Benefit

For the next three days Benefit are offering a free brow tint when you pay for a brow arch at one of their fabulous boutiques. Just take the above voucher along with you for your appointment and you will fabulous eyebrows in no time at all.

Angela Langford

There are lots of things to love about Angela Langford’s products, for one you feel like you are dealing with a person and not a faceless company. All the products come wrapped in pink tissue paper and if you pay for post and packaging she will send you a selection of products specifically for your skin type for free. So if my ramblings of greatness don’t convince you, try the products for yourself.

First up let’s talk about the balanced and beautiful oil £22.55. I have tended to stay away from using oils on my face, I still get the occasional spot outbreak and thought using a face oil probably wouldn’t help the matter. It’s a totally different experience from using a regular moisturiser, and the first thing I noticed was the smell, it is absolutely fantastic. It has a scent of sweet ginger and a hint of citrus with a natural freshness that is like no other moisturiser I have tried. It didn’t feel greasy when I put it on and it only took two drops to cover my face and neck. I found it needs less rubbing into the skin too absorb but I end up spending ages massaging my face as it just felt so soft afterwards. I tend to put it on after an evening bath before I go to bed and the next morning my face looks and feels like it has just been moisturised. Everything about the product from the smell to the texture makes you feel like you are really treating your skin to something special.

Beautiful Eyes £17.45 is another great smelling product but the scent is lighter than the oil. I haven’t really used eye creams regularly before but considering that next year I turn the big 30 I thought it best I start at least thinking about it. Beautiful Eyes is a cream that just melted into my skin, you only have to use the most gentlest of movements and it soaks into your skin. It’s packed full of lots of lovely natural ingredients to tighten, plump and sooth the skin around your eyes.  

With both products a little really goes along way and there is something fundamentally superior about these two products, because there are no chemicals and the quality of ingredients used. I loved them both, the luxurious application as they both melt into the skin and the instantly better looking skin they produce. These products aren’t going to give you a totally new face but they will make you much happier about the one you have got.

Broke but Beautiful - Coffee

Has the summer left your wallet feeling a bit light? Are you in need of some pampering but just don't have the funds? Well don't worry as I am going to give you a few tips on looking your best on a strict budget! First up a little known use for leftover coffee grounds.


Drinking coffee, it has been claimed, can have positive effects on a person’s health. In 2009 studies proposed that coffee consumption could help to lower the risk of coronary heart disease in women, can help prevent diabetes, lower the risk of liver cancer, endometrial cancer, strokes, depression and cognitive failure.


There has also been suggested a link between the caffeine found in coffee and cellulite, caffeine contains chemicals known as Methylxanthine, which are thought to break down fat. You can even buy caffeine tights that aim to shrink thighs and improve the look of the dreaded orange peel. Drinking a few cups a day has been said to reduce cellulite and some of the most expensive cellulite creams contain caffeine.


A lesser known use for coffee is as an amazing exfoliator, never will your skin have felt so soft. The used grounds from a cafetiere make a perfect scrub when mixed with a little shower gel. Using firm, circular motions, rub the coffee mix all over body when in the bath or shower, paying particular attention to elbows, thighs, knees and ankles. Rinse well so there is no residue left behind and moisturise after drying.


If you aren’t a coffee drinker some large coffee chains give away free grounds, just ask at the counter. As used coffee grounds have a tendency to go off, I portion mine up into sandwich bags and pop them in the freezer.

Broke but Beautiful - Banana

Bananas are a super fruit given their high potassium content, which helps lower blood pressure, and impressive vitamin and mineral count, make the banana a great snack. Vitamin A is needed for healthy vision and skin, Vitamin B which is important for the immune and nervous systems, folic acid, Vitamin C which is full of antioxidants, Calcium and Magnesium.


The fruit are claimed to help with a huge variety of health problems including anaemia, high blood pressure, constipation, depression, heartburn, nerves and stress. It’s also claimed to be great for PMS and make into a smoothie for a great hangover cure.


There are some people however, that even given all the nutritional goodness are afraid of bananas, which is called bananaphobia. It may sound strange but it is more common than people think to be afraid of the yellow fruit. One of my friends is so scared of bananas her flatmate has to eat them secretly, making sure she hides the skins in the bottom of the bin.


Bananas also make a quick and simple hair and face mask that will leave you hair soft and shiny and your face smooth and soft. Simply place a banana in a food processor with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Blitz to a smooth and creamy consistency and smoother onto face and hair in a thick layer. Leave on for 15 minutes and then rinse off with cold water, wash face and hair as normal.


This is a really good trick to use up bananas that have been become bruised or are less than fresh!

Nubar Nail Lacquer

It took me ages to decide which to colours I wanted to try from the huge amount available at Beauty Shed but when they arrived I was really pleased with my choices. The one on the left is Wildlife £8 an olive tone with a duochrome effect which has sparkles of pink and gold in it. 

The second shade I went for was Moon Shadow £8 which is a dark violet pearlsecent tone with hints of gold and black. 

Both shades were really easy to apply thanks to the well shaped lid and only two coats were needed to create a look that gave a great impact. I ended up applying a coat of Wildlife over a coat of Moon Shadow which looked fabulous and brought out the gold tones in both colours. I always forget what a difference a couple of coats on nail varnish makes and luckily these varnishes lasted the best part of a week without chipping. 


Top Tip - If you don't have the steadiest hand when it comes to applying nail varnish don't worry.  All you need to do is apply the best you can and not worry about getting it on your skin. After the polish has dried (leave at least 20 minutes) go and do the washing up or let your hands soak in the bath. It pulls off all the nail varnish on your skin and leaves it on your nails. 

Benefit Free Delivery

Until midnight on the 13th September Benefit are offering free delivery when you buy the POREfessional.  If like me you are slightly depressed that winter has reared its ugly head and summer has left us, head over to the Benefit website  enter the code POREDEL4 to claim free delivery to cheer yourself up.  

Eat your way to better skin

If you have very dry skin try foods rich in beta-carotene such as spinach and red and yellow peppers.    

To combat oily skin try swapping butter for olive oil instead.

For skin prone to spots and acne, add selenium-rich food such as cashew nuts, brazil nuts and sunflower seeds.