NEW SKINCARE BITS

It's been a while since I did a skincare post and since the last time I've pared things back quite a bit. A few reasons for this - my Advanced Night Repair ran out and I'm too poor to repurchase the big one at the moment, and apart from some INTENSE hormonal issues last month (gross, TMI) my skin's been really not too bad.

I still have the same issues I've always had (dullness, scarring etc) just with less breakouts. Hurrah! No idea why though - I've slept in my makeup a couple of times in the past few weeks so it really should be kicking up a spotty shitstorm, but hey ho, fingers crossed this random spell of good skin luck lasts a bit longer!

I have totes just jinxed myself.

Anway, onto the new bits...

Indeed Labs - Hydraluron Moisture Booster

I read about this over at Beauty Mouth (my new obsession) and Caroline's review was so glowing I ran out and bought it that day. Essentially it's pretty much pure hyaluronic acid which sounds scary but totes isn't. It's a chemical our skin makes naturally which allows it to absorb water particles and keep it plumped and baby soft. The natural hyaluronic acid we produce disappears as we got older (hello wrinkles) so the synthetic stuff is often found in anti-ageing moisturisers and the like. This, though, you slap on BEFORE your normal moisturiser to maximise it's absorption and make it work more efficiently. It's just a clear, scentless gel and it sinks in straight away.

I've been using it day and night underneath both my REN sensitive skin moisturiser and my Lancome Hydra Zen and it works fine. In terms of results, since I've never had dry skin I can't say I notice that it's WAY more moisturised, but certainly something I've been doing is keeping breakouts and excess oil at bay and I'm inclined to think it's this since I've been using it for around a month now. It's fairly cheap from Boots too so I probably will repurchase. But I can't lie, I am pining for more ANR...

La Roche Posay - Effaclar Duo

I've used a few products from the LRP Effaclar range before with mixed results, but I've heard a few whisperings about this badboy on the blogosphere and knew I would have to try it for myself. I'm not convinced I know exactly what it is though...? The packaging says it's "corrective and unclogging anti-imperfection care" but what does that MEAN?

 The instructions say to use it all over your face rather than just on problem areas so that's what I've been doing and I find it's working out well as a kind of all-in-one product. I expected it to be quite harsh or stripping, but surprisingly it's actually pretty moisturising, and once it sinks in it leaves the skin comfortable and matte without any stinging or tingling. The last few days I've been using Hydraluron and then this and then a little bit of the Dermatologica mattifier as a primer and it's been working great. Feels weird to skip a separate moisturiser though, but as I said, this weird wee product kind of does it all. I don't think I can credit this with sorting out my skin since I've only been using it for a week, but I'm ALL about preventing new blemishes so I'll stick with this for the time being.

Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash*

A wee sample of this was sent to me by those nice folk over at PURE Spa (keep an eye out for their upcoming Good Skincare Campaign - a cause close to my heart since, yi know, I'm obsessed and all) and I love it!

Elemis is a brand I always associate with spas as I never see it for sale anywhere else, except online, and I tend to equate its exclusivity with high quality and that's definitely true in this case. It's one of those products designed to chemically speed up cell turnover and is part of their anti-ageing range, but it's really for anyone into using AHA's or BHA's (think Alpha H Liquid Gold or REN Glycolic Peel) for exfoliation. All the RAGE these days dahling!

This is by far and away the most gentle yet effective facial cleansing wash I've used. It removes dirt and makeup, does that whole thick, luxurious foaming thing that's so DELICIOUSLY pleasing, smells gorgeous and doesn't leave a weird film on the skin afterwards. I haven't checked the ingredients but I'd be willing to bet this is because the glycerin content is low, but nor does it strip the skin either. Genuinely so glad to have found this and will definitely repurchase.

Jergens Original Beauty Lotion*

Again, this was sent to me for review but I was pretty happy to accept it since I've used the Jergens Naturals range before and enjoyed it. Well, as much as someone who never really uses body moisturisers cos of the FAFF FACTOR can enjoy a faffy body moisturiser...

This appears to be a relaunch of a "brand classic" and the big selling point, according to Jergens, is the sweet cherry and almond scent. To this end, the package they sent me contained some cute but completely DESTROYED cherry bakewell tarts and a bag of sugared almonds. Which was a nice thought...

And yes, the strong scent is the first thing you notice about this. I happen to like cherry bakewell tarts RATHER A LOT so the scent is pleasing to me, but I know loads of folk are funny about sweet smells and this may put you off. Happily (or unhappily) it doesn't linger for too long on the skin and the moisturiser itself is thick and absorbs quickly. I may well repurchase this but I'm still loving body oils for winter, when I can be bothered at ALL that is.

