Win Two Tickets To The Clothes Show Live!

The Clothes Show Live 2012 is set to be better than ever before - a fun filled show surrounding makeup, hair and fashion - so why not celebrate it in style with two entry tickets courtesy of Elemis? Elemis will be gracing the show with a fantastic Fresh Skin Spa Bus that will provide on-site mini beauty treatments. You're in with the chance of being there on the day experiencing everything on offer and meeting the Elemis team!

This giveaway has now closed.

Models Own 'Show Stopper!' Nail Polish Swatches - Clothes Show Live Exclusive!

Models Own are a regular at the fantastic Birmingham Clothes Show Live events and every year they wow customers with their products and offers - they're a must see stall if you have tickets! This year for the 2012 show Models Own have stepped up the excitement by launching a brand new nail polish inspired by Daisy Lowe, this years Clothes Show Live Ambassador.

Urban Decay Good Karma Blush Brush

When it comes to applying my blusher I have to use a brush, whether its a powder or cream formula I need that helping hand of a tool that can apply and blend my favourite blushers. For my powder brushes I like to use a soft blush brush, I choose brushes at an angle because I find they help contour and angle the blush easier than a domed brush - the choice of shape mostly depends on your cheekbones and preference. For my slightly angled cheekbones I use a slightly angled brush.

Elemis Freshskin Range

When I was in the younger side of my teens there were very few skincare ranges targeted especially at teen skin other than spot fighting products, which left me at a loose end when it came to my skin. It's really important to start looking after your skin at a young age, preferably as you begin to hit puberty; preventing damage to your skin and keeping it in good condition early on will reap you benefits later on in life, I tell you!

Nowadays (I'm starting to sound old, I'm not that old) there's plenty of skincare lines out on our highstreet shelves targeting teenagers and various skincare woes, it's best to shop about and pick a range that meets all your needs. Leading British skincare brand Elemis recently introduced a fresh approach to young skincare with their Freshskin range, formulated especially for skin in its teens or early twenties. Packed with natural ingredients Freshskin aims to nurture young skin and prevent it from premature ageing - consider this range the skincare line to meet the needs of the contemporary teenager with a busy lifestyle.

Npw Nail Art Sequin Wheel

It's no secret that I love a little nail art so when I spotted this wheel of 12 different nail appliqués I had to purchase it, it has a great range of both sequins and beads in a bright range of colours that are really fun to wear especially around the party season. Npw retail a huge range of nail art products alongside their creative products that range from home, to beauty, to stationary! Their Nail Art Wheels have a clever design where you twist the plastic overlaying the sequins to turn the opening hole over the section you desire, this way there's a lot less mess and confusion between the different styles.

How To Fix A Broken Nail With A Teabag

It's a terrible scenario when you grow your nails wonderfully long to the point where every nail is even in shape and length and then you break a nail. Yes that's right today I'm talking about the age old 'oh god I broke a nail it's the end of the world' scenario and showing you exactly how to fix it.

See, although breaking a nail may not be the end of the world, for most neatly matching nails are important and there are times when a broken nail simply will not do. I've been growing my nails to get them the perfect length for my birthday, when they finally grew to the length I wanted I was overjoyed until I managed to snap one opening a pistachio nut...then another doing the washing up. I refuse to trim my nails and start again, I've come this far, so out came a teabag, some top coat and a couple of choice accessories and voila - it's as though it never happened.

Jemma Kidd Make-up Secrets

Model, countess and makeup artist Jemma Kidd recently launched the sequel to her best selling book 'Jemma Kidd Make-up Masterclass' - 'Jemma Kidd Make-up Secrets'. Make-up Secrets is here to offer solutions to 'any womans beauty issues and makeup dilemmas' with 224 glossy pages filled with hints, tips, how to's, mythbusters and tutorials.

I've never picked up a beauty book before, it hadn't ever particularly crossed my mind but these books are valuable to those starting out in the world of beauty, those who want to pick up some tips and tricks or those who want to expand their knowledge. It was high time I had a good read about beauty, after all I spend so much time writing about it, so for the past few weeks I've been dipping in and out of Jemma Kidd Make-up Secrets to see if I can learn a thing or two.

Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush

A couple of days ago I shared my new found love for the Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation and now I want to share the amazing tool I've been using to apply it. When it comes to brushes I usually stick to Sigma but recently I've been branching out, when I was at the Urban Decay counter testing the foundation the makeup artist used the Optical Blurring Brush to apply it and instantly I had to have it.

Urban Decays Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush is a totally vegan brush thanks to its synthetic fibres, its suitable for application of cream, powder or liquid foundations.

OPI 'Avoplex' Cuticle Oil To Go

Avoplex by OPI is a nailcare line with replenishing oils and moisturising ingredients to care for and nourish your hands and fingers. A problem I face during the winter with my nails is my cuticles, I tend to get dry hands at this time of year anyway but my cuticles particularly get extra dry and so I find them a nightmare to work with. The product remedying my unsightly cuticles right now is the OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go; this hangbag sized tube of cuticle care has a Vitamin E, avocado, sesame, sunflower and kukui oil enriched formula that coats the edges of my nails with a lovely glossy oil that sinks in slowly.

Philosophy Have A Cherry Christmas Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath

I am so excited to write this blog post. For about two years I've been longing to try something from the luxurious skincare and bathing ranges by Philosophy, the hefty price tag always put me off the splurge but the unique and delicious range of fragrances pulls me towards the store display every time.

Last week I finally caved and excitedly made my first Philosophy purchase from their Christmas 2012 collection; originally I was eyeing up Holly Berry thanks to its highly topical and relevant name but after disliking the scent I noticed White Cherry and instantly fell in love.

Have A Cherry Christmas is a 3 in 1 product that can be used in the bath, shower and as a shampoo, it was originally introduced in the Holiday 2009 collection and it became so popular that since it became a regular Christmas release; this 2012 its had a packaging makeover and I absolutely adore it.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

When it comes to makeup the one product I always find myself purchasing is foundation, I've only ever once finished one bottle of foundation completely in my life (terrible realisation) yet I'm always picking up a new bottle to try out. I find foundation really tricky to buy, I try something out in store and it seems like the perfect shade and formula and then a month or so down the line its too dark, too pale and the formula becomes a nightmare to work with. So of course with four foundations on my desk right now I had to pick up another. Urban Decay have been so successful with their 'Naked' branding that they've introduced a foundation under the same name! Introducing the Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation that launched earlier this year, available in a huge range of eighteen shades in warm and cool tones.

My Essie Nail Polish Collection

When it comes to nail polishes I'm a little a lot obsessed, I keep them stored in a huge drawstring bag (see the blog post here) that I dip into every now and then to pick a shade. A couple of years ago I picked up my first Essie nail colour and I was pleased but not obsessed by the brand, it was only when the Diffusion Line launched earlier this year that I could easily see the beautiful array of Essie colours on offer and I became obsessed with owning them all. The Diffusion Line is the line of Essie polishes available in high street stores - namely Superdrug and Boots - at a lower price; previously Essie was only available in salons and unique stockists.

Rock Beauty Rock Book 'Glamour' Gift Set

This Christmas Rock Beauty, the home of Nail Rock, have introduced three Rock Book gift sets  available in 'Nails', 'Disco' and 'Glamour', each with their own selection of popular Nail Rock Products packaged inside an attractive 'book'.

Party Season Beauty On A Budget

Recent Voucher Codes research shows that 16 - 24 year olds spend on average a staggering £110 on beauty treatments to prepare to the party season - wowzers! Until I read up on this I didn't quite realise how easy it is to pop to the salon for a treatment and end up leaving looking like a new woman who has a much, much lighter purse, only to find that days or even hours later that the new woman look has disappeared.

I've been set the mission to prepare for the party season on a budget and on the high street, I'm hoping to give you a taste of some of the best products on the high street to get you beautified and party season ready without the need to step foot in a salon, with a couple of extra tips to help you on your way.

