Please resubscribe!

Hi everyone!

Just a quick plea for you all, as I have recently relaunched my website using wordpress - I'm still to be found at http://www.mizzworthy.com/ and I've moved the Google friend connect thingummy bob over there too, however I've realised that a lot of people aren't getting the updates for my blog in their google reader feed.

I'd be really greatful if you could resub to the new blog as its taken ages to get up and running, but I feel a bit disheartened that people are missing out on updates. If you can be bothered I'd also love you forever if you could manage to tweet a link to this post to let people know?

I've also been made aware that the full posts aren't showing in google reader for people so I'm going to try to tinker with my setting and get that sorted too!

Thanks so much!
xxx

New From ELF Studio - Tinted Moisturisers!

These look interesting and are now available on the ELF website...

These are the newest addition to ELF's sleekest line, the Studio range. I'm a fan of several products in the range, including the lip glosses, lipsticks, brushes, blushers and bronzers.

Tinted moisturisers can be hit or miss. Done well (my personal favourite is Laura Merciers) they make you look effortlessly healthy and "like you but better". Done badly and you might as well just apply fresh air.

I have high hopes for these, given that thye come complete with a decent SPF level, and other skin frindly ingredients. At £3.50, they have to be worth a try!

Have you tried these?

A Big Fat Con?

Anyone who chats with me on twitter might have noticed me mentioning and chatting about a programme that was shown on the UK here on BBC3 called "The Big Fat Truth About Low Fat Food". Click on the link to see the programme on BBCiPlayer.

Now as someone who has been a yo-yo dieter for probably over ten years now, this made for very interesting viewing! I definitely fell into the trap of low fat foods. I've never thought of myself as a big consumer of "ready meals", which is one of the foods featured in the show, but when I watched the show, I was shocked at how many foods on there which are classed as "processed" feature in my diet on a regular basis - diet coke, low fat cakes, crisps, cereal bars, low fat yogurt...


 The basic messages behind the programme were that when the fat is taken out of a food, it has to be replaced with something else. Usually this is sugar, or a manufactured chemical food replacement - and none of the ones discussed in the programme are exactly appetising.
Unfortunately, you can't kid your body with sugar and chemicals - as a result you don't feel satisfied, so you eat more. The presenter of the programme actually gained weight (a measly three lb which seemed a major drama for her... ) after eating LF food exclusively for a month.

Secondly, chemicals aside theres very little of nutritional value in the food - a distinct lack of fibre for example. And as they are so highly processed they break down super quick resulting in energy highs and lows... so again you eat more to feel better, as well as feeling bloated, constipated and sluggish...

So after watching this, I had something of an epiphany. Diets, or at least the ones I have tried, just simply don't work. Now I know what you're thinking - you've heard that before. I thought the same, but for some reason this programme clicked with me and brought the message home!

So I'm not buying low fat processed food any more. I'm going to buy regular food which is naturally lower in fat, higher in fibre, and low in sugar. I'm also still going to eat chocolate. But only good quality high percentage cocoa solids, and not every day. I know I still have weight to lose. But I don't intend to punish my body any more. I need to feel more positive and get a healthy relationship back with food.

I need to relearn how to stop eating when full, enjoy food, and enjoy mealtimes.

Did you watch the programme? How did you feel - did it make any impact on you? If you are lucky enough to have a good relationship with food, what sort of foods do you eat on a typical day? I need inspiration please? I feel like I'm starting from scratch, but I am excited about this!

Back in Business

Right then.

Several bottles glasses of vodka rose have been consumed.

Several days hours were spent under a duvet feeling sorry for myself. 

Picture sourced HERE

Now I feel better. And I really miss blogging! So I'm back.

My new site is not ready yet, so I hope you'll bear with me while I continue blogging here on http://www.mizzworthy.blogspot.com/

So only one question remains...

How the Devil are YOU?

Object of Desire...

Over the past couple of weeks I've been fostering rather a lot of lust for this...

