The Language of Flowers

As I write, I'm swaddled in blankets and have a steady flow of Lucozade to hand: yup, I have succumbed to the dreaded seasonal lurgy and am feeling completely vile.

To cheer me up, I've been watching one of my absolute favourite BBC period dramas, Cranford, which is based on a series of novels by Elizabeth Gaskell. The tale follows a formidable group of single and widowed women in Victorian England and is one of the most charming, funny things I've seen in years. Despite the early episodes being somewhat lacking in romance, one of the women receives anemones from an admirer, prompting her friends to consult The Language of Flowers, to decipher the meaning of this gesture. At a time when it was not proper to display emotion or speak freely of feelings held, each flower carried with it a secret meaning, so that messages could be quietly conveyed through the giving of a small bouquet.

I love the romance of this idea, and thought I'd look for the meanings of a few of my current favourite products:

Liz Earle Energising Body Scrub - Contains geranium which represents elegance and gentility

This scrub is one of my favourite recent finds. The grown up, herbal scent is complex, and the initial hit of pine and geranium soften to orange blossom for the perfect olfactory wake up call! What I like most about this product is that the consistency of the gel means that it stays where you put it until it's washed off. So many scrubs run away in the water flow as soon as they're applied, yet this one really grips. For this reason, and for those of you craving a bit of elegance in your life, it's definitely worth a look.

Jo Malone Red Roses Bath Oil - Contains red roses which represent true love

It comes as no surprise that red roses represent enduring love, which is perhaps why I will never get tired of this beautiful bath oil. The scent is so beautiful, and perfect for a long, relaxing bath complete with glass of wine and candlelight. No need to wait to receive red roses from an admirer, if you ask me: definitely one to treat yourself to!

Palmers Olive Hand and Foot Cream - Contains olive which represents peace

After a freezing few weeks, I have found myself utterly reliant on this cream which I first tried at my parents' house. For some reason, my Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Hand Cream just hasn't cut it this year, and it's been well and truly usurped by Palmers. And at a fraction of the price, who am I to argue?! It may not be able to bring peace to anything more than your tired winter-worn skin, but when the temperature plummets, that's more than enough for me.

So those are a few of my favourite floral products, and I'm keen to know about yours! Will you be consulting the Language of Flowers to find out their meanings?

Oh, and don't forget to enter my MAC giveaway here!

Image courtesy of joycetice.com

The New Year Beauty and Style Honours

If you're anything like me, you're probably contemplating your new year's resolutions whilst surrounded by empty chocolate boxes and a half drunk glass of champagne. It's always so easy to decide these things when you have a good supply of sugar and alcohol on hand! The effort comes when we all go cold turkey on the 1st Jan! Ugh, don't mention turkey...

Anyway, I'm not talking about vowing to lose seven pounds, giving up chocolate forever and going to the gym nine times a week, but instead, those nice, achievable resolutions. The ones that involve nothing more taxing than, say, buying some fabulous new beauty products and letting them do all the hard work for you. So grab another box of chocolates, top up your wine glass, and make some simple resolutions with the help of my top picks from 2010.

If 2011 is your year for clear skin...

...then head over to Liz Earle. The fact that this brand is by far the most reviewed on my blog should give you an indication of just how much I love the range, and the skincare is without doubt best that I've ever used. Whether you have dry, oily or combination skin, Cleanse & Polish takes care all of your makeup removal and skin clearing needs, and the toner keeps everything perfectly balanced. I can't imagine my routine without C&P, and its my number one recommendation.

If 2011 is your year for fabulous hair....

...then hair oil is what you need. Shu Uemura Nourishing Hair Oil and Phyto Nectar are firm favourites, and MoroccanOil gets fantastic write ups, too. If you're on a budget, you can do a lot worse than a weekly treatment with good old olive oil, so there's really no excuse for dry tresses next year!

If 2011 is your year for style...

....then check out The Blonde Salad, Fashion Toast, Style Bubble and Park & Cube. Chiara, Rumi, Susie and Shini are by far the most stylish ladies on the blogging block, and there is always something inspirational on their regularly updated sites. The photography is fantastic, and their stunning styling is the perfect fashion fix for those of us who get a little tired of the same old images in the same old magazines.

If 2011 is your year for getting body beautiful...

