Keeping BaByliss in business!

I seem to have so many BaByliss hair products that I should be on commission! Here are a few of the products that I love and use most.

The Conical Wand

This is a curling tong without a clamp and a cone shaped barrel. It creates gorgeous ringlet and loose curls with variable temperature you can easily and quickly achieve gorgeous curls.

The Waving Wand

This like he conical wand doesn't have a clamp but the barrel is oval shaped rather than round. Having naturally poker straight hair I've always tried different ways of creating waves such as the going to bed with damp hair in plaits and curling it with the conical wand the day before and sleeping in the curls so they fall out into waves. Both ways work but for a near on instant way to create waves the waving wand is amazing. Natalya from filthygorgeousmakeup and Babyliss teamed up to create the look of Lauren Conrad using the Waving Wand for Babyliss' Get the Look series. Watch the video here.

Thermo Ceramic Rollers

I had never used heated rollers before I bought these a few years ago as naively I had visions of my grandma using them sat with a hair net over them watching countdown. I used rollers in my hair before and blasted the hairdryer over them but it took forever to do so I decided to buy these. They heated up so quickly, there's a range of sizes and there's enough rollers for my long, thick hair. Once they are all clipped and clamped into my hair I can get on with my makeup whilst they cool down. So they are a great time saver and give great volume and body to my hair.

Big Hair

Want a perfect salon blow dry at home? Then this is THE product to use. It's a hot brush that rotates and dries your hair in one product. If like me, you find it difficult to use a big round brush and big heavy hairdryer to blow dry your hair then YOU NEED THIS! Want hair like Kate Middleton but don't have the hair entourage she has, then this is the next best thing.

All these can be bought from Boots or Argos or just search the internet as prices vary dramatically.

Way to Glow!

I recently came across collection 2000's shimmer shades which I had seen on a couple of other blogs and spotted it for myself when I was browsing the counters in boots. There is a blusher and bronzer version but only the bronzer was available in my local store. It's called 'Way to Glow' and is described as '4 complementary, shimmering shades for a subtle, radiant glow'.







The shades when swooshed (very technical term!) together create a subtle healthy shimmer that is perfect on my pale skin. It could be applied more generously on darker skin tones than my Casper white complexion to create a summer shimmer.

It feels a lot more expensive than it's £4.19 price tag would suggest. Its a perfect addition to your summer makeup bag and it suits most skin tones. It's also a great multi-tasker as it can be used as eye shadow with the ligtest shade as a highlight, the next lightest on the lids and either of the darker shades as a contour.

Collection 2000 Shimmer Shades can be bought here for £4.19.

A Quick Trick

It's always the way that when you need spot free, perfect skin a dreaded spot appears. This bright red bulging volcano appears on your face and even concealer won't hide how big it is! So what you need is something that works and works fast! Well this won't get rid of your spot immediately (if I knew how to do that I would be a miracle worker!) but it will reduce the size and the redness so you can conceal and camouflage it.

You will need aspirin, water and a cotton bud / Q-tip.

To freshly cleansed skin take an aspirin and add a couple of drops of water, the aspirin will dissolve in the water (if not, crush it) and mix it together into a paste. Apply this to the spot area with a cotton bud / Q-tip or a CLEAN finger and leave it for around half an hour or until it dries and starts flaking off the skin. Et voila your spot should have reduced in size and redness, and all you need to do now is conceal it. If you apply the aspirin to it every day it should disappear within a few days.
The aspirin works as an anti-inflamitary. I have also heard of using anti-inflamitary drugs such as those for hay-fever but I haven't used them myself. They also tend to be more expensive than aspirin which I picked up for 22p!

I have tried so many lotions and potions and treatments for spots to no avail but this really works for me. Everyones skin is different so it might not work as well for you as it does for me but it's well worth a go, non?

What other spot treatments work for you?

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Foundation

If I'm honest I don't normally choose Collection 2000 as I always thought it was aimed more at young teenagers, those who are trying out makeup for the first time. But, I was in desperate need of foundation one day when I'd gone out without my makeup bag and grabbed this at Morrisons when there was nothing else. I must admit I was very pleasantly surprised with this and have used it many a time and even repurchased it when it ran out.

This is marketed as:

-Ultimate wear foundation provides up to 16 hours of flawless skin
- Lasting Perfection Foundation will take you from dawn to dusk and back again, with no need for reapplication
- SPF20 to keep skin safe in the sun
- Transfer proof and water resistant

It is a full coverage foundation which really does give me flawless skin. I use this as my 'go-to' when I'm having a bad skin day. I don't have the greatest skin I have freckless, moles,and under eye bags when I haven't had much sleep and this covers everything without the need of concealer. Although when I do need concealer I use the lasting perfection concealer as it is a perfect match for the foundation if you get the corresponding shade and is so thick but easily blendable.

I highly recommend this if you are looking for a full coverage foundation that will last all day, and for such a small price tag it's worth giving it a go surely?

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Foundation is £5.99 and the concealer is £4.19 from boots.

Superdrug Beauty Card

At last Superdrug have launched a reward card - The Beauty Card!

Finally Superdrug have decided to get on the reward card band wagon like their competaors boots with their advantage card. I love my advantage card as I spend on much money on makeup it's nice to get something back and the points add up in no time at all. But Superdrug are cheaper on some products than boots and I  get a lot from them too so to finally get something back from them too is definatley a plus.

Now don't get me wrong I won't be replacing my advantage card with the beauty card as I am in boots 'parenting club' which means that for every pound on baby items, instead of the usual 4 points per £1 I get 10 points per £1. However, what niggles me about boots is that you can't pay part points part money, but with the beautycard you can!

You get 1 point per pound with the Beautycard but there are offers on instore to earn more points with certain products, also you can earn points and spend them online too which is a bonus especially for those of us who live near smaller stores so there isn't too much choice instore.

The Beautycard is also a handy mirror for your purse which is always a bonus for any purse!

You can pick up a Beautycard from Superdrug stores now.

Seche Vite

This has to be THE go to product for fast drying, long lasting nails.

Being short on time being a mum to my four month old who constantly wants attention, this has to be a miracle product.

I love painting my nails, I love experimenting with all manner of different colours and there's a sort of 'glam' feeling when they're painted and looking preened and polished.

The seche vite top coat is applied thickly on top of wet varnish and it penetrates down to the nail forming all the coats together to make a chip resistant, high shine nail. It dries virtually instantly and nails look like they've had a professional manicure.

Ever found a coloured polish you love but can't wear it as it chips so quickly? Well this stops that chipping enabling you to wear that polish once more!

To prove how quick it dries, after I'd applied it to all ten nails my little girl needed a nappy change and there was no smudging, chipping or budging.

I got mine from feel unique for £7.60 with free delivery.

If you haven't used their website before I recommend you have a look for a wide range of hair, skin care and makeup products and less than the RRP.

YSL Touche Eclat

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

This is a godsend if you are a new mum, insomniac or just had a late night.
I have the lightest shade, shade 1 and have been using this for a couple of years now. It came in very handy when I had late nights doing revision or essays and now it's an essential being a new mum with little sleep.

Its more pink than I thought it would be I thought it would've been more yellowish to counteract the blue/purple undereye area. However it's amazing and no wonder it has such a massive following.

I apply it onto the whole undereye area thats discoloured and leave it for a few seconds then pat it in gently and voila...no more tell tale signs that you've been up most of the night.
This is the number one concealer/highlighter and can be used down the bridge of the nose and the cupids bow too to create a gentle highlight effect.

I bought mine from feel unique but they no longer sell it so it can be bought from boots for £24.50