Yes. I am a closet stationary fan... I've actually already got three filofaxes of various sizes, which I use for various lists, organising stuff and just well, having for the sake of it. I also like to look busy and important, despite the fact that most of my lists run along the lines of "Food I have eaten" or "films I want to see...". But my sad bastardry aside, this is one sexy filo.

Sadly at £175 *faints*, this shall have to be reserved for the day I finally win the lottery. If you have a millionaire style income, then this is the Deco Personal Organizer in Ruby... It comes in other colours, but red is my favourite

Please feel free to leave a comment telling me how sad I am. I am fully aware of it!

Orly Mini Mani's

Just saw this in my inbox, and it put a smile on my face, so wanted to share.

I'm a massive fan of Orly polishes, but less so of having to buy it online, so I'm really pleased to hear that they are launching a range in 54 Boots across the UK (presumably the larger or more "flagship" style stores I'm guessing...) from the 9th March 2011. Even more pleasing to someone like me who never finishes a bottle of nail polish before it goes a bit funny, the Boots range will take the form of mini (5.3ml) bottles, retailing at £5 each...

I love the idea of being able to pick up a decent range like this, but at a reasonable price  on the high street. Mavala have obviously spearheaded this, but from the picture, it looks like the Orly range might be a bit wider, which can only be a good thing. Plus a lot less half used bottle of polish littering the place!

The range includes a variety of creme shades, glitters as well as top and base coats...fingers crossed Orly will include polishes from their collections in this range eventually too!

Personal Stuff...

Hi everyone,

Just a very quick post to let you know I'm dealing with a few personal issues at the moment, so I'm finding it a little difficult to get blogging right now.

Hopefully I'll be feeling better soon enough, and be able to get back on top form - I'd rather not blog if it's half hearted, because that would be quite dull for you to read.

I just hope you all bear with me, and will carry on reading when I'm back... I'm also hoping my new site will be ready soon, which will help me feel rejuvenated on the blogging front as well.

In the meantime, If anyone is interested in doing a "guest" style post, then please contact me either via email (jennifer.worthington1979@gmail.com) or on twitter @mizzworthy.

Hopefully I'll be back soon!

MizzWorthy x

Help a Heart Campaign - Last Chance!

It’s the last week of the "Works With Water" Help: a Heart, Nominate your Hero campaign, so make sure you get your entries in!

The final winner gets announced on Valentines day, so its a chance to nominate the one you love for a breakfast in bed too...
To nominate, just tell Works With Water Nutraceuticals who your hero is and why - the biggest hero each week will recieve a "Healthy Heart Warming Hamper" containing breakfast goodies, and a special note from the person who niminated them.

To nominate your hero (Stating who your hero is, their relationship to you and why they are your hero), as well as follow the campaign:

• Leave a comment on our dedicated campaign blog at www.workswithwater.co.uk/HelpaHeart
• Email HelpaHeart@workswithwater.co.uk
• Tweet your nomination to @helpaheart, using the hash tag #HelpaHeart in your tweet
• Write on our Facebook wall

Week 3 winner: Natalie Fairbank (via email), who nominated her boyfriend Kaal
Natalie’s hero nomination statement: “As a member of the armed forces I have a tendency to feel that the term ‘hero’ does not even come close to what he[Kaal] is and what he does for a living. But in addition to his work life, he is my hero because of how he makes my life better in every single way. I work a very long way from home and as a result am out of the house for large proportions of the day, which doesn’t leave me lots of time. From picking me up from the station, to surprising me with flowers while he is away on operational tour (and probably has more important things to worry about!) and even making sure all the washing is done, he is one person who always puts my needs first, no matter how stressful and demanding his own life is. If anyone deserves recognition for everything that he does, professionally and personally I believe he does.”

The Works with Water Nutraceuticals judging panel chose Natalie’s hero to receive the prize of a Healthy Heart Warming Hamper, as they felt that Kaal is not only a hero for serving his country in the armed forces, but he also still finds the time to value the important people in his life.