...then Tracy Anderson is your girl. Her DVD is both utterly mind-boggling in its lack of explanation yet completely effective when you finally memorise it! Tracy's approach works your accessory muscles to pull everything nice and tight, leaving your muscles long, lean and feminine. Ignore the negative reviews (and subsequently, the burning in your thighs), and embrace her mat workout to get the beach body you've always wanted!

Hope that helps. What are your resolutions?

Image courtesy of solariasun.com

Liz Earle Men's Skincare: The Boy Reviews!

I've written about my lovely boyfriend several times, and those of you who read Modesty Brown will all know a bit more about him than you might like! Here for the first time on The Beauty Hall, the one known as 'The Boy' takes over the reviewing. Over to him, and allowing him a bit of poetic license. After all, we know that he is partial to the odd beauty product, whatever he might say...

Liz Earle is a company better known for beauty products for women. However what is less well known is that the entrepreneurial Ms Earle has diversified and produced a line for men. Displaying the chic, understated packaging women have come to expect from the company, this is a welcome development for any man who has had to listen to their girlfriend wax lyrical about Liz Earle’s products.

I am not usually one for beauty products, a fact which continually astounds my girlfriend. (The Beauty Hall: Er, my pillaged products say differently, Mister!) Tubes of moisturiser and packs of facepacks, given as presents, sit unopened in my closet. I am sure this is typical of many men the country over. This is not to say I do not like being pampered, just that who can be bothered with it all? Don’t women do enough of that stuff for men everywhere? And do we really see any difference as a result of using these products?

Well, I can say if the three products from Liz Earle I have been using are anything to go by, all men should be bothered and the difference is apparent from the first use. Asked to try the men’s Cleanse & Polish, Sensitive Shave Cream and After-Shaving Moisturiser, it would be fair to say I will be taking a bit more time with my morning ritual in the future.

First of all, they all smell great. Whiffs of eucalyptus oil, herbs like rosemary and sage, and hints of menthol greet you as you apply all the potions. Secondly, the use of all natural ingredients is a massive draw, being as they are for a very sensitive area, though men might not like to admit it.

The Cleanse & Polish is very straightforward, just use instead of soap, twice a day and wash off using the provided flannel (or whatever!) It made my skin feel incredibly clean and light and did not dry it out as can often happen with soap.

The shaving cream is, to my mind, something of a revelation. Easy to apply and quick to provide a generous, luxurious lather, despite the relatively tiny amount needed, I do not think I will be using any other product on my face. It gave me one of the closest shaves I have had and without the post-shave rash, the bane of my pre-work preparation!

Finally, the moisturiser is the perfect accompaniment, post-shave. Light, quickly absorbed and smelling good and manly, it helps calm things down and protect the face after being attacked by our razors.

All in all, Liz Earle has three products here that are an excellent introduction for any man into the world of beauty products, so often dismissed as just being for girls. If these are representative of the rest of their line, I can see what all the fuss is about. More please!

The Cleanse & Polish Starter Kit is £13, Sensitive Shave Cream is £10 and the After-Shaving Moisturiser is £16.50.

Christmas Gift Guide: For Mums, Aunts, Nanas and every woman in between!

I've loved reading all the fabulous Christmas gift guides over the past month, and I'd hoped to have mine written weeks ago. However, much like my own approach to Christmas shopping, here I am on the last minute, but hopefully fellow disorganised souls will appreciate a bit of last-minute guidance. Just make sure you don't all rush out and deplete supplies as I still need to buy these for my family and friends!

This first installment contains gifts for the more mature lady, although the majority of these gifts would be suitable for women in their mid to late 20s and beyond. Where my friends and family don't guide me on what they want, I tend to buy treats and the sort of things that people wouldn't always buy for themselves, although as a beauty blogger, that concept is a little alien to me, as I buy everything I want! So, here's my little edit of what I think will make lovely gifts, and I've tried to keep it on the reasonable side in most cases, but do forgive me where I apply a bit of 'luxury license'. It is Christmas after all.

The White Company White Cashmere Candle, £28

I absolutely love scented candles, especially in winter. It's so nice to cosy up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate, while a candle envelops you in a soft glow and fills the room with a beautiful fragrance. The new White Cashmere range at The White Company is a combination of fresh, zingy, and ever so slightly masculine vetivier, with warm, spicy cardamom. I absolutely love this clean yet rich scent, and think it's the perfect spring fragrance. Definitely the kind of luxury we should be spreading at Christmas!

