Alessandro nails launch in the UK!

I love trying out new brands that are launching in the UK and German nail brand alessandro did not disappoint. I always buy my nail products in Germany as I love the choice of products for such good value. The brand focuses on the use of gel and at the heart of the range are 99 colours available in regular polish, UV polish called Lac Sensation and colour gel. This means that nail technicians can match every colour with whichever medium they think best, which is unique to the alessandro brand. Alessandro’s range also consists of a new patented formula to ensure colours do not chip and are long lasting.

When I tried the Exotic Strawberry shade below, I loved how shiny the polish was and how strong it felt on my nails. One coat also lasted all week as well, which is unheard of for me as I play netball. The high colour intensiveness is due to a new UV absorber, which protects the nails and include a high gloss shine. Definitely worth trying out if you play sport and find nail varnishes chip so easily.

The polishes don’t seem to be readily available in salons yet, as they are for the professional market so look out for them in salons very soon. I did manage to find them on Amazon for £8.95 though if you are desperate to try out!

An evening of vintage glamour with Remington

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to attend Remington’s exclusive ‘vintage glamour’ blogger evening at Lucy in Disguise, with my friend Martina. We were introduced to the latest tools from Remington including their new Keratin Therapy range and learnt how to create retro styles with Remington Session Stylist Chris Appleton and his team.  The Remington Keratin Therapy collection is a revolutionary range of styling tools featuring Keratin - an essential ingredient for strong, healthy hair. This range of 4 styling tools harnesses the very latest in hair care technology. By cleverly combining Advanced Ceramic coatings with Keratin you can be kinder to your tresses as you style. Keratin Micro Conditioners infused in Advanced Ceramic coatings are actually transferred to hair during styling to protect and care.

Check out my photos below from the event, including my friend and I trying out the new Keratin Therapy Pro Volume Hot Brush (£22.99) which I love! My friend Martina has gorgeous hair and the brush created great curls and volume. I didn't go too overboard with my hair as I wanted it straight for the next day (boring I know) but it gave me volume really quickly and easily, without my hair losing shine.

Thanks to Remington and Cirkle PR for a well hosted, original event at a cool venue. The vintage clothes weren't really my thing, but it was still a nice place to attend an event. I also loved the cocktails in the vintage tea cups!

The complete Keratin Therapy product range

Cocktails in vintage tea cups!

Bobbi Brown Make-up Facelift review

I was lucky enough to receive a complementary 'Make-up Facelift' from Bobbi Brown in Southampton a few weeks ago, which is available to anybody interested in finding out how to achieve a fresh-faced look. The Make-up Facelift collection has been designed to give women all the tools to look well-rested and bright eyed – in five minutes flat, so I was excited to find out how this could work for me.

I was greeted by the gorgeous Lisa, who first of all assessed my skin type and treated my skin with the Cleansing Oil, Soothing Face Tonic, and Hydrating Face Cream which left my skin baby soft. I was really impressed with the Bobbi Brown skincare products which I didn't know much about before this consultation so will definitely put these on my shopping list. When applying make-up on my face,

Lisa continually checked to see what shade suited me (See this great skincare colour chart to find your ideal shade.) I was really surprised that the Extra Light tint of the Extra SPF 25 Tinted Moisturising Balm, as I normally have medium toned skin, so definitely worth gaining professional advice before you splash out on a new foundation. I absolutely LOVE the Tinted Moisturising Balm which is a lightweight foundation alternative for dry, dehydrated skin. It smells amazing and doesn't feel like you're putting crap on your skin, it's just like moisturiser. The formula is ultra-rich, luxurious, and blends easily, giving skin a dewy, glowing look with light coverage. The SPF 25 helps protect skin against damaging UVA and UVB rays. Contains Glycerin, Shea Butter and Squalane, which deeply moisturise skin; Vitamin A and Carrot Extract, which help reduce the appearance of fine lines; and Angelica Seed and Chamomile Oil, which soothe and calm skin. If you only buy one product from then I recommend trying this out, I am a convert for life now!

Lisa also used some gorgeous, cult Bobbi Brown products in coral on my cheeks which I love. Firstly she used the Sheer Colour Cheek Tint in Sheer Coral on the apples of my cheeks, followed by the latest coral Nectar Shimmer Brick which was available previously in a mini size at Christmas. I normally go for more 'pinky' shades, so it was nice to try out some of my favourite products in new shades which I wouldn't have picked myself!

I really recommend visiting your local Bobbi Brown stand for a consultation, as the staff are extremely helpful and gave me some fresh ideas for my make-up as I usually go for the same colours and shades I am safe with. Admitally if you bought every product used you would be broke as they are not cheap, but it's still definitely worth paying a visit.

Has anyone else tried the new Facelift range and what do you think?

Skincare gift ideas under £50

If you're still struggling to find a present for a female in your life, then I have found two fantastic gift sets for under £50 each, which is great value for products you get. Boots have had some amazing offers recently and their website even crashed yesterday thanks to all the people trying to buy the Soap and Glory Hat Box yesterday! My favourite offer though is the No7 Ultimate collection, which features the No7 skincare range in a beautiful tiered box with mirror. You get £133 worth skincare & cosmetic products for an amazing £40, including the gorgeous No7 Heavenly Mask and loads of eyeshadows and make-up brushes! For all the latest beauty offers it is worth checking out money-saving websites such as www.vouchercodes.co.uk, who has a good selection of make-up and beauty savings and you can find out about all the latest deals.