The Works With Water Help:Cholesterol and Help:Blood Pressure are available in Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, and selected Boots stores from 30th Jan 2011

The Nivea Pure & Natural Range...

As high street skin care goes, Nivea always seems to be one of those "old faithful" brands which is passed down from generation to generation - a blue pot of nivea cream is usually regarded as a staple.

But times move on, and brands with more natural ingrdients are becoming more popular... and often more expensive. Nivea is now trying to bridge the gap with their new Pure & Natural range... It has been scientifially developed to deliver results, but still at the reasonable price point we have come to expect from the brand.

95 of ingredient in the range are of "Natural Origin", and the whole range is free of parabens, silicones, colourants and mineral oils, which is great to see in such a budget friendly range. They also contain Argan oil - which is a rich source of vitamin E and antioxidants.

The Pure & Natural range covers face and body. The face range contains cleanser,  toner and moisturisers. The moisturisers come in day and night versions, and is targeted at the over thirties "anti-wrinkle" market. They contain Argan oil and Burdock extract - the day cream does not contain any SPF.  The facial range also contains a "Milk & Honey" lip balm...



L - Night Cream; R - Day Cream.

As you'd expect, the night cream has a richer texture than the day cream - both  are meant to suit all skin types, and retail at £8.49.
The  lip balm comes in a twist up tube, so is great for chucking in your handbag - that retails at £1.99.

The range also contains hand and body lotions. Both are aimed at drier skin types.

These both have a fresh light scent. The body lotion has lighter texture, and absorbs easily, while the hand lotion is richer. 

Left - Body Lotion; Right - Hand Cream

These are again reasonably priced - the handcream is £3.05. I don't have the exact price of the body lotion, however I would expect this to be around the £5 mark or thereabouts.
As with the rest of the range the body products are free of nasties...

Personally I'm becoming more and more interested in naturally sourced ingredients, but what do you think? Does it influence your decision to purchase a product, or are you more of the "If it works I don't care what's in it" camp?

Will you be looking at this range when it is available from 20th Feb?

Disclaimer - Please note, that this is a sponsored post in conjunction with Nivea and Haandpicked Media. I have a policy of not recieving payment for reviews, so please bear in mind that this post is not a review, but for informatioon on a new range I felt may be of interest to readers.

New Hair! (Tommy's Hair Salon and Essensity)

So aaaages ago I posted HERE about my desire for pillarbox red hair and asked for peoples thoughts... Some people said I should go for it, some warned about the upkeep... But you know when you just think "I need to find out for myself, and I'll regret NOT doing it more than I'd regret doing it"...? So I started looking into it, and pricing it up - It was going to be a big job basically requiring my hair  to be stripped of colour and then redyed, and then kept up at home.

I wasn't deterred... But I needed to save up for it.

So I resigned myself to that. But then I was contacted  by a fairy godmother/PR laydee who offered to try to help. After much too-ing and fro-ing, shift swapping and emailing, a date was set and operation Red Hair was in full swing.

First of all a bit about the salon - Tommy's is named after its proprieter Tommy Van Der Veken and won Hairdressing salon of the year in 2007. They now have two salons, and I went to the Chester branch which is set just near the city wall - Alice in Wonderland style, you poke your head through a passageway through the wall, and there is the salon. The setting is great - it is near the town centre, but seems to be quiet enough to offer a little haven...

Inside the salon is cool, clean and modern. I was also interested to see that they stock newer haircare ranges such as Morrocan Oil.

Oooh, and I HAVE to mention the chairs - usually in salons I find the hairwash a bit of a trauma - the whole water too cold/too hot, sink cutting into the back of neck thing really doesn't set me up for relaxation. But here they have a sink with a comfy neck edge, as well as a chair that raises your legs up and gives you a massage... MUCH better!

The colour range used by the salon is a new launch from Schwartzkopf called Essensity, which is free from ammonia, silicones, paraffin oils and parabens. The stylists explained that this meant that the range didn't contain more extreme colours, however they agreed to use a colour lifting solution before using the brightest shade from the range (mixed with a little copper to keep it warmer). My hair was also given a good trim and the layers were enhanced a little where they needed to be...