Prada Infusion D'Iris Bath Salts, 500g, £34


These baths salts come in a gorgeous pale green presentation box, the salts beautifully bagged inside, and the delicate silver scoop sitting on top. It smells of white flowers and talcum powder, and makes for a decidedly decadent bathtime. If you really feel like spoiling them, throw in the scented drawer liners. Totally over the top, but it makes getting dressed on those chilly winter mornings just about bearable.

Chanel No.5 Eau de Toilette Refillable Purse Spray, £58 (Chanel counters nationwide)
I got this for my Mum last year and she describes it as her favourite Christmas present ever, which makes me very happy. As always with Chanel, this comes beautifully boxed (and it can be gift wrapped at the counter for the time-poor amongst us) and contains three 20ml refills and one sleek and sophisticated black container with a pop-up gold push button spray. It's so lightweight and practical that it's perfect for carrying around in your handbag, and is more glamorous and infinitely more practical than decanting your beloved fragrance into a fiddly atomiser. Several fragrance companies have caught on to the idea so if your Mum isn't a No.5 fan (although I'm yet to meet anyone who isn't), shop around and you may find something similar.

Liz Earle Ultimate Christmas Hamper, £163.25
Ok, so this is where my festive indulgences meet their peak price, but considering how much you get, this gift makes for exceptional value. It contains a whopping 16 full size products, and is tailored to skin type, meaning you can buy a hamper with perfect products for normal/combination, dry/sensitive and combination/oily skins. If you have a stressed-out, busy female relative who loves a bit of indulgence but doesn't always treat herself, then this may just be the perfect gift. Otherwise, it's for the woman who has everything, but just doesn't have any Liz Earle products. You can read my many, many rave reviews of the Liz Earle range if you like to do your research, but rest assured, you can't go wrong. There are plenty more gorgeous Christmas gifts from Liz Earle ranging from a fantastically afforable £8.25, so check them out here if you're looking for anything from a small stocking filler to the above hamper, which, let's face it, is more of a 'bathroom filler'!

I'd love to know what you'll be buying this Christmas and I hope my little edit is helpful!

Think Clear

Wow, it has been ages since I last posted and I have to say, it feels good to know that I will have several posts written by the end of the night, and that there will be few items ticked off the vast 'to review' list. As any beauty addict knows, just because I'm not writing doesn't mean I haven't been buying and trying lots of lovely things that I want to share with you!

My biggest wake up call on my lax blogging of late came when I was fully prepared for a relaxing Liz Earle Deep Cleansing face mask, but found that the tube was empty. Never have I actually used up an entire product before I came to review it! This, however, gives you a good indication of just how much I loved this, and I will be repurchasing on my way to work tomorrow (nope, I can never get past John Lewis without popping in, which is unfortunate, as I pass it twice a day, Monday-Friday!)

The mask itself is the usual heady concoction of beautifully scented botanicals, containing clay, manuka honey and geranium to draw out impurities and tone and balance the skin. It's recommended for combination to oily skin, and has definitely helped me battle those pesky hormonal breakouts, which at 28, are even more frustrating than when I was a teenager! I've been using this after Cleanse & Polish and the Gentle Face Exfoliator as a twice-weekly bathtime treat, and it really is fantastically relaxing, alongside being super effective, but really, what else do we expect from the lovely Liz? As for the exfoliator, it's easily the best facial scrub I've ever used, with the grains being the perfect size to give a good deep cleanse and the cream thick enough that it doesn't all run off your skin as soon as you apply it. The exfoliator can be used as often as needed but I use it two to three times a week, depending on my skin. My boyfriend loves this product, so it's another bulk-buy for me, because as always, he likes a liberal application!

A Deep Cleansing Mask Starter kit (pictured above, which comes with the two sponges) is £12.50 and the Exfoliator is £12.25. These products aren't suitable for sensitive skin types, who should go for the Nourishing range instead.

Winter Beauty Part One: Moisture

Following on from last week's post on winter beauty essentials, it's no surprise to discover that we all reach for the same products when the cold sets in: moisturisers. Cold weather combined with an increased use of central heating conspire to dry our skin, leaving many of us with parched, dull and greying complexions. Not the route to a glamorous winter!

