Oh god – this heat and humidity are killing me! I’m simply NOT built for it – my skin feels prickly and hot and I feel faint and slightly nauseous all the time – I know summer is traditionally thought of as the nicest time of the year, but for me and probably for lots of other pale peeps – we need a little help!

I’m convinced my difficulties are in part due to genes – I am of Irish and Northern English stock – few reserves of melanin and pale pale pale. I feel gross and uncomfortable in direct sunshine, and can only bear the heat on holiday if I am near to a pool in which I can constantly immerse myself when I need to cool off! Hell is sightseeing abroad for me I’m afraid… My boyfriend on the other-hand has a very mediteranean genetic makeup – egyptian/maltese – so he basically uses a light spritz of fry-light rather than sunscreen lol!

So how do I cope with the heat? My weapons arsenal includes…

1. SUNSCREEN!

Without doubt the most important weapon in my fight against the heat! I actually wear facial sunscreen all year round in my moisturiser, but as soon as I see a glimmer of light breaking through the grey clouds which traditionally cover the UK for the majority of the year, I lavish my whole body with sunscreen. Prevention is better than cure!

The obvious problem with sunscreen though is sticky thick gloopy cream that just forms a sweaty sticky layer on the skin. I have already mentioned my love of Ambre Solaire clear protect – this is available up to SPF 30, and is a clear spray without a hint of greasiness – I love it – absolutely ZERO greasy feel, and stays comfortable all day in the heat/driving around in the car between visits etc.

I also use a facial sunscreen of SPF 50 every single day in the summer. I’m currently using a mattifying one I picked up from tesco’s (Soleil Beauty) but I’m not sure I’d repurchase it – I think simple’s version is much better, and more matte on the skin…

So why is sunscreen so important – click on this article to find out more -
http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/sunsmart/advice-and-prevention/sunscreens/

2. WATER LOT OF HYDRATION!

Clearly in the summer we are a hell of a lot more prone to dehydration and it really goes without saying that dehydration plays a part in that nauseous listless feeling I get in the heat. I read somewhere that in summer we need to increase our intake from 2 to 3 litres a day to combat the moisture we lose in sweat (yuk)… I can’t really manage that much just on a practical level at work – I can’t go to the loo while I’m out and about on visits, so I just take a bottle around with me to sip and top up when I get back to the office. I have also made a big effort to cut down on caffeine which is a diuretic and therefore dehydrates us even more…

3. THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO OOOH…

One of my other favourite things at the moment is a nice refreshing facial spray – my current fave is the Body Shops vitamin C face spray, purely because the citrussy scent seems to make it so much more refreshing and zingy… Not only is it lovely to spritz on for a quick cool at anytime of the day, but I also discovered that that it is great to spray over the bed before climbing in to stop your temp rocketing… try it! Obviously, other facial sprays are out there – evian do a cheap one, MAC make fix+ etc etc…

I also love rolling the Garnier Nutritionist eye roll on onder my eyes when I feel particularly puffy and swollen with the heat –

I started trying this out a couple of weeks ago and as the heat has increased, I have got more and more addicted to it – we recieved one in our Garnier Goody Bags the other day too, so I have a supply sorted for the next couple of months at least! Phew!

OTHER TIPS –

I was advised on twitter today by MitzyG that putting your knickers in the freezer is great way to start the day!

Eating mint – this is a natural way to keep your body cool.

Avoid man-made fibres and wear a lot of cotton!

Anyone got any other ideas? All tips greatfully recieved!!!

MizzWorthy

All my pretties together!

I know a lot of people out there are interested in Illamasqua’s blushers, so I thought I would show you the ones I have, complete with some swatches/thoughts etc…

First of all, Illamasqua blushers come in two forms – cream and powder. Both types are well pigmented and I find that they last really well once applied.

Cream blushers – £16 for 4g of product, 14 shades are available. I have read a lot of comments/reviews about the cream blushers saying that people dislike the fact that at times (especially in hot weather) these sometimes get “beads” of an oily substance on the surface. While this is true, I’ve never found that it effects the quality of the product – I actually think this substance keeps the blusher moist and makes them really easy to blend. I can see however why some people might not like this, so this might be worth considering…

They can be applied on top of/under foundation for different effects. I usually dot it on with my used foundation brush and blend with fingers or a brush designed for creams/liquids (usually my foundation brush). They can be built up from subtle to full on dramatic looks. What I also love about these is that they can be used on the lips too.