So before I looked like this;

And afterwards I looked like this;

no flash

with flash

Apologies for the lack of makeup, pasty face and general crapness of the photo's - they were the ones that showed the colour best!

My experience on the day was amazing - I can't fault the staff at the salon (Amy and Hannah were so lovely - I turned up late after managing to get lost in Chester and they were so nice about it!), and I am really pleased with the cut and condition of my hair, so Tommy's salon gets a definite thumbs up from me.

I also think the quality of the colour system used on me is great - usually after hair dye my hair is left feeling dull, dry and lacklustre - As you can see my hair still looks shiny and well conditioned (this is after washing and "styling" it myself as well...), so I can't fault that.

But just on a personal level Im still craving a more "out there" red. This is a fab system for people who want a permanent colour change without wrecking their hair, but if you are looking for an extreme shade, then you might want to try other systems. Like I say though, highly recommended for those who have had irritation to other salon dyes or irritants mentioned above, or if you want a more natural hue... so I'll doubtlessly continue on my quest for Jane Goldman-esque locks...

What do you think of me new barnet then? Does the Essensity range which is more natural appeal to you?

Disclaimer - the treatment and haircut were given free of charge. This was arranged for me for review purposes. I was not paid, bribed or tortured to give this review, and all opinions are honest as always.

Public Announcement.

I really HATE the new and "improved" You Tube - BAD BAD BAD google!

What the HELL were they thinking?

That is all!

Help a Heart Campaign - Week One's Hero!

The Help a Heart Campaign got off to a great start last week with loads of you nominating your own personal heroes via the campaign Twitter and Facebook pages.

Week one's "Hero of the Week" was nominated by @SooperSandy (via Twitter), who nominated her 86 year old WW2 veteran neighbour!

SooperSandy’s hero nomination statement: “My 86 year old WW2 veteran neighbour [is my
hero]. He bought a wheelchair to take his 'old boy' pals (the 90 year olds!) to Burma Star events! Can't relate how fab my hero is in one tweet, he’s amazing; he gardens the no-man’s-land in our road and bought a bike last year!”

I love hearing stories about inspirational people like this!

Make sure you nominate your own hero, and dont forget for a limited time, Help:Cholesterol and Help:Blood Pressure are available online for 35% off HERE

A Very Quick FOTD

Just about managed to get a couple of snaps of this look before heading out the door yesterday, so apologies if they are a bit well, crap... Me and the Mister were heading into Liverpool for a mooch round the shops, and a trip to Gourmet Burger Kitchen for his birthday dinner (OMG - those burgers are HUUUUUUGGGEEE - So good!)

The eye shadow I used for this look is actually becoming a major staple for me - It's Accessorize Rich Earth Icon eye shadow, which is a complete and utter dupe for MAC's Club - see my full review HERE.

I've also used Avon's Super Shock black gel pencil - SUPER impressed with this - stayed put all day, amazing pimentation and really creamy - everything I have heard, read and seen about them is true!

On skin I've got My Face My Mix foundation (LOVE this - full review to come!), Laura Mercier concealer, and a little Accessorize blusher in Diva. Lips is Estee Lauder Crystal Baby...

I look SUPER dooper dozy here!!!

Orly Royal Velvet

I first mentioned this polish in THIS post - It was my pick as the most unique shade from Orly's new "Precious" collection, which is now available at  http://www.spicebeauty.co.uk/ for £38.95... I've just had a quick search on there though, and they are currently closed for a stocktake as they have new owners... but a quick twitter plea revealed that ORLY are also available on http://www.beautybay.com/ and http://www.soorganic.co.uk/ although unfortunately neither seem to be showing this collection yet... Mysterious!

As with all the ORLY range - love the packaging, the size of the bottle and the easy grip rubberized cap with helps with application. If you can find these for free postage in the UK, then please share where because I think that for higher end polishes, they are one of the better value brands.