So what happens to our skin when the cold of winter sets in? A lack of moisture in the environment means that skin is more susceptible to the drying effects of cold weather, central heating and air conditioning, so the key to happy winter skin is to ensure that it is well moisturised. However, slathering on any old cream is not always enough to seal in that precious moisture.

Moisturisers fall into two categories: humectants and occlusives. Humectants draw moisture from the lower to the upper layers of skin - moisture derived from the water we drink. Occlusives act as a barrier to lock existing moisture into the skin, and form a layer of defence against further dehydration of the skin. Occlusive ingredients include oils and petrolatum - products that form a physical barrier on the skin - and humectants are found in more standard moisturisers.

First and foremost, it's as important as ever to make sure you drink 2 litres of water a day to ensure that your body is hydrated and your skin is healthy, so that your skin has a water supply to draw on. Secondly, most people will benefit from using a heavier moisturiser for day than normal, and dependant on your skin type, a combination of humectant and occlusive moisturisers will help. As I am prone to dryer skin on my body, my top tip is to use a body oil like The Sanctuary Spa Essential Massage and Body Oil first and then top with a standard moisturiser like Vaseline Intensive Rescue. This combination forms a barrier to lock in the moisture so that the skin is able to absorb everything it needs. It works AMAZINGLY!

This routine also works well for lips, and I use Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream topped with a coating of Vaseline on particularly cold, windy days. The Eight Hour Cream moisturises and the Vaseline locks it in: perfect!

Finally, for my face, I tend to use a slightly heavier cream than normal on my cheeks, but stick to the same products on my oilier t-zone. This year, I'll be switching up to Liz Earle's Skin Repair moisturiser combined with my beloved No. 7 Protect and Perfect serum.

Hopefully this will help you choose your winter moisture products. Do you have any moisturising tips?

Finally, if you haven't done so already, enter my Barry M giveaway here!

Image courtesy of nordiclandscapes.com

Steaming: The Update

Hi everyone! Firstly, I'm so sorry for the lack of posts over the past week: I've had so much work to get through that there just hasn't been any time spare, and because I'm so badly prepared, I didn't stock pile posts for while I was away: oops! Anyway, today is going to be dedicated to getting back on track, so expect a week rich in my ramblings!

I promised that I would update you on my steaming routine, and I have to say, it's gone really well. I started two weeks ago and steamed for 5-10 minutes every day, then followed immediately with Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish, Boots Glycerin & Rosewater toner and No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense serum. I've already seen a reduction in blackheads and the couple of spots that I had when I started dried up very quickly and nothing else surfaced: result!

Then, I got complacent. Saturday and Sunday went by and I didn't steam. I went out on Saturday night, had a few drinks, and felt a little rough around the edges on Sunday, and by midday, I had the makings of one of the worst spots I've ever had! By Monday morning, I had two horrid spots that were so unsightly and uncomfortable that I got my head over the hot water for 20 minutes and vowed never to miss a day again! Since then, I've managed to steam for at least 5 minutes a day (although I naughtily missed yesterday, I will be catching up later) and it's made a big difference to the clarity of my skin. Each night, I've used my Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel - which is a wonder product if ever there was one - and I am really happy with the outcome. I've also not been moisturising, as I think my Sanctuary creams are now a little rich for my skin. I'm off shopping later and I'm going to look for an oil free moisturiser, as although I don't feel like my skin is suffering, I can't imagine see how not moisturising will benefit my skin in the long run.

A few of you noted just how boring steaming is, and I confess, it's not the most stimulating part of my day. I'm trying to see it as a little bit of 'empty brain' time, although on a particularly busy day last week, I did actually de-mist a part of the pyrex bowl and read a report through the glass! If you have sinus problems like I do, this routine will really help to provide some temporary relief: just don't put too much Vicks in the bowl as it feels like it's stripping the inside of your nose!!

So, if you're suffering from congested skin and feel as though you need an extra boost, stay away from the heavy-duty spot treating face masks and oil control products and try a facial steam. There's no investment required - we all have water, a kettle, a bowl and a towel - and it's the best skin treat I've had in a long time. Put the towel over your head and have a 5 minute daydream about your next holiday: zaps the stress and clears your skins. What more could you want?