So here are my cream blushers…
1. LIES

I actually don’t think this would work as a blusher on most people apart from the super super pale – I consider myself really pale (MAC foundation NC15/20 for example) and this doesn’t work as a blusher on me – I use this as a highlighter around the browbone and cheekbone. I also use it and a lipgloss. I think this could also be used to tone down other more vibrant colours or adding shimmer to other blushers (this is the only shimmery blusher they make at the moment).

2. DIXIE

This one is a really wearable peachy-raspberry pink. Goes with most colours and although it looks a bit loud in the pan, it’s very wearable when blended.

3. RUDE

This one is has been described as a cream version of NARS Gina (by the lovely Bubblegarm) – I don’t actually own that so I’m not sure, but as you can see by the dent I have created in it, its one of my most reached for cream colours – it also looks great on lips.

4. PROMISE

This one is a cool lilac pink with blue-ish undertones. Works well with blue and purple eye looks. Again, can be built up or kept subtle.

4. LIBIDO

OK, So I admit it, this one is farly scary in the pan – I have only recently purchased this. It is a gorgeous bright orange-red, a classic tomato shade if you will! For some reason I always feel attracted to red blushers, but I really really really love this on the lips – below is a (not very good) picture of this swiped onto the list using fingers…

I personally adore this shade, but it’s definately not for the faint hearted!

Finally on the cream blush front, here are some swatches…

Top row L to R – Rude, Dixie, Promise. Bottom row Libido, Lies.

Powder Blushers – Again these cost £16 for 4.5g of product. 28 shades are available. All the ones I have so far are really well pigmented. Because of the size of the pan as well, they are easy to use even with bigger brushes (again, same goes for the cream blushers). Some of the powder blushers might appeal more to pro’s or makeup artists – eg Possess – a yellow shade, however a lot of the shades are really wearable. They are all matte, and I find them easy to blend – they also last really well on the skin (unlike MAC’s powder blushers in my opinion!)

1. INTRUIGUE

Obviously, this is not really best described as a blusher – it is a matte, pure white powder. I love this as a highlighter for more formal looks – it adds a sheen to the skin without adding shimmer if that makes sense. Can be used below the eyebrow as well as a brow highlighter. Can also be used over other more vibrant powder blushers in order to tone them down and give a “doll-like” effect.

2.MISCHIEF

Again, this is clearly not a blusher for most skintones – Illamasqua do a lot of “brown” blushers – all designed to be used as contour shades. This is one of the lighter ones and works really well on my skintone. There are loads of different contour shades available.

3. NYMPH

A really easy to wear pale dusky pink, with cool undertones – I’d class this as an “everyday” blusher, it goes with pretty much everything cool or pink toned…

4. LOVER

My other “everyday” blush – a pale peachy shade, warmer in nature than nymph (obviously what with it being peach lol). Again goes with anything peachy based – Nymph and Lover are probably the ones to go for if you like versatile colours or are pale. Would probably also work on darker skins but in a different way…

I have to say, this is my personal favourite of all the Illamasqua blushers I own – its a matte hot orange shade. Wierdly though, even though this is matte, it doen’t look like a “flat” colour on the skin. Obviously if you are a fan of neutral looks, then this may not be the one for you, but I adore this shade. Both this shade and Tweak (below) and both pigmented enough to use as eye colours as well.

6. TWEAK

Yet another scary looking colour – this ones a pinky red shade. The reason I bought this? I saw this picture – http://krystleclayton.blogspot.com/2009/06/dotty.html on Krystle’s blog, and I came over all creative lol… It can be applied with a brush like the MAC 188 for a less intense look though! A really pretty colour, which looks great paired with simple lips and a black winged eyeliner.

Powder Blush swatches…

Top row – L to R – Lover, Tweak, Nymph. Bottom row – Excite, Mischief.

So there you go – well done for getting to the end if you have lol! If you want any more info on any of the shades I own (No doubt further colours will be added lol) then please feel free to ask anything and request swatches or looks etc…Does anyone own any other shades? I’d love to see what ya got! After all, it would enable my addiction further!

MizzWorthy xxx

A couple of weeks ago I was emailed by Camilla from the PR company which represents the french skincare lines Vichy and La Roche-Posay, which are launching in the UK at the moment. This was a bit different to the normal PR emails however as instead of just blindly sending me a few random products to try, they actually asked me about my skin type and current concerns before sending me things to try – top marks for that!

Finally for night time, I recieved the “Aqualia Thermal Fortifying and Soothing 24Hr Hydrating Concentrate”, which is a serum like formula which is designed to rehydrate the skin etc (Camilla advised me that my skin sounds like it may be dehydrated rather than simply “dry” (dehydration leads to the skin producing more oil which leads to spots see!) I also recieved “Aqualia Thermal Hydrating and Soothing Lotion” which is basically a light textured but very hydrating moisturiser.

