No 7 Total Renew Micro-dermabrasion Exfoliator Review.

Microdermabrasion is a word that instills fear in to me. I’d always heard this alien word on tv shows where they were trying to reverse the effects of time, and obviously being a invincible teenager at the time, I never thought trying to regain my youth would be something that would even enter my mind – let alone become a reality. But alas, here I am.
According to every Elizabeth, Laura and Estée of the beauty world, 25 is the prime age to being an anti-ageing regime. 25?! I hear you cry. yes, 25 years old is officially the time where you can kiss goodbye to your youth, and become a fully-fledged adult (well, that’s the idea anyway.)
So where better to begin the beginning of a life long struggle than with a simple face wash. No 7 is probably most famous for its anti ageing products, such as the Protect and Perfect beauty serums and their choices of day and night creams. But their Micro-dermabrasion Total Renew Exfoliator is something that, although is a firm favourite of women up and down the country, hasn’t really broke through to the mainstream.

Unlike most exfoliators on the market, the consistency is quite thick and dense. This means the micro-fine particles and the cream wash stay together, and don’t separate – unlike a lot of exfoliators on the market. Which in turn, means better results.

It claims to, after 4 uses, sweep away dull cells which stimulates skin cell renewal, work against fine lines, dark areas, sun damage and helps even out skin tone. It also claims to leave skin feeling soft, silky to touch and more refined. Quite a big ask for a facial exflliator.

After using this product for a couple of weeks, my skin feels, and more importantly, looks, a lot healthier and brighter. My pores appear smaller and less clogged up with dirt, and my skin generally looks more even. Additionally, my skin feels surprisingly soft after use. I have quite sensitive skin, and find that even hypo-allergenic exfoliators tend to leave my skin feeling tight and dried out after use. Whereas the No 7 leaves it feeling really quite hydrated.

Overall this is definitely one of the best exfoliators I’ve tried. If not, THE best. I can’t comment on whether or not the appearance of any ‘fine lines’ have improved, as to be honest, I don’t have all that many, but I assume it certainly won’t do any harm if you do. And for a mere £11, I think it’s definitely worth a shot.

Available at Boots, and Boots.com.

H&M team up with with WWF.

With more and more emphasis on every corner of the world getting access to clean water, H&M have teamed up with conservation do-gooders, WWF to create a cutting edge water strategy.

The plan, over the next three years is to “further improve our internal water efficiency, continue to minimise our suppliers’ impact on water and educate all our employees globally on water issues.” Both companies plan on collaborating with policy makers, NGO’s, water institutions and other companies to support better management of river basins in Bangladesh and China, whilst supporting the WWF conservation projects on water in the Yangtze river basin in China.

H&M have broke new ground with this, as they are the first fashion company to have such a comprehensive water strategy. The ‘strategy’ takes the whole supply chain into account, which goes far beyond the factory lines.

This isn’t the first step H&M have taken to become ethical fashion giants. The ‘conscious collection’ which they debuted back in 2011, was made from sustainable, organic and recycled materials, bringing a new fashionable audience face to face with ethical clothing.

In addition to educating themselves on the matter, they also plan on teaching us mere mortals by inspiring us to use water more responsibly, and thus, appreciate the value of it. So that next time we buy something from H&M, we’ll think of the effort and effect us wearing the clothes has on the world.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder Review.

‘Pressed powders’. Not only are there a mountain of brands to choose from, but once you’ve chosen a brand to roll with, there’s the problem of choosing which one will suit you best. Do you want a ‘flawless finish’, ‘natural finish’, or a ‘matte’ one? Well luckily, for the ultimately confused and clueless ones, there’s a powder that does all of these things. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder foundation is quite literally for everyone. Priced at £3.99, the powder is encased in a round plastic tub, with a clear lid, so the product is clearly visible. It claims to control shine naturally for up to 5 hours by using natural minerals that help minimise the appearance of pores, and thus keep shine to a minimum.

The powder is available in six different shades, which are all quite pale according to the swatches, so may not be suitable for dark/tanned skin, but Rimmel boast that the product is free of fragrance, oils, parabens and talc, which means it’s suitable for all skin types – even sensitive skin.

With regards to staying power, it’s one of the best pressed powders out there. It easily lasts for the five hours it claims when used with a  kabuki/powder brush over a good base foundation, whilst giving a natural and flawless finish.

All this for under four English pounds. Who can grumble at that?!

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder is available from Superdrug, Boots and other good make-up vendors.

Oscars 2012 Best Dressed.

