Cream Crackered

My face has been taken over by my eyebags and I feel so tired I may actually cry. This trainee journalist malarkey, as it turns out, ain't half difficult.
But wait, hold yourselves steady, wayward tears! It's time to bring in the big guns.

This weekend I'm holing myself in to my box room and I'm slapping on the moisturiser. That's right, I've spoken about it before, but I want to pay homage to my favourite skin care on the planet. Soap And Glory.

In my war against ageing (I know- I'm nearly 22 *beads of sweat dripping across moisturised forehead*)  I've been using their 'Make yourself Youthful' skin serum. And not just because there's a bikini clad woman on the box. I really like the texture and myy skin looks better (though not as good as the woman on the box).

Also loving their Clean on Me shower gel. It's £5, which is a lot of money to essentially pour down the drain, but if you turn the shower off, pump a little bit on to a body puff and rub you can get yourself in to a lovely lather! NOTE: Keep and eye on the time, you would not believe of appointments I've missed just standing there in a glorious daze) (.....okay, so not that many appointments. I won't pretend that I have many friends. Jealousy 'cos I smell so clean if you ask me.)

One absolute bargain is the 'A Change of Face' set (link below) it includes the face wipes, exfoliating scrub and Catch a Wrinkle mouisturising cream.
http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-A-Change-of-Face-Skincare-Starter-Kit_641431/

Feet Treat

I think, considering my wardrobe is bursting at its seams, I will start adding fashion bits to my blog....and because today I found these babies in my local Tesco store for £6. I've told you before but I'll tell you again, GO. NOW.

http://www.clothingattesco.com/womenswear/f+f-cut-out-shoe-boots/invt/bk021407/?htxt=3HQYHzN3SnoisE7LEnigFAy6B4tL9hfEdv7K%2BiroU7I4P57Tnv7ulpcSNllHKfZMLNslPQrlnrKN%0AstCHrQyfzg%3D%3D

I also picked up some brilliant gladiator-esque sandals which I will try and find a link for, they were £5 reduced from £18 so I am now officially very much looking forward to summer. I'll be poor, but I'll have the snazziest feet in town!

Of course, I'll need to prep my stinky chub toes in time for it (shameful that I am currently wearing my dad's ski socks....I hang my beauty blogger head in shame). So I'll be back later with some tips on getting them fresh as a daisy! In the meantime, get on the brilliant-sale-shoe bandwagon so we can prep together!

Nailing it

As this offer combines two of my addictions, I could not resist when I heard about it. Buy two bottles of diet coke from Boots and get a free Nails Inc nail polish. Go. Now.

So, having applied my lovely new nail paint and high on diet coke, I thought I would write about the good stuff.
I don't know about you, but nail polish is something I have to have on. Mainly because I have sausage hands and I (perhaps wrongly) think a well applied enamel will distract from this. (Of course, there's no distracting getting the sausage fingers stuck in rings, bowling balls and various other places for skinny fingers. At most a nail poilsh is going to cost you £10- yes, it's pretty. But it can't work miracles.)

One rather cool new product for those of you who are a bit more daring- Barry M Instant Nail Effects. Apply over a base colour and watch the animal print appear. Don't ask me how it works- I spend far too much time applying nail polish to learn about science! All I know, having just got some (and waiting ages due to high demand) is that it does. Having said that, it will probably last for ages because what are the chances of you wanting animal nails every day? Unless you are an animal. But then I guess you wouldn't know any different. £3.99 Boots
http://www.barrym.com/make-up-tutorials/video-tutorial.asp?vid=107


For a bit of glamour

It has to be Nails Inc. I have 3 of their polishes (thanks to Boots for the third one. And also thanks to my lovely boyfriend who bought the coke :) ) in hampstead heath (a pinky colour), Victoria (dark red/ browny) and camel (nude).  I like these particular colours because they are versatile, they go with anything and it's easy to do touch ups. Unfortunately due to lack of funds and lots of studying to do, my tally will be remaining at 3 for the time being. But then you only have ten fingernails, so it's no big deal.