In the bottle this is a rich-purple duochrome shade, which looks divine in the bottle, although I was a little bit worried that that gorgeous duochrome would fail to translate onto the nail - its a very dark purple with a midnight blue micro shimmer

Happily my fears were unfounded – this does definitely require 2-3 coats depending on the thickness of your application, and the first coat can look a little streaky for sure. I’d say two thicker coats with plenty of drying time works best for this.


One word of caution though – the first time I applied this I used Seche Vite top coat over it, and I was really dismayed to see that somehow this altered the look of the polish and made it appear a metallic blue – all of the purple disappeared. Since then I’ve applied without a top coat and not found this problem. It wears reasonably – 2-3 days without any wear on me, which is good considering I rarely wear rubber gloves for washing up, and I type a lot.


Oh, and please make sure you wear a base coat with this one – I failed to the first time I applied it, and it stained both my nails and skin quite badly.

Overall though, a gorgeous colour, and in my opinion, unusual enough to purchase - the pictures I've taken don't quite capture how pretty this is!

Disclaimer - This polish was sent to me free of charge for review purposes. I was not paid for the review, and my opinion is honest as always - I've worked too hard on this blog to bother wasting your time with false reviews for the sake of a free product!

The Fight Against Old Lady Hands...

Winter has brought a whole new level of dryness to my mits. In between missing gloves, ice and snow and central heating, its fair to say TLC was needed by the bucketload. Hand-cream was called for, and several tubes were assembled in my fight against “old lady hands”… 

Picture Sourced HERE



Neals Yard Citrus hand lotion comes in a generous 200ml glass pump bottle, with the distinctive Neals Yard pretty packaging. I picked this one up from Boots (£12) as I was looking for something to slather on after washing up dishes or scrubbing my hands after dealing with household chemicals. It contains aloe vera to soothe and grapefruit oils lend it its pleasant fresh scent. This one is great to have by the kitchen sink – Its moisturising but doesn’t leave a greasy feeling on the skin so you can just get on with whatever you are doing afterwards, and you can also afford to be quite generous with the application too… A great one for people who hate the feel of greasy hand-creams.

Biotherm “Biomains Age Delaying Hand and Nail Treatment” is a slightly more upmarket lotion – I picked this up in Boots on special offer some time ago for around £12, but I think the regular size is larger than the tube I have and comes in at more of the £20 mark..
This is a thicker cream, enriched with the spa minerals and plankton that Biotherm is famed for. This one does take slightly longer to sink into the skin as it is a fairly rich cream – but once it sinks in hands do definitely feel plumped up and rehydrated. This is the one I use when I feel I need a more intensive hit of moisture and the effect tends to cumulate over a few days. I love applying this if I know I’m going to be out driving with my leather gloves on, as it sinks right in while I’m out and about and my hands look rejuvenated again afterwards.Good for people with very dry hands, but you may not like it if you can’t tolerate the handcream feeling for more than 10 minutes.

La Roche-Posay is a brand I love for facial skincare, and their Lipikar handcream (£7,15 for 75ml), which I recently picked up in Boots, doesn’t disappoint at all. Quite runny in texture and with a fresh milky scent (sounds strange but the scent reminds me slightly of yogurt, in a good way, not a sour way…) this sinks in quickly so you can be a bit more generous with the application too. Contains lipids and spa minerals as active ingredients, and really works well – also leaves hands smelling fresh. This is the one I keep in my handbag and apply throughout the day at work, or out and about. It’s one I’ll definitely repurchase. A great hardworking one, not too thick, not too runny, which really boosts the look and feel of skin on the hands.

