bareMinerals Foundation Review

Sometime ago I read about makeup made from minerals in a Sunday supplement (think it was the Stella magazine in The Sunday Telegraph) and how it was supposed to be good for your skin.

Anyways, I’d forgotten all about it until we heard from Diana Privitera who works at Pretty Minerals - she asked us if I’d like to try a minerals based product, so of course I said yes please!

 

So, a day or so later I received a dinky pot of ID bareMinerals foundation (pictured). As I’m fair skinned I plumped for the light version - it does come in seven different shades so you’ll be able to select the right shade for your own skin tone.

 

Before I tell you how what I thought of it, I’d best give an overview of what minerals based makeup is:

• made from pure, quality minerals found in the earth
• free from preservatives, oil, waxes, fragrances and the like
• looks like a powder
• you can sleep in it!
• applied by brush
• water resistant
• provides natural SPF15 UVA/UVB protection

So How Did I Find It?

My first impression was that pot was quite small - but then I gather that a little goes a long way. Upon opening the foundation powder it looked a little gold and glittery, so I was a bit sceptical - would it match my usual powder?

The pot has a kind of sieve inside to regulate the release of the powder and it’s a simple 3 step process of SWIRL,  TAP,  BUFF.

Patricia Field at Marks & Spencers

Patricia Field is an award-winning film and television costume designer, has her own clothing label and has owned her eponymous cutting edge boutique since 1966. She is one of fashion’s greatest visionaries, adored by fashion editors, socialites and celebrities. Patricia famously raised the standards for glamour when she costumed the phenomenally successful and glamorous hit show, Sex and the City - and she’s also worked on Ugly Betty and The Devil Wears Prada

In a true UK exclusive, Marks and Spencer have managed to acquire the skills of the lady and the result is the Patricia Field Collection - a sexy, sassy range of clothing, footwear and accessories! This globally released, one-off collection is called the Destination Style New York range. Whilst some high street M&S stores either stock a full or partial range, you can view the complete range online. You’ll also be able to view videos of an interview with Patricia, a catwalk show and you can read her bio too.

Remington Shine Therapy Hair Straighteners Review

Along with the Remington Shine Therapy hairdryer that I reviewed recently I also received a pair of  Shine Therapy Digital Straighteners. To compliment the dryer these straighteners are also finished in that shade of retro blue.

We’re seeing some innovations in the world of hair straighteners at the moment. I’ve already posted about the BaByliss Pro 230s with it’s retractable fins and we’ve mentioned the vibrating Vibe straighteners (wish someone would send us a pair to test!). Well, in another innovation the ceramic plates of these straighteners have been coated with avocado oil and vitamin E which lasts the lifeline of the product. This is the same Shine Therapy mix used in the dryer, though there’s no vitamin cartridge in this case.

Upon taking the straighteners out of the box they were remarkably light in weight, and my first thought was that they would be great for holiday! They also come with a heat proof bag and there is a locking device to keep the plates together when not being used. I liked the digital temperature display, which again can be locked to avoid accidental adjustment when using. Again with my hair being fine I normally use a low heat setting, however my daughters hair is very thick hence it is handy to use a higher setting for her.

I liked these straighteners firstly because they where so light and compact, secondly the digital temperature gauge is a must for me and lastly the result was great! My hair was smooth and sleek and seemed to keep it’s shape the following morning. The morning after straightening my hair can often look a little flat but that didn’t happen this time. The only thing I did notice with these straighteners, when I was thinking of putting them away the outside casing did seem to be a bit hot. Of course all ceramic straighteners need to be treated with care due to the high temperatures they generate. I’ve heard stories from friends who have marked bedside cabinets, burnt carpet and burnt their fingers …always use a heat mat or pouch and always be careful with your hot irons!

These Remingtons are fitted with a 3m power cord - that’s the longest I’ve seen and makes them a good buy for anyone who has to put up with electric sockets placed in very awkward places! Why the cord on the Remington Shine dryer is half a metre shorter has got me stumped!

So, to read more and buy online try these stores:

• amazon
• John Lewis

Remington Shine Therapy Hairdryer Review

Having recently received a Remington Shine Therapy Dryer, I tried it out for the first time the other night.  It’s sort of retro-styled and comes in that shade of blue you might see on Smeg fridges or big old American cars! In the box I thought it looked a little on the bulky side and I presumed it was going to be heavy, however once out of the box it felt quite light to handle.