Nude have some gorgeous Christmas gifts, that have lovely festive packaging as well. Nude has pioneered the use of pre and probiotics in anti-ageing skincare and their Basically Nude Collection (£49) is a great introduction to the brand for brighter, younger looking skin. Advanced bioactives and probiotics work intelligently with the skin for visible results.This collection contains a daily regime of best sellers: 200ml Cleansing Facial Oil, 200ml Hydrating Water and limited edition sized 15ml Age Defence Moisturiser. Order by tomorrow evening to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas!

Treats for sore feet!

I don't know about you guys but shoes in general reallly hurt my feet. A lot. I actually hardly ever wear heels anymore because I always end up with sore, rubbing feet and all my shoes are really old as I trust them not to blister my feet. All very attractive - not! Well I have been trying out some new products for my poor feet over the past few weeks, which is well deserved I think due to me neglecting them!!

I have unfortunately missed the Scholl Party Feet Diary competition (damm having no internet) but was kindly sent some products to try out instead. I tried the Scholl Party Feet Ultra Slim Invisible Gel Cushions (£4.88) when I went out last week with my friends and was really pleased with the results. They basically provide invisible cushioning to help prevent the burning pain in the balls of your feet, by effectively reducing pressure on the ball of your foot. I hate that feeling and get it every time when I wear a pair of heels out and then can't wait to get home and get them off!!! The now thinner, improved design provides even better comfort and allows 25% more space in your shoe than previous Party Feet Invisible Gel Cushions. I definately recommend these if you're wearing a thin, sandal-type shoe as they are really discreet and ensured that my feet didn't ache evening!!

I also have tried a similar range of products from Kiwi - the Kiwi Smiling Feet heel liners (£3.29) which have been fantastic when wearing new pairs of pumps for the first time. I love wearing pumps but it is guaranteed every time I get a new pair I will end up with a horrid blister on my heel - great!! The Smiling Feet heel liners are designed to be worn in any style of closed back shoes, to prevent slipping and rubbing, and improve comfort. They definately helped look after my poor heels and have meant that I can wear new pumps - hurrah!

My advice is if you suffer from painful feet and blisters to definately try out some of these products as both brands have a massive product range (I like the sound of the flip-flip strips!!!) for all parts of your feet! They are all unbder £5 as well so worth it to save having painful feet all evening and having to plaster yourself silly the next day!

Vichy Aqualia Thermal range review

The past few weeks I have been trying out some gorgeous products from Vichy that I was kindly sent to review. I have never used Vichy before, so it has been really exciting for me to have a chance to try a new brand. I was asked by Vichy what my skin is like before hand, so the products would be matched for my skin!

I have normal/dry skin so was sent products from the Aqualia Thermal range and have been using them for the past month or so. I have been impressed with the results so far and the quality of the products – you can tell that they are fairly expensive! Here is a little introduction to the Aqualia Thermal Range from the Boots website:

The Aqualia Thermal range helps fortify and soothe the skin giving it 24 hour hydrating care for use on dehydrated and sensitive skin. Intensely hydrated, the skin feels soother, refreshed and free from sensations of tightness. Vichy’s unique formulations combine mineral rich thermal spa water and renowned dermatological ingredients selected for each individual skin need. Vichy believes in providing personalised skin diagnosis tools for every skin type, developed with health professionals.

The packaging and blurb is all very technical, so I would definitely recommend visiting a Vichy counter at Boots or reading about the products on the website first to really understand what products are right for you! My favourite product from the range is the Thermal Serum (£16.00), which consists of Vichy Thermal Spa Water that totally hydrates your skin for 24 hours, leaving it hydrated, smooth and smelling yummy! TIP: It’s also really good to use under make-up as a foundation primer, as it ensures your skin is radiant and smooth and makes your foundation sink in even better!

So if you’re looking for a personalised skin care regime and are interested in the technology behind skincare products, then I really recommend Vichy products to you as they can be tailored for your needs and use the best advances in skincare. I wish I could say I could afford to purchase these products all the time but hopefully one day I will!!!

Tried and tested - the new Génefique from Lancôme

I have been really excited this week trying out the new Génefique Youth Activating Concentrate from Lancôme. It arrived in the box pictured above and when you opened it the box actually lit up - how clever!

Here is a little more info on the product. Firstly, it is the result of a ten-year research project and with a huge seven patents to its name, it is a pretty innovative product! The studies behind the Génefique Youth Activating Concentrate claim to have unlocked the protein profile - like a barcode - in the genes of young skin, and thanks to its active contents derived from the Bifido bacteria, help boost these proteins to give the face a more youthful appearance. Wonderful..!

You just use a couple drops a day under your ordinary moisturiser once or twice a day, before applying any make-up. It goes on really easily and makes your skin lovely and soft and my complexion definately appears more radiant.  The damage is £52.50 and will be available at Lancôme counters nationwide from March 1, so a perfect Mother's Day gift!

Miners Fruit E Lip Balm

I am loving these gorgeous brightly-coloured Fruit E Lip Balms from Miners (£2.39). They contain Vitamin E creating extra smooth and supple lips and taste lovely too! They also have sunscreens to protect your lips from the sun (haha well in summer!) I love the range of flavours too, my favourite is strawberry :-) Definately will brighten up your handbag in the depths of winter, bring on the summer please!!!

New trends and products for 2009!

I found this from fav beauty blog Cult Beauty about the new trends for 2009 in the fab world of beauty. I would like to add that I think mineral make up is going to be a big trend for this year as you see more and more ranges launch. Brands will also have to be more ethical in their packaging and CSR as well, with more pressure on them to be environmentally friendly.  

I am just about to start trying out the new Braun Silk-épil Xpressive Wet & Dry Epilator (£99) which has been specifically designed for women to create the most gentle form of epilation. It’s been predicted to be the 'must-have' beauty item of 2009 so I will keep you posted on how I get on!