By the way, Jergens are running a Facebook competition to win a goody bag worth over £600. Click the link if you want, but I won't shoot you if you don't.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

I'd been interested in the Origins Drink Up overnight hydrating mask for a while since it's been raved about absolutely everywhere, but I held off because I'm not sure it would be all that beneficial for my skin type. This, on the other hand, sounded RIGHT oop ma street. It contains Mankua honey (as the second ingredient which means it really does ACTUALLY contain a tangible quantity) which draws moisture to the skin and calms any irritations or breakouts.

I put this clear, creamy mask on once or twice a week and leave it for a few hours if I can. By the time I rinse it away it's almost completely dry and my skin feels absolutely gorgeous afterwards. Not one for those who prefer a clay-style clarifying mask but if you're looking for organic hydration with soothing properties and a LUSH mandarin and vanilla scent then this is for you.

Origins Modern Friction exfoliatior

This isn't TECHNICALLY mine but it hangs about in the shower so, YI KNOW, I've given it a go.

I've been on the lookout for a good manual exfoliator for a while, and after a disastrous dalliance with Simple, I think I've found one. I know some folk think manual exfoliators are bad for your skin (my new skincare Yoda Caroline Hirons included) but I find that my skin often gets badly irritated by AHA exfoliators like Liquid Gold and even the Origins Brighter by Nature peel pads can leave it red and sore, plus sometimes you just NEED that satisfying scrubbing action!

This is the best of both worlds - the beads of rice starch aren't too scratchy and the thick cream contains lemon oil to soften and soothe. I'm not a fan of the weird smell but I can get over it. I'm definitely going to have to buy my own soon before my Dad's girlfriend notices hers is being slowly pilfered from under her nose...

So that's what I've been using recently. Next on my list is the Emma Hardie cleansing balm (always), a new bottle of Advanced Night Repair (double always) and that Clinique anti-dark circles roll on thingamajig. As ever though, if you have any awesome recommendations by all means PLEASE ENABLE ME!

And by the way, thanks for the comments on my last post, peeps. Especially Jessica, whoever you are. Your comment made my life day! I hope y'all didn't think I was fishing or anything. I mean, maybe I was a little bit... It's just nice to be reassured folk are interested in the same mince I am and can stomach my ramblings, especially amidst a barrage of constant outfit posts and Glossybox reviews.

I think I was just having a bit of a weird insecure moment about it all. You know when you meet new people and they say "So, you're a BLOGGER," and you die of embarrassment a little inside? Yeah. That. I would never want folk to take FFS as an accurate representation of my serious writing style or anything - CRINGEFEST! At the end of the day it is what it is. A glimpse into the frivolous guff that takes up a large portion of my time, because, ultimately, I'm too chicken to write publically about anything else. And I'm just going to carry on the same way as before because GODDAMNIT I enjoy talking about clothes and makeup and whatever else, and I've got to do SOMETHING in between opts at work, right?!

Love y'all.

LBD: DAMSEL IN A DRESS*

Who doesn't love a smart LBD?

When I was contacted recently by Damsel in a Dress to pick one of their pieces for review, I instantly knew what I would be opting for...

The smart-yet-practical Rosa dress is a panelled, thick jersey calf-length black dress which I had visions of wearing to one of the HUNNERS of job interviews that would surely be heading my way after weeks of franticly applying for everything remotely communications based...RIGHT? Pfft, thats a whole nother story!

Anyway, a kickass LBD was the very thing I needed to conquer the world of work, and the Rosa arrived promptly near-enough the next day. Packaged beautifully I must add...

Initially when I tried it on I was convinced I'd found my ideal smart work/interview/classy dress. Not too low cut, conservative length, just the right ammount of sass - IDEAL. Until my dad, who happened upon me prancing about the hall pretending to be Joan from Mad Men, loudly exclaimed, "Jesus, you're barely in that thing."

JEEZE. THANKS, PAW.

But he was right - upon closer inspection it really was a smidge too tight... For the workplace anyway.

As is ALWAYS my issue (sigh), the dress fit perfectly around my bust, arms and waist, and thanks to the considerable thickness of the material did a fair bit of sooking in too, but clung round my hips and bahookie. I ordered a 10 thinking that the stretch would compensate but I guess I was asking just  a bit too much of it.

The problem is that I'm sure if I'd ordered a 12, while it would no-doubt have fit round my bum, it would have gaped unattractively at my waist. Most 12s do.