The créme de la créme of tinsletown hopped out of their mansions yet again for the 84th Academy Awards in Hollywood last night. The talk of the show was of course the surprise of the year in the film world - The Artist, where it was nominated for no less than eleven gongs – quite impressive for a black and white silent film.

But what we all wanted to know was of course, what were the queens of the Hollywood high society going to be wearing, and who would wake up on top of everyone’s best dressed list today?

Here is a run down of the best dressed from last night…

The queen of the red carpet, Angelina Jolie released her provocative side as she sashayed down the red carpet in a leg-revealing  Aletier Versace number. The 36 year old actress looked stunning as she posed alongside Best Actor nominee and beau Brad Pitt. After a series of somewhat demure outfits to recent events, Jolie seemed to relish the attention her, and her right leg were getting.

What would the Oscars be without Vivienne Westwood and a sequinned dress?! Australian actress Rose Byrne flew the flag for the little, round, sparkly things, and the eccentric British designer in a one-shouldered, floor length gown.

Funny woman Ellie Kemper made sure no-one was laughing at her at the 84th Annual Award ceremony in a strapless Armani Prive dress. The dual-toned sequinned number ensured all eyes were on her for all the right reasons.

With the pressure of not having an Oscar to vie for this year, Natalie Portman released a little fun into the sometimes stiff Oscars. Donning a red vintage polka dot Dior dress, the actress showed off her post pregnancy figure and flawless complexion.

Sebastian Potion 9 Review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it comes to hair, I’m always on the lookout for something to tame my unruly locks that doesn’t mean I’ll be stood in the shower for an hour waiting for a product to work its magic. I, like so many, want beautiful just-from-the-salon hair, but in the quickest and least time consuming way. The people behind Sebastian know this, and developed a product which has been a saviour all around the world for almost twenty years. After condensing and rebranding a few years back, Sebastian really came into their own with good quality products that do exactly as they claim. By reducing the amount of products, they were able to put all of their attention into the products, and create hair products that are used by stylists around the globe.

A ‘wearable hair treatment’, Potion 9 contains 9 (surprise surprise) secret botanical ingredients that sooth, repair and condition the hair to minimize breakage and split ends, while leaving the hair manageable yet silky smooth. Some of the ingredients that the ‘potion’ will reveal are a handful of plant and fruit extracts, which are natural conditioners by default, along with Water, Glycerin, Panthenol and Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride but to name a few. Marketed as a styling treatment, Potion 9 also helps keep your hair in place, without making it sticky or crispy and provides what it calls ‘flexible hold’ – the ultimate hair product.

Sebastian products can be purchased from various websites, and from hairdressing salons throughout the country.

Survival of the Fittest.

Possibly the most exciting summer in the history of the United Kingdom is creeping up on the inside lane. The Olympics is set to be the most talked about subject of the summer, with people from all corners of the world embracing the upcoming event, months before the opening ceremony and eing drawn into sports-fever. Since the announcement that the United Kingdom had won the battle to host the 2012 games back in the summer of 2005, the whole country has been keeping a beady eye on the preparations for the games. And the fashion world is no exception.

Selfridges are the latest big name to hop on the Olympic bandwagon by launching a collection of what they call “survival kits”. They have been created by some of the worlds most celebrated designers on the planet, including Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Phillip Lim. Each designer will put together a limited edition selection of their must-have items to see you through the summer, such as trainers, books and CDs.

Screen Actors Guild Awards; Best Dressed.

It must be hard being rich and famous. The Golden Globes were a mere fortnight ago, the BAFTAs are next week and the piste la resistance of award ceremonies – the Oscars, are at the end of February. Yet the beautiful people of Hollywood were out in force again last night for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Strutting down the red carpet in the finest gowns money can buy, some of the biggest names on the planet including Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman and Meryl Streep wowed the crowds in enviable threads.

It was a case of ‘all white on the night’, as they embraced the Calafornian sun. So who stood out from the glistening crowd and made sure everyone was talking about them this morning?

Broardwalk Empire actress Gretchen Mol wore a simple, yet stunning L’Wren Scott dress. Demure yet alluring.

Rose Byrne stunned the fashion industry by bucking the ‘gown’ trend of award ceremonies by wearing a Eli Saab jumpsuit. The damages stars choice made sure she would be on every ‘best dressed’ list for the next month.

There’s always room for a prom style dress at an awards ceremony, and what better than this (very pale) mint green number by Romona Keveza? Now this what you call a ‘frock’. Snaps to you, Kaley Cuoco.