I'm really interested to hear whether any of you have tried steaming? Is it something that you can see yourself doing regularly or is just too boring for words?!

Image courtesy of travelpod.com

The Road to Hair Happiness

You may remember that I posted my hair commandments last month, and I am pleased to say that sticking to them has started to pay off. I’m blow drying my hair less (I’m permitted a maximum of three a week), and letting it dry naturally where I can. Where this used to end with my hair knotting itself into a helmet of frizzy curls, something miraculous has happened: it now dries soft and reasonably sleek, with a few waves that look pretty and natural, rather than crisp and tortured. It’s also been six weeks since I coloured my hair, and as I’m almost back to my natural shade, roots aren’t too great a problem. It’s probably the longest I’ve gone without colouring my hair in the past ten years. I’m impressed!

In case any of you have been inspired to take up the healthy hair challenge, I thought I’d update you on my Hot Hair product arsenal, and the things that I rely on to keep my tresses tamed.

From left to right: Aussie Take the Heat heat defence spray, HairSublim supplement, Pureology Essential Repair serum, Liz Earle Botanical Shine conditioner for dry and damaged hair, Silica supplement, Liz Earle Botanical Shine shampoo for all hair types

The Liz Earle shampoo and conditioner continue to be a big hit with me. The conditioner is so rich and certainly the best I've ever used (yep, that takes into account pretty much all the high end haircare brands). It comes out on 2nd September, and I for one can see this becoming a permanent feature in my haircare routine.

I’ve talked about both the Aussie and Pureology products before, but the Pureology in particular deserves to be revisited. I wasn’t convinced at its split end ‘repair and prevention’ claims but it’s five weeks since I had my hair cut, but the frazzled ends are mysteriously absent. Of course, the situation is probably helped by the limited heat styling, but if things continue this way, I will definitely repurchase this product. Aussie’s Take the Heat spray is the cheapest product here, but it’s also the one I wouldn’t be without. Nothing protects my hair like this, and I love it so much, I even spray my hair when I’m not heat styling it!

I’m sure that everyone who reads Lollipop26writes will have rushed to their nearest Boots when they read Laura’s posts on HairSublim and Silica. The products provide the essential nutrients required for healthy hair, and I have to say, I really feel as though my hair growth has quickened. It’s only been a month, but I’ll be stocking up on these supplements and hoping for swishy long hair by Christmas!

Image courtesy of HQHair.com

My final hair essential is Kerastase Resistance Forcintense. The pack contains three two-step treatments and is for hair that’s in need of some serious TLC (I’m talking over-processed, dry, damaged and colour treated here). I’ve just run out of my last batch, but it’s something I use at least once a month and for a few weeks after colouring. It’s £21 for three treatments, but if you have very damaged hair, it’s definitely worth the investment, in my opinion.

I’d be really keen to know about your haircare routine, and what products you can’t live without!

Bloggers' Breakout - urgh!

Over the past few weeks, I've been getting more than my fair share of breakouts. Work is a little more manic than usual, which could account for some stress-related spots, but I seem to consistently have a new spot on the go; something that I'm not used to and definitely not happy about.

It occurred to me that maybe this is related to how many product I've been using since I started blogging. I'm testing skincare products and routines so often that maybe my skin is rebelling and longing for the good old days when I got home and watched Corrie rather than spending the evening slapping multiple lotions and potions onto my skin. Henceforth, this skin situation shall be known as a 'Bloggers' Breakout' and it must be stopped. And never let it be said that we bloggers don't suffer for our art!


So, onto business. Unfortunately, this is not a photograph of me, but of the gorgeous supermodel, Karolina Kurkova. Her photo is here for one reason alone: her skin. Isn't it flawless?

Not only is Ms Kurkova very beautiful, she is also quite generous with her skin care tips. She gave an interview in one of the UK glossies (Vogue, if memory serves) a few years ago, where she noted that she tries to steam her face for 5-10 minutes everyday. At the time, I decided to incorporate daily steaming into my routine and promptly dropped it two days later, probably believing it was too much of an effort. Is skin like that ever too much of an effort?!

Inspired by Fee of Makeup Savvy, I am now commencing my conversion to Karolina's routine and will be steaming my face for five minutes every day for the next week, followed by cleansing with my Liz Earle C&P and toning with Boots Glycerin & Rosewater. Karolina also advises that when you're tired, stressed or it's that time of the month, a splash of lemon juice on the skin will brighten it no end. Who am I to argue with a supermodel?