Davina Peace Handcream is a definite Luxury handcream at £28 for 75 mls. The brand bills itself and “Responsible Luxury” - ethically sourced, organic effective ingredients are promised. This cream contains Black Oat, Soy, Linseed and Larch extracts, which are natural moisture boosters, and is also rich in vitamin E, which also has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This is a super rich handcream with an absolutely divine scent – citrus notes from Lemon, Grapefruit and Lime oils are softened with Petitgrain and Lavender, and the scent is also warmed by Ginger. It smells AMAZING. Given how thick this handcream is I was surprised to discover that it does sink in reasonably quickly – it lingers long enough for you to give the hands a nice massage, so is a lovely one for using during pamper sessions or at night time. This is one I’d definitely want again, but would probably stick on my Christmas/Birthday list due to the price.

And finally – one to avoid, for me, anyway. Soap & Glory’s Hand Food – This came as part of the massive hatbox which was on offer just before Christmas – I managed to get my hands on two, one I gifted, one I kept for myself. Initially I really liked this cream – decent price and I initially liked the scent. However I did find that the more I applied it the more I found it to feel greasy and the scent was nauseating in the end. I also found that the level of perfume in this was so high that it was beginning to irritate my skin. So I had to part company with this one and my mum took it off my hands… She gets on fine with it, but if you have sensitive skin then this might irritate you.


Disclaimer - All items mentioned purchased by myself, with the exception of the Davina Peace product - this does not affect my review, which is honest and based on my own experiences with the product as always.

Help a Heart Campaign

I was recently approached to become an ambassador for the "Works With Water Help a Heart Campaign", and I was really happy to agree.

You may remember that I ran a contest a while back for someone to try the "Works With Water Help Clear Skin" nutrient mix, and they are now launching "Help Cholesterol" and "Help Blood Pressure", both available from Holland and Barrett.

New Year is the most common time for making a "new start" health wise... but lets be honest, usually by this time we are all flagging. The odd unhealthy snack might be sneaking in, the cross trainer in the bedroom might be being transformed into a clothes stand, and maybe, just maybe, the emergency bottle of vino has been consumed and replaced... a couple of times!

Today is officially the most depressing day of the year - so steel your resolve to keep up those resolutions! So to cheer us all up and keep us going, Works with Water want to hear about the people in your life who keep you going and who you regard as a bit of an all round hero...

Every week for the next month, you can nominate your heart hero HERE, The most compelling hero each week will recieve a Breakfast in Bed "Heart Healthy" Breakfast hamper, which will be delivered in person to the hero, with a lovely little note!

I've already nominated someone very special to me!

My unsung hero is my Dad - Both my parents have been towers of strength in the past for me through some very tough times, and I know that no matter what lies ahead they always will be. In the past I've had lots of opportunity to show my mum how much I appreciate her, but I happen to think that my dad deserves a little treat. He's put up with years of rubbish presents for Christmas all featuring Homer Simpson (it's a family joke), as well as years of tantrums, tears and hormones in a female dominated household. I also admire the way he's attempted to make healthy changes to his life recently, as I know he is someone who worries about heart health.

Find out more about the Help A Heart Campaign, and make your nomination HERE... And you can also find out more on Twitter and Facebook too.

Excuse Me While I Change!

You may have noticed a lack of posts over the last few weeeks here at mizzworthy, and I just wanted to make a quick post to let you know that I am still here, but I am in the process of revamping the blog and making a few changes. We've got the bloggy botox out, and we aren't afraid to use it!

So please bear with me as I pack up my worldly goods and make the move - My website URL is still the same (ie www.mizzworthy.com), but its taking a little bit longer to get the place spic and span before I invite any guests in for a cuppa!

Picture sourced at weheartit.com

Hello... A Quick Season's Greetings!

Hi everyone!
Just logged on today to realised I've just reached 1300 followers. I'm massively flattered that even one person would take time out of their day to read my ramblings, and I truly value that. So first of all, a huge thank you to everyone.

Second of all, I hope you all had a lovely time at Christmas, and I hope you are all enjoying the family time, and have eaten enough cheese, mince pies, turkey, stuffing, chocolate and other festive fodder to sink a ship. Dieting and healthy eating has a time and a place. This is not it.

New Year is on the way, and I have lots of new posts to come.