GAHD. My life is so hard. *takes another bite of donut*

MOANING aside, I can't really blame the dress for my fat ass. What Damsel in a Dress have created is a line of comfortable, form-fitting, classy dresses (and coats and tops too) which I was really very impressed with. I couldn't fault the quality of the finish either - for £149 you most definitely get what you pay for.

If you're in the market for a dress like this check them out here.

*I was sent this item for free but I was not paid for my review. I keep it real, innit.

CAPYBARA... NO, WAIT, CHAOPHRAYA

Last Tuesday my pal Jenna and I were invited along to check out Glasgow's newest swanky Thai restaurant, Capybara. I MEAN CHAOPHRAYA. I'm not even joking you guys, I like to think I'm a moderately intelligent gal but you've no idea the issues I have with pronouncing that. I just can't get my mouth around it at all, so be GLAD you're reading this and I'm not actually trying to describe it to you because I've been calling it Capybara whenever anyone's asked. (And just for reference, this a capyabara - the world's largest rodent. Basically a giant rat you could ride like a donkey. *SHUDDER*)

Anyway, yeah, Chaophraya. Here comes the science!

In July 2012, Chaophraya opened Europe’s largest Thai restaurant in Glasgow! Set in one of the city’s most iconic buildings, The Townhouse on Buchanan Street, it will offer guests the ultimate Thai dining experience in a spectacular setting.

With authentic dishes created by award-winning Development Chef, Ron Tammakeysar, diners can enjoy an array of gastronomic delights. There will also be the introduction of an exclusive range of Scottish-Thai fusion dishes which can be followed by a glass of whisky from the restaurant’s extensive collection.

I do love me a free meal - a girl's gotta eat- but ESPECIALLY if it's Thai since that's one of my favourite kinds of foods. I mean, there's not really much I won't eat, but Thai is right up there. We were invited to sample the Thai Tuesday deal which consists of a sharing platter of goodies and a cocktail for £9.99 per person. It was meant to be served in the slightly less formal Palm Sugar Lounge downstairs but we were whisked straight up to the restaurant which is P.O.S.H! I had to actually check cos I figured they'd made a mistake seating us up there (and I think they probably did) but they insisted we could have the Thai Tuesday in the restaurant as well. Which is what we got. Along with two extremely strong and delicious frozen margaritas...

I wore the cosmic Evil Twin dress cos I'm obsessed with it.

The sharing platter was mighty tasty, if a little small. Still worth £9.99 each though, especially given the fact the cocktails alone are £7.50! Our platter was made up of chicken satay, shredded spicy pork, chicken spring rolls, prawn tempura and spicy duck salad. YUM! But I do think it's maybe meant to be more of a lunch or a snack rather than yer actual tea. Plus, yi know, Jenna and I are a pair of absolute munchers, so we also got a portion of the special beef fried rice to share which we ate so fast I couldn't get a photo but it was delish, and then a flowering tea each too.

Before we went I'd read some lukewarm reviews about slow service but we had no issues like that at all. In fact our waitress, whose name I've now STUPIDLY FORGOTTEN like an eejit, was extra lovely and accommodating, as was the girl at the front desk who gave us this wee bow as we walked in. CUTE!

Overall we would both give it a solid 8/10. The main menu is quite pricey for a pauper like me, but the Thai Tuesday deal is definitely worth a tenner, the service is great, the surroundings are totally lush and the food is scrummy. BOOM, there's yer dinner. (Literally.)

Chaophraya is located on the corner of Nelson Mandela Sq and Buchanan Street on the opposite corner to Urban Outfitters, next to the underground. If you live in Glasgow or are visiting, you should definitely check it out.

URBAN OUTFITTERS SUMMER SALE

Heads up, y'all, the ever-awesome Urban Outfitters summer sale starts tomorrow.

Some summery lovelies I'm hoping to see come down in price include:

Insane but fierce, right?

Oh Urban, This is so dangerous, it's PAY WEEK! Jeeze. REALLY Hoping the weather picks back up so I can kick about the park in some of these wee dresses...

Also, if you were expecting a post about the Scottish Fashion Awards, sorry to disappoint but I wasn't there! Instead I was out having a lovely time watching Prometheus which, by the way, is awesome. Don't believe the crap reviews - although some of the characters are a little 2D it's still a total EPIC. Go see it.

HOWEVER I did check out the winners this morning and I'm glad to see Mulberry, Hayley Scanlan, Karen Gillan and William Chambers among the list. Shame to see David Black miss out on Scottish Graduate of the year, but Joanne Mcgillivary was a worthy winner. Here's the list...

