make this it. Using this eye serum instantly made my eyes look brighter and made the skin around my eye feel tighter (in a good way, not a using hand soap on your face way); and because of the slight cooling feeling I actually felt more alert after using it – not necessarily what the product was designed for but great for using in the morning to wake myself up a bit more whilst doing my skin a whole load of good.

Also, please do remember to pat the serum on as directed, don’t rub it in! I find using my ring finger best for this as it applies just the right amount of pressure without dragging the skin (which could cause more damage in the long term)!

Lift & Firm Moisturiser (£38, 25ml)

They say:

‘A deeply nourishing age-defying complex to help smooth lines and stimulate collagen production

Key Benefits:

• Firms and strengthens the skin’s structure
• Lifts the skin and restores elasticity
• Stimulates collagen production and plumps the skin
• Boosts cell regeneration
• Protects the skin from damaging free radicals
• Minimises the appearance of fine lines
• Provides deep nourishment

Key Ingredients:
Sea Amber – stimulates the renewal of collagen and restores elasticity
Larch - a powerful active that lifts and firms the skin
Anise Extract – reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
Avocado Oil – hydrates and moisturises.

Treating the skin:
Smooth daily over cleansed face, neck and décolleté morning and evening. Use with the Lift &
Firm Intensive Serum and Lift & Firm Mask for optimum results.’

I say:


Moisturising is so important, keeping your skin moisturised is a key part to preventing wrinkles and so I’d always say to buy the best moisturiser that you can afford – although even if you just use a cheap vitamin E (or similar) cream it’s better than using nothing at all.

This moisturiser is actually very affordable in my opinion; I’d happily pay this price for it as my skin really did feel plumped, soft and smooth when using it. I have combination skin and the product worked equally as well for both my dry and oily areas, so it really is suitable for all skin types, which is great! Also, the product absorbed SO quickly which is also very useful when you want to get your makeup on; and it smells divine, a little bit similar to a Dermalogica candle I have... it’s really, really lovely.

Lift & Firm Eye Moisturiser (£40, 15ml)

They say:

‘An intensively nourishing eye treatment to give an instant lifting, tightening and brightening effect

Key Benefits:

• Gives an immediately perceptible tightening and lifting effect
• Dramatically improves the reduction of lines
• Stimulates collagen to enhance elasticity and firmness
• Rejuvenates and revitalises the skin
• Long term strengthening of the skin’s connective tissue
• Brightens the eye contour and reduces under-eye puffiness

Key Ingredients:

• Summer Snowflake Bulb Extract (this is a Nobel Prize Winning Ingredient) – helps to slow down cell proliferation and reduces the appearance of lines
• Lupin Seed – promotes the production of a high quality collagen that gives the skin it’s firmness and elasticity
• Echium Oil – a plant derived source of Omega 3, 6, & 9 able to rejuvenate and revitalise the skin
• Algae Extract – long term strengthening of the skin’s connective tissue
• Argan Oil – an immediate tightening and line reducing effect
• Larch – skin tightening and instant radiance
• Golden Root – instantly brightens and reduces under eye puffiness
• Hyaluronic Acid - hydrating, increasing skin elasticity, age-defying’

I say:

As with the eye serum, I found this moisturiser to be very cooling and really amplified the effects of using the eye serum. The fine lines around my eyes looked smoother, more plumped and the whole eye area was brighter too - and all of this was pretty much an instant reaction. With regular use this has been even more noticeable.

I’m completely sold on this range, I am so impressed with the results I’ve had in a relatively short amount of time (some of them pretty much instantly, as mentioned) and through regular use of the range I feel that my skin has improved greatly. Not only that, my makeup seems to apply much, much better too and whilst it’s not the cheapest range out there, I do feel that it is a range that is priced fairly for the results I’ve experienced.

ESPA products, and indeed the Lift & Firm range are available from espaonline.com, Liberty of London and selected Harvey Nichols stores!

Sponsored post, my views are still my own!

Wordless Wednesday - Keira Knightly!

Keira Knightly looks stunning in this photograph, taken as part of the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle campaign. Her hair and makeup are flawless (although that is to be expected with such a high end campaign), but she's just so beautiful anyway, don't you think? x

P&G Summer Spa - June 2nd, Plus Your Chance To Win A Goody Bag!

P&G are opening their virtual doors on June 2nd to the blogging community, and that includes you too. Their ten brand ambassadors will be doing tutorials and answering beauty questions... one of which could be yours, so now’s your chance if you’ve ever had a beauty question that could only be answered by an expert.

                                   Christel Lundquist - Wella                                  Nichola Joss - Venus and Braun
                                                          
Some ambassadors of the P&G brands that will be in attendance are:

• Head & Shoulders – Peter Lux
• Herbal Essences – Ben Cooke,
• Max Factor – Caroline Barnes,
• Silvikrin - Michael Douglas,
• Sebastian Professional – Dom Cappel,
• Venus – Nichola Joss,
• Wella Professionals – Christel Lundqvist
• System Professional – Simon Bryer

Peter Lux - Head & Shoulders

Not only could you be in with a chance of having your questions answered, if you do you’ll win a fabulous P&G goody bag, filled with key P&G beauty items!

P&G would also like all of you to vote on which questions you’d most like to know the answers to, to vote please use the question box embedded in this post just about....