Essie 'Cascade Cool' Swatches

Despite absolutely adoring the bright punchy hues and light attracting shimmers of the Essie Summer 2012 'Bikini So Teeny' collection this year I didn't pick a single shade up, I just couldn't make up my mind over which shades I wanted. Although summer is well and truly over now you can still pick the shades up in various places, so last week I finally bit the bullet and ordered a couple of shades to try out.

Cascade Cool is a shade I pondered upon for a while, it's very similar to OPI Sparrow Me The Drama (wow, there's a golden oldie post from the archives for you!) but ever the loyal Essie customer I gave it a go despite owning a shade quite similar.

Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo

In yesterdays post I was wittering away about a Cult Beauty product and it got me thinking - what products would I deem to be a cult? Even if its just a cult personally to me. A product I really couldn't wait to share here is the Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo. Its already a well known fact that Bumble & Bumble are one of my favourite haircare brands, albeit a true luxury, and their Sunday Shampoo appears to be named a must-try product within the beauty and haircare communities.

Roques O'Neil 'Therapie' Cherish Skin Repair Serum

Cult Beauty, founded by a group of British and American beauty junkies, pools out the best single beauty products and pitches them as a 'Cult Product', bringing you the most luxurious, hand picked beauty items so you never have a half empty forgotten about product at the back of your beauty cabinet again.

'Cherish' Skin Repair Serum has become a top pick on the Cult Beauty website thanks to its skin healing and skin soothing ingredients including Argan Oil, Avocado, Arctic Blackcurrant, Broccoli Seed and Red Raspberry Seed, to name a few. 'Cherish' comes from the skin and bodycare range by world renowned aromatherapist Michelle Roques O'Neil, formulated with only the best grade aromatherapy ingredients. Cherish Skin Repair Serum is so packed with natural antioxidants and ingredients that its suitable for all skin types, it's particularly soothing on sun damaged skin and its even suitable for pregnant women to ease stretch marks. This product is suitable for use over your whole body so go right ahead and slather yourself in it if you so wish!

NARS Andy Warhol 'Edie' Set - Swatches & Get The Look

NARS' Holiday Collection for 2012 takes inspiration from the sensational artist Andy Warhol. When news of the NARS Andy Warhol Holiday collection spread there was one collection I was dying to get my hands on - The Edie Collection. Edie Sedgwick shot to fame having been one of Warhol's favourite  stars in his short films, she became the 'It-Girl' of the 60's.

Edie's classic look of big dolly eyes, coloured lips and pop of colour cheeks teamed with fresh skin was an absolute hit with women across the decade, NARS are introducing its comeback this season.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush: Body Scrub, Body Wash & Body Buttercream

I'm bringing you this blog post fresh out the shower and smelling divine; I'm so eager to share with you my latest pampering products from Soap & Glory - they're good enough to eat (but don't).

Soap & Glory have a huge range of skin and body products on offer on the high street and although their prices are a little high their products are well worth their buck. My favourite product and scent from Soap & Glory is their Sugar Crush Body Scrub, fans of this scrub will know just how divine it smells - so imagine the excitement when I heard that my favourite scent and product was being transformed into a three product range.

The new Sugar Crush range features the original Sugar Crush Body Scrub as well as a Body Buttercream and Body Wash, all encapsulating the delicious Sugar Crush scent. The Sugar Crush scent is bound to turn heads - a wonderful cocktail of brown sugar, lime zest and almond oils, mixing to create a zesty, zinging and bright scent with citrus and sweet layers.

'24 Days Of Christmas With Liz Earle' Christmas 2012 Advent Calendar

Christmas 2012 is no longer about chocolate advent calendars...it's all about the beauty calendars - a treat every day during the count down to Christmas, without the calories. There's an array of beauty calendars hitting our shelves and each time they launch they become a sell out, what better than waking up every day to a new beauty treat?

This year Liz Earle has launched a beautiful 24 door Advent Calendar where behind each door lies a skin, body, hair or fragrant treat in a miniature travel size, carefully selected from a list of Liz Earle best sellers. The advent calendar is not only a luxurious treat every day for 24 days but gets you really well acquainted with a wide range of botanical products Liz Earle has to offer.