I'm taking a bit of a mini-break at the minute from blogging for various reasons, mainly because I feel like I need to. But I'm definitely not giving up - I have shedloads of products waiting for me to review them, and as soon as I get my blogging mojo back I'll be back to posting regularly again... However for a few days, I'm just going to enjoy the time I get off work, the festive telly and spending a bit of time with the people I love, whilst studiously avoiding my email inbox! I sincerely hope you will all still be here and interested in what I've got to say when I'm over this little fug!

Lots of love xxx
 (Picture sourced at weheartit.com)

A Quick Friday FOTD

I haven't done one of these posts for ages... this is a super quick look inspired by THIS video from the lovely Tanya Burr, or Pixi2woo as she is known better on YouTube...

I'm loving really simple eye makeup looks at the moment - maybe it's something to do with having a fringe, but at the moment I feel like anything too complex just looks too much. I also think having such big eyes also contribures to it looking too much for a day-to-day thing... It's also a lot easier and quicker!

On the eyes I simply used Amber Lights from MAC, blended it out and added black liner, and a lot of mascara. I also used a little MAC brule to blend out the top edge, and add a natural highlight.

Being a warmish brown colour, Amber Lights is very complimentary to blue eyes... I do think the eyeliner is necessary to give some definition, although you could use a brown shade for a softer look - The Prestige intense liners include a dark brown which is great for this type of look.

Easy peasy!

On the skin I used a new foundation I picked up from Max Factor - the Xperience foundation (I use the shade Raw Silk, which is the second lightest). I've only used this a couple of times, so I'm still forming an opinion on it really...

So far, I like the way it applies - it feels like a tinted moisturiser but with coverage. I'd say it gives low to medium coverage. You do need a concealer with it. Once set with powder it lasts pretty well on the skin. I'd say so far I'm liking this as a daytime foundation, but for night-time, I'd want something with more coverage...

For contour I used Illamasqua powder blush in Risk (which appears to have been discontinued), and on the cheeks, this recent purchase from Accessorize Makeup;

This is the shade "Bombshell", and is one of their merged baked blushers, which are great value at £5. They are very pigmented, and although a little powdery feeling on swatching, they apply, blend and last well on the cheeks. The more I try from this line the more I like!

Bombshell is one of those shades which "could be a bronzer or could be a blusher", but its basically great for days when you don't want to agonize (and I use that word with no irony) over your blush shade...

Have you tried much from the Accessorize range? Any recommendations?

Oh, and on lips I have Hollywood Gold from Estee Lauder's Michael Kors collection...

Go Nails...

A couple of people have commented recently on twitter
 that my nails always look great in NOTD posts. I have to confess, they really don't deserve the praise! I can never get my nails to grow very quickly, and when they do grow, they snap and break along the sides. I also suffer with dry and at times ragged cuticles.

My "secret" in pictures is to rub in a dot of cuticle oil prior to snapping a nail varnish on my nails, because that masks the disgraceful state of my cuticles... I'm also quite lucky because my nail bed is quite long, so even when my nails are cut down, they still look quite long.

So here are my nails in all their real "glory"...

I was, however recently sent a product to try and review called "Go Nails", which claims it can solve all my issues - It promises longer stronger nails in ten days and softer cuticles.

Go Nails comes in a 15ml/0.5fl. oz. airless pump...

The cream itself is just a simple white lotion, which containss the following ingredients;

 I'm liking the fact that there isn't anything too toxic sounding in there!

The cream has a nice very light lemonish scent, which does fade quickly, so no lingering pong after use... It seems to absob quickly and easily into both the nail and the cuticle, so my first impressions are quite  good.

This is not a cheap product though - and currently I believe that this is only available in the USA, although the manufacturers have reassured me that they regularly ship to the UK, so this is available if you want to try it... The cream retails at $24.99 per tibe, although they have multibuy options which are cheaper - see the website HERE.

Check back in a couple of weeks to see if this lives up to its promises!

Have you tried this product? Did it work for you?