Now!







The question I’d like to have answered would be to Caroline Barnes for Max Factor and I’d ask her:

                                                             Caroline Barnes - Max Factor   

‘What products or techniques would you suggest to get flawless skin that lasts even on the hottest summer day or night that doesn’t look too heavy?’

To be in with a chance of having your question answered and winning a goody bag leave your question, along with contact details in the comments section below!

Don’t forget to come back after the event to see the results and check if you’ve won – I’ll be updating this post on the 3rd of June with a link to the broadcast video, so make a note in your diaries ladies (and gentlemen?)! x


EDIT: Here's the link!


Sponsored post!

Computer Issues!

Sorry for my lack of posting, it appears my computer is having a bit of a strop (first Blogger, now my PC grrr), so it's really difficult to get anything done on it - hence I'm now having to fix it. Hopefully I'll have fixed the issue by tomorrow or Wednesday but I'll do my best to get a post up as soon as possible.


xx

Speechless Sunday - Dianna Agron!

I know I've featured her before, but I thought I'd post up the latest photo's of her new hair cut as I really, really like it. I think it suits her, what do you think?

I also quite like the pictures of her having it done, she looks like she's having a great time haha!

 

 

Win Your Choice Of Motel Rocks Clothing - TEN To Be Won!

Wah Nails have created some new nail designs inspired by clothing label Motel Rocks new spring/summer prints, and to celebrate the launch of the nails/promote the spring/summer collection Motel Rocks have decided to run a Facebook competition!

It’s quite simple; all you need to do is like their Facebook page and then try to name as many items of clothing and/or prints that you can see on the Wah Nails in the image above. For example:

Pretty Rose Print:

Jordan Jean:

As you can see, they both match up (print wise) to a nail on the first image... so all you need to do is go and find more matching prints for the nails and then post them up on Motel Rock’s Facebook wall!

The competition launches this Monday,16th of May so you have the rest of the weekend to get a head start on finding those prints! :-)

Ten winners will be picked once the competition ends (I’ll update with the end date as soon as I find out) who will then be able to choose their favourite item from the new summer range!

Not bad, eh?

This competition is part of a wider promotion and there will also be another competition on the Motel Rocks website soon to win £200 of Motel clothing, plus 10 Models Own Goody bags for the runners up... so make sure that you keep checking their site or Facebook page for the latest updates on this!

Sorry For The Lack Of Posts!

I, and a number of other bloggers that use Blogger.com have been unable to post due to some kind of read only maintenance issue that prevented any access to the dashboard. Normal service will be resumed (hopefully) now that I'm able to get onto it!

Alpha H Today's Special Value - Details!!

Here are the full details for the Alpha H TSV on QVC!

1 x special size Balancing Cleanser (50ml) - a gentle cleansing lotion which removes face and eye make-up and cleanses and tones the skin in one step, leaving a clean, fresh feel

1 x full size Liquid Gold (100ml) - a powerful resurfacing and revitalising lotion which refines the appearance of large pores and improves skin texture to deliver a lighter, clearer, more even skin tone

1 x special size Rejuvenating Cream (50ml) - a double-action cream enriched with the properties of glycolic acid, vitamin C, collagen and red algae extracts. It helps to improve the skin’s clarity and texture by exfoliating and softening the look of pigmentation, as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines

1 x special size Absolute Eye Complex (7.5ml) - a hydrating, gel serum that can be used over the entire orbital area up to lash level and over the eye lid to help give the skin a lifted look and combat the appearance of dark circles, puffiness and fine lines

1 x full size Gentle Daily Exfoliant (50g) - non-abrasive exfoliant that helps to remove dead skin cells, sweep out congested pores and blackheads, boost moisture retention and create a satin-soft, light reflecting sheen across the entire complexion

£32.48 (usual price £39.50)

Available via this link and don't forget, by using this link you'll automatically be entered into the competition to win one of SIX Philosophy kits as mentioned in this post!

Win One Of SIX Philosophy Kits With QVC!

Yesterday I told you a few fantastic beauty related Today’s Special Value offers coming up this month, and today gets even better as I’ve just been told that if any of you, my lovely readers purchase anything from the QVC website using one of my links, in the next 30 days, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win one of SIX Philosophy kits.

The lovely people at QVC have 3 of this kit which is currently on the UK QVC website with an RRP of £54 (but currently on offer at £48.84) and is the one showing in the photograph at the top of the post!

They also have 3 Philosophy Beach Girl Kits, which are not available in the UK. The kit contains Beach Girl Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath as well as a Beach Girl Lip Gloss and Beach Girl Body Lotion! I’ve found a stock image of the set that I think it is, just to give you an idea - shown below!

This is a great bonus for those of you who were already set on purchasing any of the Today’s Special Value's mentioned (or any other QVC item) but also a great incentive for those of you who weren’t 100% sure on whether you’d make a purchase, since there are 6 to be won in total!

Competition outline:

Entries will be given to anybody who purchases from QVC between now and June 10th which gives plenty of time to browse the site, or wait for the Today's Special Value’s mentioned in yesterdays post.

One entry given per order.

All winners will be notified within 10 days of the competition period ending.

Wordless Wednesday - Stacey Solomon

Newly cropped, what do you think of her new shorter 'do?

I think my favourite hair on her was her 'ombre' long hair (below)!