Scottish Designer of the Year – sponsored by Instyle – Christopher Kane

Scottish Young Designer of the Year – sponsored by The Scottish Fashion Council – Hayley Scanlan

Scottish Textile Brand of the Year – sponsored by House of Fraser – Dashing Tweeds

Scottish Accessory Designer of the Year – sponsored by Swarovski – William Chambers

Scottish Fashion Icon – sponsored by Captial FM – Karen Gillan

Scottish Communicator of the Year – sponsored by Glasgow Airport – Faye Mcleod

Scottish Model of the Year – sponsored by Radley London – Tali Lennox

Scottish Retailer of the Year – sponsored by Braehead – Shhh-Oohs (Luxury Shoe Retailer Edinburgh)

Scottish Fashion Photographer – sponsored by The Herald and Times Group – Jonathan Daniel Pryce

Scotland’s New Face – sponsored by Smart of Glasgow – Kerry O’May

Scottish Graduate of the Year – sponsored by Marks & Spencer – Joanne Mcgillivary from Herriot Watt. David Black Was Also Awarded A Highly Commended Certificate

International Designer of the Year (for use of a Scottish fabric) – sponsored by Toni & Guy – Mulberry

Scottish Fashion Innovator sponsored by BareMinerals – Brian Rennie – Creative Managing Director of Basler

Fashion Ambassador sponsored by Mercedes-Benz West of Scotland – Colin Mcdowell MBE (Author, fashion esteemed fashion journalist and founder of Fashion Fringe).

Scottish Hall of Fame  – sponsored by Hartmann Media – Stella Tennant (Over her 20 years as an international supermodel, Scottish born Stella Tennant remains at the top of the game as the face of Chanel and cover star for many of the worlds leading fashion bibles).



JOHN FRIEDA FULL REPAIR

So, I'M SURE many of you will have read a plethora of reviews for the new John Frieda Full Repair line of haircare , but what the hell, I'm jumping aboard the good ship FRIEDA and chucking in my two-pence-worth.

Red. It's a theme.

Back at the beginning of the month I was kindly sent loads of these goodies to give away as prizes at the International Women's Day 2012 event I hosted on behalf of Oxfam. I just want to take a second AGAIN and reiterate how grateful I am for everyone who came along and donated money and to thank Laura from Oxfam for giving us a wee speech about how our money would be going to help. I know I said thanks already but I'm still so grateful there was so much interest in a cause which, as women, I know is one we all feel strongly about.

Aaaaaaaanyway, so yeah, I gave out loads of these Full Repair products in the goodybags and as part of the raffle but I'd never actually tried any of the range... Until now!

I've mentioned before about how unruly my fine hair can be (and I'm still loving secret agent perfecting cream by the way) but normally I just try and deal with it after I've dried and attempted styling it, never really bothering to wonder WHY its so tuggy, frizzy and unmanageable in the first place.

Turns out it's cos it's DAMAGED, PEOPLE! Years of dying, straightening, blow drying, ripping at it with brushes, back combing, hairspraying and generally treating it like crap have caught up on me. Obviously I was thrilled to be handed a range of products that claimed to sort it right out :)

I'll say right now that sadly I didn't love everything in this range, nor have I seen a DRASTIC change in the quality of my hair, but some products did really stand out for me...

Firstly the shampoo. I really, really, really like this. It smells lovely, lathers well and rinses away easily. Shockingly, and don't all faint here, but I don't always like to use a conditioner as my hair can get really easily weighed down and I find it goes up into a top-knot or dohnut bun much easier if it's less slippery. With this shampoo it definitely feels moisturised enough to go without conditioner every time. Also, I don't know if it's just this or a combination of products but I have definitely noticed less hairs falling out in the shower. Like normally the drain is kinda clogged by the end (gross) but not any more. Which is awesome cos losing my hair is like my biggest fear, apart from losing my teeth. I digress... This shampoo is well nice.

Next the deep conditioner. I mean, the normal conditioner is alright, but I kind of prefer to use something like this a few times a week rather than conditioner every day. The best thing about this is that it feels very nourishing but also really light. The weirdest thing is the consistency - it's actually quite runny for being a tub-based deep conditioner (if you're thinking of a think cream you'd be wrong) so it gets kind of messy if you're a BUTTER FINGERS like me and tend to drop things in the shower... But regardless, I really like the shiny, moisturised, swishy effect that doesn't feel slimy or greasy. I use this at night if I know I'm not doing anything the next day so my hair can get a nice rest and by the third day it's got its texture-mojo back for the top knot. If that makes any kind of sense. Which is probably doesn't.