So, what is it about steam? The not particularly sciencey science bit is that steam opens the pores, allowing your cleanser to get right into your pores to attack all the nastiness that lurk down there. It also makes extraction much easier, but I personally think that's best left to the professionals. If you suffer from sinus congestion like I do, a teaspoon of good old Vicks Vaporub stirred into the water will provide some temporary clearance on a particularly stuffed-up day, which is a nice bonus. To steam your skin, fill a bowl a third full with boiling water (ideally, use a bowl with a diameter of about 10 inches - a mixing bowl is perfect), allow to cool for a minute and then hold your face above the steam, covering your head with a towel that drapes over the bowl to create your own mini sauna. Stay in there for a minimum of five minutes and then cleanse, splashing your skin with cool water when you've finished. Tone and mositurise as normal.

Stay tuned for results next week! I'm sure I'll look more like Karolina every day...

Image courtesy of zimbio.com

Dear Boyfriend, Men ARE Useless, Love The Beauty Hall

Image courtesy of menareuseless.com

My boyfriend doesn't read my blog because, in his words, he's 'not interested in girly beauty products'. That's fine, because his political blog makes me want to pluck out my eyelashes. Well, not quite, but trust me, it's not the same as reading about the latest lipstick shades!

Anyway, last night I noticed that Men Are Useless, the genius male toiletries delivery company, are following me on Twitter and this prompted me to explain to The Boy what they do after reading about them on London Beauty Queen's blog. Now, The Boy is a professional soap boxer: he loves politics, works in policy and loves nothing more than a good rant (I'm painting a bad picture, but he is divine, I promise). "Men are useless?" he begins. "That's a ridiculous idea! When have I ever run out of anything?!" Although he will never read this, here follows a list of what my beloved has run out of, and the substitutes he has found that belong to me, normally at five times the cost of his own products:

• Boyfriend ran out of Neutrogena face scrub and replaced it with my Clinique Sparkle Skin BODY scrub (yes, you read that right: body scrub. Plus he used half a tub in five days. Half a tub on a human face, I ask you...)


• Boyfriend ran out of Head and Shoulders and continued to use my Pureology Hydrate shampoo, like you can just pop to Boots and replace it, maybe even getting it on 2 for 1 if you're lucky


• Boyfriend occasionally buys a face mask sachet from The Sanctuary. Since I bought Bliss Steep Clean, he somehow finds time for a facial every week


• Boyfriend has never before been interested in eye cream, but he sure does like to use my Espa 24hr Eye Complex

Do we see a theme here? Supermarket basics vs high end luxury: the nerve of him!!! Now, I am more than happy to share the love, but as we have a joint account for our bills and shopping, I'm seriously considering using it to buy my products, seeing as he gets so much use out of them. He may not always run out of razor blades and shower gel, but I know one boy who would certainly benefit from an upscale delivery of products from Men are Useless, possibly entitled 'Men really are interested in girly beauty products: just shut the bathroom door and don't tell anyone!' Oh, and as long as I can borrow them, too!

My Skincare Routine

I love great make up, but my real passion is skincare. I love that a great foundation can make my skin look flawless and glowing, but what I really want is the flawless and glowing skin without the product! Make up is there to enhance what we have, but when I've missed out on a few essential hours of sleep, I start to think of make up as the only thing that I have! Despite being a self-confessed make up junkie, I secretly dream of the day I can get away with a slick of lipgloss and mascara without feeling like I'll scare any passing children!

A quest for perfect skin requires a considerable beauty arsenal and here is mine: twice a day, every day! The numbers is brackets below indicate the products I use in the morning and the order in which the products are used:

From left to right:

Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel
The Sanctuary Rich Rejuvenating Day Cream SPF 15 (6)
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Cleanser (1)
Liz Earle Smoothing Line Serum (4 - used around the eyes)
Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair (5)
Boots Traditional Skin Care Glycerin and Rosewater Toner (2)
The Sanctuary Pro-Collagen Night Concentrate
Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense serum (3)