The main feature of this Remington dryer is the shine therapy - a method of lightly spraying your hair with an enhancing conditioner as you dry it. The shine therapy cartridge, (which contains avacado oil, rich in vitamins A, E and D), was easily clipped into the compartment and I was ready to go!

My hair is quite fine and sometimes hair products can weigh my hair down, so upon testing the vitamin shine mist on my mirror (you’ll not be able to see it otherwise) to guage the quantity sprayed I was pleasantly surprised - it was a very fine mist. Hence I set about drying my hair, having taken the wetness out of it, I pressed the misting boost button to apply from root to tip and I carried on drying.  The misting boost button is very easy to use as it is just above the normal controls.  Having finished drying my hair I was very pleased with the results, my hair did feel smoother and soft and did have a nice shine to it.

Here you can see the open compartment with the plastic shine cartridge in place. It’s really easy to push a new cartridge into place and push the old one out too.

Depending upon both the type and length of your hair and of course how much spray you use, Remington indicate that a cartridge lasts for about 40 uses. You get 2 cartridges in the box along with the dryer itself and you can easily buy replacements at Boots and John Lewis.

I think you have to remind yourself that the spray is practically invisible in the air …that’s why you need to direct it on to a mirror or a peice of paper to convince yourself it’s actually coming out. It’ll probably take me a couple of sessions to get used to just using the right amount of therapy shine.

As a standard hairdryer it’s fine - you get these features:

• 2000w power
• 2.5m cord
• easy-clean removable rear grill
• 3 heat switch setting
• 2 speed switch setting
• nozzle
• 3 year guarantee

So, where can you buy one from? Well, I’ve always had a good experience when buying online at Boots and they stock the dryer right here. You still get your points too

Also visit:

• amazon
• John Lewis

Do take a look at my first use review of the Shine Therapy straighteners too.

Anew Rejuvenate Second Review

If you didn’t catch my first review then you should probably read this post first!

Having been using Anew Rejuvenate serum (available from Avon) daily since the beginning of September, I can tell and see the difference it has made. In the morning it is the most noticeable,  looking in the mirror my skin looks fresh and revitalised, the look of fine lines and pores have reduced. Also my skin is definitely more radiant and quite a few people have said “you look well” …which I can only put down to my new skin routine using Anew Rejuvenate.

Pink Tweezerman Tweezers

Just as GHD support Breast Cancer Breakthrough with their pink GHD irons every autumn, other beauty product companies are now following suit. Take Tweezerman for example:

With a donation of £4.00 for each Pink Ribbon Slant Tweezer going to Breast Cancer Campaign it’s a great way to contribute!

Tweezerman will contribute £2 for each pair bought and feelunique.com will match this with a further £2. As we should all know 2+2=4 !

Pink ribbon print-decorated slanted tweezers, ideal for clean, precise plucking. Typically used by boyfriends and husbands on the quiet to remove ingrowing facial hairs!

Available here.

Babyliss Turbo Shine 2000 Hairdryer Review

I needed a new hairdryer. In fact I’ve needed one for sometime but for some reason I’ve been making do with a small, but okay, travel dryer.

I spotted the Babyliss Turbo Shine 2000 Hairdryer on in our local Tesco Extra store so I snapped one up as it seemed to be a bargain.

As it says on the box the BaByliss is lightweight, powerful and I’d say reasonably quiet. They call the detachable nozzle the Salon Concentrator - now I don’t know if mine is a one off but it takes some real muscle power to pull the nozzle off! I’d like a slightly longer cable too but I’m being a little picky there.

As a dryer it does what it’s supposed to do quite well. It offers ionic conditioning for a frizz-free finish and I have to say that it did my dry daughters hair well and her hair has a tendancy to frizz just a little. The ionic conditioning means the hairdryer emits negative ions that reduce the static in your hair - apparently!

There are three power settings on the slider control and a seperate push-in cool shot button too. The hairdryer also has a little plastic hanging loop - but I can’t see most people using that at home really.

Now it says in the instruction booklet that you shouldn’t wrap the power cord around the dryer when you’ve finished - do you always do that too?

Finally, BaByliss offer a three year guarantee on the dryer - which kind of suggests to me that they don’t usually go wrong.

So, where can you buy one? Try any of these:

• Tesco Direct
• Amazon (free p&p on £15 orders)