All of Vichy’s products contain “Mineral Rich Thermal Spa Water”. Vichy claim that this water is enriched with 15 minerals and 13 trace elements – they say it sooths and comforts the skin, is rich in anti-oxidants, helps maintain the skin’s pH balance and reinforces the skins natural protection.

I was amongst the lucky peeps who got invited to the L’oreal headquarters down in London last night for the Garnier event.

Obviously prior to this a little look round the shops was in order! I was pleased to meet up with Janaka (JJ26) Rebecca (Panda), Cat (Swirled Peacat), Olivia (OliviaCosmetics), and Amy (Lipgloss86), and we were also joined later by Mushine (Bubblegarm). I FINALLY got to have a look round the Beauty Meccca that is Selfridges beauty hall – fab! Although, I have to say I was disappointed by NARS usual problem of never having stuff in! I also called at the Kheils counter too to ask about moisturiser, and was majorly annoyed by the “Can’t be bothered” attitude of the staff who tried to get me to buy a whole skincare regime. I left without anything from them lol! Obviously a little call into the Illamasqua counter was mandatory for me – will post about that separately though!

The actual building the event was held in – L’Oreal HQ – was really lovely – one of those modern, clean and miminalist glass sided buildings… We met up with lots of other bloggers including Kelly (Kelanjo) and Laura (Tallulahbella) who very kindly also offered to rescue me from wondering round London all day too! All the PR people at the event seemed really lovely – They made the effort to come and speak to each of us in person. We also had an AMAZING buffet laid on, which was extremely welcome at the end of a day wandering around London in the heat! I am happy to report that M&S Percy Pig sweets were on the table – my fave indulgence lol!

I was also really pleased to finally meet Natalie, who works for the PR company that organised the event – she was really helpful in the run up to this (and past events), in answering all my schtoopid questions anout booking train tickets etc, so I was really pleased to meet her, and say thank you in person.

After food, we sat down for a presentation re the company, and a breakdown of their products. The speakers all seemed very knowledgeable about the products and were also passionate about the way the company uses science in order to “extract the best bits of nature” – this means that the products are affordable, and natural, but also hopefully effective!

After the presentation we had a little mingle and a chance to have a look at the ranges and talk to the product managers about the ranges…

We also recieved a HUGE bag of stuffies to try and review. The main product we were all introduced to during the event was the new PureActive range. This is targeted at “Problem skin”, and the products claim to tackle blemishes and red marks (which is a first!), and also promise to give results from the first day of use! The range includes a roll on “On the Spot” treatment (if you have the caffeine eye roll on from the nutritionist range then this is packaged in the same way – very handy for throwing in your handbag). There is also a Deep Pore Unclogging Wash, a Blackhead Clearing Scrub, a Spot Purifying Toner and a Spot Fighting 24-Hr Moisturiser. I have enlisted the help of my lovely BF Phil in testing this range as well as trying them out myself – he has acne prone skin, and I have issues with hormonal breakouts from time to time, so it will be interesting to see what he makes of it… He did have a little try of the scrub and the moisturiser this morning and said he thought it was “Good”, and felt “a bit tingly” – which he feels is an auspicious start lol. Will keep you all posted on that one!

We also got a few other bits of skincare to try as you can see – a “Clean Detox” exfoliating wash, a Nutritionist Caffeine eye roll-on and a Pro X anti-ageing moisturiser.

I’m also super pleased that we got some Ambre Solaire sunscreen products. My pale sickly looking skin is NOT made to deal with the sun, and I always wear the highest factor I can get lol! Clear protect, which is my all time fave suscreen – feels totally not sticky, even in high factors. We also got a bottle of the new “Light and Silky” lotion to try out, and I got a couple of lovely bottles of spray on factor 50 (Or liquid lead as my lovely BF calls it – I used this last year on holiday, and it worked very well – I was pleased to come back just as pale as when I went – proof that it works lol – After all suntanned skin is damaged skin etc!).

To combat the paleness, we also got a can of no streaks bronzer in “Light Glow” – I’m going to be testing this out his week too! Also a bottle of my HG everyday body lotion – HydraLock – which I blogged about a couple of weeks ago – LOVE the stuff! We also got some Body Tonic Sugar scrub to try – I haven’t ever tried this one before…

As L’Oreal are also involved with the Maybelline range – we got a few goodies from them thrown in too – lots of mascaras to try. Can you believe, I have NEVER tried Great Lash before! Can’t wait to try these two hair dyes too – Herbashine apparently works in 10 minutes.