Although I'm not quite there on the perfect skin front, I think this range of products is pretty close to a perfect routine for me. I'd been using the above routine without the toner for four weeks, and since reading Caroline's toner advice on Beauty Mouth last week, I have incorporated that with great results over the past seven days. If you're cleansing and not toning, I can't tell you how quickly you need to change that! Toner seems to be one of the most misunderstood products on the beauty market, and although I've always had a bottle of it lurking in the depths of my bathroom cabinet, I think I've always used it with an ineffective cleanser. Since using Cleanse & Polish, my skin has become clearer and brighter, but also more prone to a few scary looking spots. Since reintroducing the toner, these breakouts are disappearing, and I feel like my skin is finally more balanced. As with most things in life, balance is the key: if your cleanser is too harsh, your skin will compensate by producing more oil and subsequently, more spots, something which is prevented when a toner is used as it brings things back to normal.

The Sanctuary day and night creams are products that I've used on and off for years, and always seem to go back to. I like to alternate the products I use so that my skin doesn't get used to anything, but I have never found any creams that I consistently alternate The Sanctuary ones with. Following very impressive results with the Liz Earle range, I will be trying their toner and moisturisers when my current batch run out, but The Sanctuary's crown currently stands untested.
Protect & Perfect and Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel are my other hero products. The Clearing Gel works mini-miracles and magically manages to prevent breakouts (although I've stayed away from it for the past few weeks so I can get a real sense of whether C&P is working for my skin). If I'm tired, stressed, or approaching that time of the month, I slather this on and am always amazed at how clear it keeps my skin. Protect & Perfect is something I've already talked about at length, but if you don't own it already, it's my top recommendation. Boots have a £5 off No. 7 voucher at the moment so there really is no excuse!

The two Liz Earle products I'm using are sample sizes from the Eye Try-Me kit I received in July, and I will definitely buy the Daily Eye Repair when this one runs out. The serum is meant for older skin and I'm not sure how much of an effect it's had on my under eye skin, but I guess we'll see the difference if I decide not to invest in that one as well!

So, that's my routine: what about yours? I'd love to know what your daily routine is and whether there are any skincare products you can't live without.

Review: Liz Earle Haircare

Although I'd planned to get lots of work done yesterday evening, after spending the 20 minute train ride back from the Liz Earle haircare preview sniffing the products, I ran home and jumped straight into the shower to test the Botanical Shine Shampoo and Conditioner. What can I say? After a comprehensive, informative and engaging explanation of the product evolution and a bit of show and tell with the ingredients (including smelling the delicious essential oils used in the range, which explains my sniffing on the train!), I expected to love these products. And in shock move, I absolutely did. Could it be any other way when the shampoo is described as 'Cleanse & Polish for hair'?

The range consists of one shampoo for all hair types. That's right, one. See, I told you it was the C&P for hair! The only choice you need to make is for the conditioner, and whether you are normal, oily or dry and damaged. After we all selected the dry and damaged conditioner to take home last night, I predict that one will be a best seller!

Everything is SLS and SLES free, so the challenge was to create products that lathered without stripping essential moisture and colour from the hair (most of us associate a good foam as a sign that we're clean, although the ingredients that make a product lather are not what strips the dirt away - weird, non?) The top tip of the evening was to use a 10p sized amount of product, and, if it doesn't foam, more water should be added. In the past, I have always heaped on more product, so my new mantra for this range will be 'less is more' for the shampoo and 'more is more' when it comes to water! Hair should be completely saturated before you apply the shampoo and although you don't get the kind of lather that enables you to shape your hair into a point on top of your head (no, I've not done this for years either, but it was fun when I was small!) it's a nice foam that you can feel is really working. After I rinsed, I had squeaky clean hair - don't you love it when your hair actually squeaks with cleanliness? - and, delighted, I moved onto conditioning.