24 Days Of Christmas With Liz Earle is packaged inside a sturdy cardboard box, it's absolutely huge, the hugest advent calendar I've ever owned! It's quite heavy but stands well and opens just like a book to reveal all 24 'doors' that you simply pop open each day.

Bumble & Bumble Creme De Coco Masque

I love a good hair masque, it's a real treat for my hair when its looking and feeling a little lacklustre. I try to apply a hair masque at least once a week as part of my maintenance haircare routine, if you start applying hair masques more regularly to your hair you will see a difference in its condition, length and appearance.

Bumble & Bumble are one of my favourite haircare brands, I've loved every product I've tried and I knew since I started my Bumble journey that I had to try one of their coveted hair masques. The Creme De Coco range has always caught my eye, its comprised of a Shampoo, Conditioner and Masque following a tropical theme.

Hair Removal Options for Men

As you may know, I've been treated at Sk:n Clinics with Laser Hair Removal to remove unwanted hair and so far I'm enjoying the results, now I'm waiting to see what the results are after the end of treatment. Hair removal is something which is always on my mind, so its nice to have a treatment which helps to alleviate the worry a little, there's so many options out there for me and I'm always testing something out! 

MAC Glamour Daze Lipstick 'Beauty' Swatches

When the MAC Seasonal 2012 collections were released last week I let out a sigh of relief, I'm so glad MAC have offered up a collection of products in hues that you can wear around the party season and beyond. The Glamour Daze Collection is awash with beautiful pastel and metallic hues, taking your look anywhere between 'sweet and sexy'. I love the girlish retro charm the collection has about it, and although I won't be picking up everything from the collection a lot has caught my eye.

Instantly I b-lined the lipstick in 'Beauty', a beautiful shade in a Glaze formula that strikes the balance I've been longing for between nude and pink.

Nourish Golden Glow Toning Soufflé

In the past I've spoken here about Nourish and their wonderful skincare products, little did I know they retail products for your body too and this seasons latest addition to the Nourish range is the Golden Glow Toning Soufflé for your body.

Just in time for the party season this hyaluronic acid and peptide enriched body soufflé not only hydrates and improves the appearance of your skin but adds a subtle shimmer to compliment any skin tone. Nourish are really proud to use natural plant ingredients in their products so if natural is what you're looking for then you've got that guarantee with Nourish.

Sleek MakeUp Blush in 'Rose Gold' Swatches

Sleek Blush in 'Rose Gold' as long been considered the closest dupe for the coveted and adored NARS Orgasm Blush; when I spotted it on the beauty shelves I had to give it a go. Sleek MakeUp are a high street beauty brand with a huge range of cosmetics and accessories to compliment any skin tone, they're quite well known for their eye and cheek palettes but their range of single cosmetics is fantastic too.

Batiste 'Vibrant & Red' Dry Shampoo

Batiste are firmly establishing themselves, can by can, as the number one best selling Dry Shampoo brand in the UK. Is it any wonder why with the releases of so many fantastic products tailored to all? Coloured Dry Shampoos don't tend to get so much attention as regular dry shampoos, they add a tint of colour to the hair which can actually be a saviour when you're trying to hide your roots or want to avoid a gentle white haze from regular dry shampoo formulas. Batiste already have a range of Brunette and Blonde tinted dry shampoos, black unfortunately was discontinued but you can still find it in individual stockists and at Amazon - the latest release to this range is Batiste Vibrant and Red.

OPI 'Lunch At The Delhi' Swatches

My housemate has the most amazing collection of OPI nail polishes I've seen, in a mixed array of beautiful hues. She's forever receiving a shiney new bottle of OPI through the post and I'm the first at her door to try it out, to my luck she always welcomes my wishes with open arms. I can't always feature all her polishes, there's too many, but when Lunch At The Delhi came in the post I knew I had to swatch it - consider it, in my opinion, one of the most wearable coral hues for autumn winter.

Coral shades are hugely popular particularly during the summer months but tend to get stashed away come winter as we prepare ourselves for cooler toned and darker shades. I personally find bright coral hues far too garish to wear in winter, they act as a harsh reminder that summer is over; Lunch At The Delhi, however, strikes the ideal balance between the popular tone of coral and autumnal hues.