Ok – if you have made it this far well done! I just wanted do a few mini-reviews of the stuff I’ve tried so far and love.

First up – HydraLock Body Lotion – I have really dry legs and they itch like mad some times – this is the only product I’ve found that stops this! A bargain too – the 250ml bottle is only around £2.99.

Clean Sensitive Moisture Infusion Cleansing Water – If you are a fan of the Body Shop Camomile eye makeup remover, then I’d reccommend trying this one out – it feels like water and you swipe it over the face on cotton-wool. It removed my makeup well, without making my skin feel irritated, which is a rarity for me with drugstore ranges. I would never have bought this to try, but I’m really glad I got one – def repurchase for me!

Caffeine Eye Roll-On – I really like this, especially in this hot weather. It feels so refreshing and cool, and seems to give a nice temporary lifting and tightening effect – I’m not sure about long term effects, but this is a lovely thing to have in your handbag to perk up your skin when you feel a bit tired mid-afternoon…

PureActive On The Spot Roll on – same packaging as the caffeine roll on. This contains 2% Salycilic acid, which is apparently the highest concentration available over the counter. This promises to dry op spots and reduce red marks (you know those really annoying residual marks after a spot…) from the first day of use. Well, I’ve been dabbing this on my breakout today, and I’ve already noticed a reduction in redness – I’ll keep you all posted on this one too!

Anyone tried any of these products? Any other recommendations?

MizzWorthy x

A close up of the eye… guess who just got shown how to use paint!

Yet again, my camera has done a wonderful job of washing the colour out – it did look brighter in real life I promise!

Oh, and I think that double layering of the eye makeup worked really well – I applied this at mid-day, and several hours of shopping etc later, it’s still intact and the colour looks as intense as it did earlier – It’s 10 to 11 at night now, and it still looks great!

What do you all think?

What tricks do you all use to make eyeshadow last – UDPP has proved to be a letdown, so I’m looking for recommendations!

MizzWorthy

When I first read about this product, I actually had to check the date… But no, it’s not April the 1st… I still have some suspicions that this may be a joke though…
This is apparently, the latest offering from…. Burger King!!!???
They say this new male fragrance has a beefy base note – sounds delightful right? But apparently it sold out within 4 days in the USA when it was launched…

As for the choice of model? We aint talking Hollyoaks Hottie here (UK teen soap…), oh no, the BK peeps have made the spokesmodel for this particular product, a certain Piers Morgan… Yep, you read that right….

So who’s gonna be searching this one out for their Daddy on Sunday then? I somehow can’t imagine my dad wanting this one… I think he’d actually prefer Brut or something lol… still maybe for the novelty value?

I have read a few reviews of these nail varnishes lately, so I was happy to be offered some to try! Although Ciate sounds like a French brand, it is actually British… The range was developed by British celeb manicurist Charlotte Straughan.

The polishes last resonably well too – I’ve tried this polish a couple of times and got 3-4 days wear pre-chipping… I am not one of those people who wears rubber gloves for the washing up or anything (And yet I am constantly surprised when my nails break…Lol)

I don’t know about the rest of you, but at the moment, I’m not exactly flush – so in these “Financially Embarassed” times, I thought it might be a good idea to share some of the recent treasures I have found in my nearest drugstores!

First up, some body care goodies…

I have sahara like dry skin on my legs, and prior to discovering Garniers Hydralock body lotion, I spend many a night trying to resist the urge to scratch my legs to pieces while trying to drop off to sleep – this stuff is a godsend for me, the only body lotion that actually does keep me hydrated for any decent length of time. It’s unscented though, which makes it feel a little utilitarian at times, hence I also regularly call on my Jergens lotions, which smell really fresh and clean (thanks to Laura for introducing me to this stuff… I might not have looked twice at it otherwise!). I also love Loreal Nutrisummer gradual tanner – its very hydrating and comes in formulas for different shades of skin, so it prevents me from looking too orange or looking “fake tanned”, and because its gradual its virtually foolproof…

At work, I have to wash my hands a lot with delightful NHS infection controlling soap, and I also use a lot of alcohol hand gel between visits in the car and out and about… as a result my hands get really dry at times, so I like a really rich handcream for overnight use. I’m currently using Garnier Skin Naturals (although to be honest given the unpronouncable list of ingredients in this, I’m not sure how well this fits into the “natural” category!). I am also a fan of Dove overnight cream, and the Body Shop Hemp handcream. For my lips, I usually have a tin of vaseline lurking about at the bottom of my handbag somewhere, and I also LOVE Palmers Dark Chocolate and Peppermint lip butter – this goes on as a clear gloss, and it just smells divine, but the peppermint stops it from being too sickly. I’m on my second tube of this!