For high shine, long lasting

This might surprise you- Avon nail wear pro. Seriously, this stuff is good. All you need is two coats and it lasts for ages without chipping and is really shiny, especially in Viva Pink. It's a real summer colour and it will cheer you up a treat as you desperately wait for the summer (NB- if you're not going on holiday and you're staying in the UK, don't kid yourself that summer is a definite).
Best part is, it's half price at the moment.
http://avonshop.co.uk/product/make-up/nails/nailwear-pro-nail-enamel.html

For colour on the cheap

Having an account balance of approximately zero- and no, I have not spent it all on nail polish or diet coke- and feeling a bit stressed, I thought I'd cheer up these winter blues. Scraping around in my pockets I found £2 and thought....what am I going to buy with that in superdrug that a) won't make me come out in a rash or b) bring back that drag queen look I've been so desperately trying to get rid of for years? I shall tell you the answer my friends- Beaty uk glam nails polish.
I think this brand must have had a recent overhaul, they've got a really good range of colours to choose from and what's more is that their polishes are a snip at £1.99
I like Peach Melba and Turqoise Shimmer, because I always over look green for nails but this is a nice shade without being too garish. But I got Coral Suprise, because every time I look at it I remember to keep working so I can go and lie on a beach in the not too distant future!
http://www.beautyukcosmetics.com/products/nails/nail-varnish-glam-nails

Facing-it on the cheap

Sometimes I think I'd give away my mother for a slice of Chery Cole's fortune. Okay, so I'm no prize, and I clearly don't have her bone structure (save for the bump in the nose), but just imagine how all those Vichy and Elizabeth Arden products could transform this face from drab to fab.

STOP! Hold the press! Wipe off those tears of self-pity and put down the magazine. I've found us some brilliant, ultra-cheap solutions. So that when we do become rich and famous, the transformation won't be quite so obvious.

MUA Superdrug

It's been all over the beauty press like Berlusconi on a 17- year- old hooker. At first, I must admit to thinking 'a £1 make-up range? What, is it made out of dog ash or something?!' but then i remembered, I am but a lowly student *sob*, and I decided to give it a try. And, eating my hat, I'm damn sure glad that I did. For £5 you can have a whole new make up wardrobe for the new season.
    My current faves are the eyeshadows in Shades 17 and 19. One is a neutral taupe kind of shade and the other is a brown/ grey colour. They're really good for building up the smokey-eyed look. (Although leaning in to a fire and giving yourself a real smokey eye would be even cheaper....but not quite the desired effect.)
    I've also been trying out their blush in Shade 1. At first I was a bit concerned this would be too bright and I'd end up looking like an idiot (too late...), but I actually really like it. So long as you don't apply too much, it gives you a nice flush (though word of warning, make sure you thoroughly conceal any blemishes first before shoving it on. I went out in a hurry the other day, cack-handedly patting on the blusher and only realising later that my face looked like a big angry zit.)

http://www.superdrug.com/a-z-brands/make-up-academy/icat/mua/

ELF Cosmetics

Cheap as chips. They have a massive range of make-up products, but my favourite thing has to be the daily brush cleaner and shampoo. I'm prone to break outs and recently (a tip courtesy of the Saint of Skin Lisa Eldridge) I've been really thorough with cleansing because my germy face is not a good look. I was a bit worried when I used the cleanser that it would leave them all stuck together and un-useable- unless you like the stripey foundation look- as has happened before. But it really did a good job of cleaning out all the crap that was lurking on the implements I swipe at my moon face on a daily basis and they dried *deep sigh of relief* back to their orginal state.
http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/category~catID~13.htm

All the money in the world could not make me look like you

As the terrifying threat of exams draw nearer, the bank balance is empty and the weather is, well, belurgh, my skin is going through what can only be described as a 'stress management crisis'. And the less said about the body the better. I haven't looked past my neck for the past few days, but I'm pretty sure if I did, I 'd see something which resembles the 'before' shot of Claire Nasir. Except for the green lycra, obvs.

So, I thought that today, I would pay homage to some of those women *shakes fist* who always manage to look like there's a lamp radiating from inside them. Never stand next to one. You will only look sullen and grey in comparison.

Beyonce

Just the mere mention of her name is enough to send a young woman in to meltdown. And I'm no lesbian. The only question I have in my mind when I look at her is '....how'....'how...?!'

Lisa Eldridge

Just take a look at her face. The woman is in her 40's. I'll have whatever she's having. I've put a link to her youtube channel on the blog. Just a warning though, it's probably the reason I have so much work to do, I've spent far too long on there.

Marilyn Monroe

How can you not!

The Saturdays

I know it's all make up and smoke screens, but when life is tough, don't you ever think to yourself 'if only I could be a Saturday'?! I see them in Heat practically every week (NB: It's Magazine Tuesday, not just plain boring Tuesday gals) and I'm pretty damn jealous of their Alexander McQueen.

Just lie down and take it, foolish man. Lie down and take it!