How to describe the dry and damaged conditioner? Think of your richest, most luxurious face cream, and that's the texture you've got. I was surprised and delighted at how thick it was, especially as it comes in a tube (textures like that always seem to come in pots that promise miracles!) and the scents are heavenly. Liz and Kim worked to create the beautiful fragrances that have base, middle and top notes, so actually feel like a full-on, indulgent fragrance experience (after 12 hours, my hair still smells incredible, and it got 10 points from the boy who described it as 'very sophisticated and understated. It smells expensive'.) The conditioner is rich in West African shea butter, an ingredient that smoothes the cuticle as it hydrates, leaving us frizz-prone girls with silky, manageable locks. I blow dried after I washed, and using only a heat protectant spray and no styling product or straightening balm, I was able to straighten my hair much more easily than normal. As for the other conditioners, the key ingredient in the oily hair conditioner is black cohosh, which provides finely balanced conditioning that addresses an oily scalp while still nourishing the lengths and ends. The normal hair conditioner contains the very pretty sounding meadowfoam oil which conditions without excessive heaviness. We compared the textures of the dry and damaged with the oily hair conditioners and the difference was marked: the latter was much finer and lighter, which is exactly what you'd expect from such a carefully developed ranged. It was interesting to hear that Liz Earle herself has actually managed to go from using the dry and damaged conditioner to using the normal conditioner, suggesting that they have a cumulative conditioning effect on hair, which is something I'm really hoping for!

Now onto what you really want to know: how did it rate? Well, after I washed it out, my hair was squeaky clean and beautifully soft. As covered in earlier posts, I have dry, damaged, coarse, thick hair, and had moments in my teenage years where it looked as though I was wearing a tumbleweed on my head: ah, the glamour. This morning, I have soft, silky hair that is swishy and shining. And the best part? The shampoo and conditioner are £7.50 a bottle. £7.50! I have paid three times this for a shampoo and even more for a conditioner that have delivered similar or poorer results, but were invariably not 100% natural and contained SLS and SLES. Each bottle contains 29 applications, and in a non-consumerist moment, Liz even challenged us to 'see how little product we can use each time: happily!

The range will be released online and in the Cowes (Isle of Wight) and Duke of York (Chelsea) stores on 2nd September and in John Lewis stores on 6th September. There will be a 'know your hair' page on the site that will recommend the best conditioner for your specific needs, completely removing the mystery from your selection. So, where will I be on 2nd September? In the queue outside the Duke of York store, of course!

Finally, thanks to Andrea, Laura, Louise and the entire Liz Earle team for inviting me to this lovely event and introducing me to yet more amazing products!

Are you excited about this launch and planning to invest, or is this the first you've heard of their hair range?

Don't forget to enter our competition here!

Best of the blogs!

Wow, the pre-birthday weekend has left me feeling exhausted! I've spent the morning in the garden with my folks, soaking up this very welcome sunshine - a rarity in Manchester. It's been a brilliant weekend and I'm really sad to be heading back to London so soon (although I know there's plenty of fun in store for me when I get there!) Happily, I've managed to catch up on all my blog reading today, so here's my round-up of things I'll be doing this week:

Using a toner: I have just discovered The Beauty Mouth blog, and am devouring (excuse the pun) the advice dished out by the lovely Caroline. She's written a fantastic post on the importance of using toners, and I am heading straight out to buy one of her recommendations. Since I've been using Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish and Bliss Steep Clean, I have been getting a few breakouts, which is a little unusual for me. I'd previously put this down to my skin purging all the badness, but having read Caroline's advice, I think it may be down to the fact that I am not redressing the balance of my skin after using some fairly heavy duty cleansing products! Check out her advice here.

Eating!: I think you'll all have realised by now that I love food, and these peanut butter crispy bars from the Smitten Kitchen look like such a naughty but amazing treat. I am sure that I'll make them and quickly devour the entire tray, but surely indulgence is a key component of any birthday celebration?!

Adopting 'the claw': No, this is not a foray into wild animal care but a technique I've observed on two great blogs, involving massage with a rather witchy-looking hand! Ruth of A Model Recommends has recorded a brilliant series on general body gorgeousness, and shows off a great technique for reducing the appearance of pesky cellulite. A similar claw is demonstrated as a 'tool' for facial massage at The Beauty Mouth, so I will hopefully be pummeling myself towards a better body and brighter face this week!

Getting creative: Fee at Makeup Savvy is a wonder at creating amazing nail looks, and she's inspired me to think a little more imaginatively about my weekly at-home manicures. I love her version of the YSL French manicures and will keep you posted on what I manage to create. You should expect a lot less precision from me than you see in Fee's work!!

Finally, don't forget that I still need your recommendations for best MAC lip and eye neutrals for my shopping trip tomorrow. All you need to do is sign up to become a follower and then post your comment here for a chance to win a MAC treat! Hurry, though: only 24 hours to go!