In the past my HG mascara was YSL’s Faul Cils, however since starting this blog and following others, I’ve realised that drugstore mascara is a far more savvy option – I change my mascara about every 3 months for hygiene reasons, so why spend £25 when you can pick up great ones for less than half the price?

My current favourite drugstore mazzies? Barry M intense black 3 in 1 mascara – claims to lengthen, volumise and curl, and it actually does! A real surprise to me, I recieved this at the Barry M event, and I really didn’t expect much, but for about a fiver, this stuff is fantastic, and really buildable too. A definate repurchase for me! I also love Max Factors False Lash Effect macara – which is marketed as Lash Blast in the USA. Once you get used to the strange brush on this, it gives amazing length and definition to the lashes – I have never had any clumping issues with this one. Another fave, and one which is a bit of a “marmite” mascara (ie you either love it or hate it..), is Rimmel’s Sexy Curves mascara. I personally love this and find it gives lovely “doll like” lashes. All there retail for around £10 or less…

Unfortunately, not all drugstore mascara’s are equal… two recent releases I had high hopes for…

(Sorry for the appalling photo!) … Loreal telescopic explosion and Maybelline Stilletto Lash, were two mascara’s that just didn’t work for me. Telescopic explosion is an apparent dupe for Givenchy’s Phenomeneyes (in terms of the wand at least, which is basically a spiky ball shape). I know a lot of people really like this, but I personally was very disappointed, and found that the product (or rather the wand) made my lashes really clump up. Similarly Lash Stiletto didn’t really lengthen my lashes unfortunately!

I love nail polish, both high and low end. I am a particular fan of getting “trend” colours from drugstore ranges too…

From L to R – Barry M Coral(no 296) a lovely bright shade for summer; Rimmel Lasting Finish in Dancing Queen, a classic orange based red; MissSporty Number 111, a two-tone coral with gold flecks; Rimmel 60 seconds Vinyl Shine in “Pulsating”, a fabulous rich purple-fuscia; Rimmel 60 seconds Vinyl shine in “Movie Star”, a gorgeous disco style glittery red; Barry m turquise (No 295). I have also heard very good things about the revlon polishes, but I’m yet to give them a go!

Well done if you have made it this far lol, not long to go now! Above, we have Miss Sporty Fabulous eye glosses in Vinyl (black with silver shimmer), Flower (cream with gold shimmer – also makes a fabulous cheek bone highlighter) and Pool (Pale blue). These make great eye bases and can also be applied simply with fingers for a simple look. Clooection 2000′s range of loose shadows/pigments are also really great value – they have a great range of colours and cost around £4 or less – pictured is Jaffa a lovely golden orange colour. Obviously Barry M dazzle dusts are always worth checking out – My personal favourites are shown here – Mushroom (No 51), which is a lovely grey with a pink/purple undertone, and Petrol Blue (No 98) a dark inky two tone shade. Rimmel’s Mono eye shadows are also worth a look – they don’t always have the greatest range of colours though! Pictured are Tempted (Blue) and Envy (Green).
MEMEME’s range often contains drugstore versions of more expensive products – Poppy tint is meant to be a dead ringer for Benefits Posie tint, while Beat the Blues is similar to Moon Beam.
I also recently purchased Sleeks “Glisten Me” liquid illuminator in Empress, which I really like – great value too, you get a whopping 30 mls for around a fiver (sorry, I can’t remember the exact price!) I picked this up while I was trying to get hold of the new neon plaette, but unforunately all the nes in Superdrug had been tampered with and smushed up… ((

Finally, a special mention to some lovely pencils I have in my collection!

Barry M’s shimmering lip and eye crayons are great chunky pencils with a very smooth and creamy texture – they make good inexpensive eye bases (they do feel a little heavier on than paintpots etc, but work really well for the price…)

I also discovered the Prestige “Total Intensity” Kohl based liners thanks to BritishBeautyBlogger (www.britishbeautyblogger.blogspot.com)- they come in a range of colours, such as purple or olive (both shown here), but the genius stroke is that they all have a black undertone to them. They are really smudgeable so great for creating a smudgy eyeline, and they last remarkably well for a drugstore liner. These retail for approx £4.50, and I cant recommend these particular liners highly enough… (I don’t like Prestige’s regular liners as I personally find them hard and poorly pigmented – if you want to try these, make sure you pick up the Total Intensity ones!)

So, well done, you made it to the end of the post!

I need to know now if you have any recommendations for me? What other products from the drugstores am I miss
ing out on?

MizzWorthy xxx