Joan Collins

She says it's all down to good skin care and not sitting in the sun. As I can not afford botox and do not want a doctor slicing my face open, I am determined to believe her. I may not be quite up to her levels of glamour, but I will always be happy to know we share the same philosophy on sun screen (WALTON, take note)


Alessandra Steinherr

The Glamour beauty editor. Not only do I want her job, I also want her face and her immense beauty skills. Smokey subtle eye? Love, I was perfecting it for 3 hours in front of that mirror and I still look like a drag queen (meh, a spade's a spade)

Stephanie Perry

No, she's not famous (...unless you've seen Crimewatch...) but her face should be. Her skin has faired the weather of our lives far better than mine. Her top tip, so she informs me, is Lancome virtuose mascara (*sigh* one day soon...) But to be honest, she has the longest eyelashes I've ever seen, I think something for 90p from tesco would frame those eyes well.
Really, she should be the friend writing the beauty blog. This web page is basically a compiliation of all her ideas I have stolen over the years....

Steph: "Of course I'm happy, wouldn't you be if you had this skin?!" Me: "I will steal your face perry. One day it is going to happen."

Never skimp on the Good Stuff

One of the top priorities on any blog like this is always going to be moisturiser. Typically, I am quite a jovial soul. I'll have a good laugh and joke with the rest of them.

But I draw the line at sun screen. SPF is no laughing matter.

In all honesty, I wasn't preparing to post this for a couple of days yet.

Today, however I received a frantic message from stressed bff One (Antonia). To quote the poor girl, who is probably stranded under a pile of books in a library somewhere as we speak; "A tip for your readers- moisturise the fuck out of your skin cos revision WILL result in wrinkles, bags and dark circles."
(I'm glad she's learning....I was not impressed by her lobster burns on holiday last year *shakes fist at Walton* IT BLOCKS OUT UVA FOR A REASON!)

I'm no superhero, but something needs to be done about this unfortunate epidemic currently ravaging lovely young skin! And no, this is not an excuse to stop revising (come to think of it, how DO you have time to read this?)  In fact, it's probably a reason to do more. No one will want to see you with slicked back hair and a face covered in gunk.

I'D REALLY LIKE TO HEAR WHAT YOUR FAVOURITES ARE? ANY TIPS?
Because, let's face it, my crow's feet aren't helping themselves.

For now, my absolute un-rivalled favourite is Neal's Yard Frankicense Hydrating Cream. I don't have the clearest skin in the world (and stressful revision times like this make it a frickin' nightmare) but I really notice a difference to the radiance of my face when I use this.
Unfortunately, as said poor student, I can't afford the stuff very often. If anyone feels like treating me, you know where I am.....

Big on HAIR

I am a strong believer that the sky's the limit and there are no heights that can't be reached.....with my hair.

It's something that I used to see as a problem (you try being an overweight ten-year-old in a swimsuit standing by the pool as two teachers try and shove your bird's nest in to a swimming cap as the other kids ROTFL. Cost my mum a fortune in latex, damn stretchable hats).

But now I actually quite like my hair. It's great for hiding things.

And let's face it, the bigger the hair, the smaller the waist looks. I'D BETTER GET THE ROLLERS OUT, PRONTO!!!!

Talking of rollers, I must admit to being a bit of a fan of these retro wonders. My bffs are very fond of taking the piss out of my hair prep for a night out. I have been known to spend the day in the house looking like Vera Duckworth.
Laugh or not, rollers are pretty effective for volume. But there are certain ways to enhance their va-va-voom.

1) MOUSSE

The one I absolutely love is Aussie Hair Care Aussome Volume and Conditioning Mousse, rrp £5.49. Which is actually a good price for a product this good. It smells great, it's not sticky and gives you hair volume Queen Chezza herself would be proud of.
Your best bet is to spread a reasonable amount on your roots before blow drying. Then, once the hair is just a little damp, you can add some more. Of course it depends on the natural state of the stuff on your noggan.

2) BLOW DRY

Two words I can not live without. Literally, this stuff I haul round every day would take about a week to dry without the use of a decent hairdryer. To add volume to the roots, I like to use a large barrel brush (you can get them from all the usual places but my current fave is from Avon and was only about £3) and hold the roots up and back as I dry them. It lifts the roots instantly and is quite a good trick if you don't have time for rollers as it works in an instant.

3) ROLLERS

The saviour of many a barnet, be sure of it! Try to get them as close to the roots as you can, to ensure plenty of volume. To make sure the crown gets lots of height, use the biggest rollers for these sections. If you have ridiclously thick hair like yours truly (I'm telling you people, my head ONLY looks big because of it), secure with grips. Put them in when hair is slightly damp and gently blow dry to set. In my experience, the longer you leave them, the better they will work. So if you can stand it, sleep in them.....as long as you're sleeping alone because no boyfriend deserves that!

4) HAIRSPRAY

The magazines are always banging on about L'oreal Elnett and yes, it's a good un. But I like Pantene Pro-V because hair doesn't smell obviously hairsprayed. Be generous, but don't choke yourself. Again *gulp* I say this purely from experience.....