Finally the styling spray. Again, I never use a heat-defence spray or a styling spray. Like ever. But this here is a two in one so it's ALL good and I actually really love it. If, on the rare occasion when I can be bothered to blow dry AND tong my hair into an acceptable style, I use this first, I find the curls stay in for way longer than they normally would. I also find that while I'm blow-drying I can feel some kind of coating on my hair, but in a good way. I don't know if it's all in my head but I feel like I can ACTUALLY FEEL that it's protecting my hair from the heat. It definitely looks smoother and there are WAY less flyaways when I'm done blasting it dry.

#Overall I like the range but in particular I reckon these are the stand-out products. If you have fine, frazzled hair and hate it to feel weighed down by thick creams and conditioners I would definitely recommend these products. If you have thick, very damaged and broken hair I'm not sure how well this would work but you could definitely give it a go. Especially the oil serum which really didn't work for me at all but might be better for someone with very dry hair.

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Also, I just wanted to point out, I was sent these products, along with a few others from the range, for review purposes. On the rare occasion this ever happens (it like never happens) I will always make it clear in the post and OBVIOUSLY I will always be completely honest in my review. If you know me in real life you know that I would never bullshit anyone to keep a company happy. I'm too old and too ugly to play any kind of game like that. Anything you see and read here is the real deal. Peace!

JE SUIS ME CHEVEUX

I've seen this John Frieda PR post about LOADS over the past few weeks, which at first kind of put me off wanting to try out their products, but SERIOUSLY, I'm now a convert!

I was contacted by Jilly from JF asking if I would like to try out some freebies in order to aid me in trying to style my hair a la THIS:




So, long story short I hate my hair. I've had it short, long, black, brown, blonde, red, bleached, braided (Rastafari!), shaved and crimped and it never ever looks how I want it. Much in the same way I am useless with makeup, I am similarly challenged when it comes to doin' a hot do. It's OK, I've made peace with it. There's more to life than hair, right?

(WRONG)

I actually had a go at this tutorial with my Babyliss curling wand I won from Ann (Girl in the City Glasgow) and it looked PRETTY GOOD. I mean, it was still a bit wonky at the back, and some bits were more tightly curled than others and I burnt my ear fairly badly, BUT STILL, it was OK.

However, one thing ruined the whole look more than anything else... STATIC. I literally could flip my head upside down and back again and it was crackling with the stuff. Completely unruly, tuggy and sticking out sideways. Yuck. It's always been like this, especially when I try and style it - flyaway central and staticked oot it's nut. Normally I just attack it with hairspray or shove it up in a bobble, dejected and disappointed in my lack of styling abilities...

Thank God Jilly had sent me along some of the John Frieda Secret Agent Perfecting Cream, because this stuff is my new favourite hair product EVER!

Honestly you guys, if you have staticky, unruly, frizzy or flyaway hair this cream is amazing.

At first I was like, "no way am I slathering this stuff over my finished do," but once you get the hang of how much you need (clue, not a lot) and rub it between your hands before smoothing it through the ends, it'll work wonders, I guarantee!

The texture is creamy but it doesn't feel wet or thick on the hair and it doesn't weigh it down either. I can imagine this working well in the humidity of summer too when my hair decides it hates me and does a Monica for a solid three months...

I mean, this is probably a fairly useless review for most of you out there who have been using styling products for yonks, but for a novice like me who basically just uses her dad's Head and Shoulders, forgets conditioner, towel-dries and goes, this is my new holy grail item.

You can pick this stuff up for a fiver(ish) at Boots and I'll definitely be getting myself some more when this runs out.

BY THE WAY you only have 2 days left to register by the 10th of Feb to attend the International Women's Day get together blogger event next month. I'll be letting you guys know the location next week hopefully, and will confirm more good stuff over the coming weeks :)

Apart from being an awesome excuse to meet up and have a giggle, the money raised will go (via Oxfam) to some truly inspiring women's charities across the globe, including ones fighting for the banishment once and for all of FGM, equality in the work place, the right to basic maternity care, education for women and girls, the closure of the poverty gap and loads more. Click here for more info.

BUBBLE BETTY

And now for something COMPLETELY different...

Say hello to Bubble Betty - a new Scottish brand which aims to bring back that "chic" vintage rainwear staple from the 50s - yes, the humble rain bonnet (or Rain Mate as my Grandma calls hers) and make it uber cool again.

No, seriously!

But we're not talking just any old clear, plastic rain bonnet, these ones have COOL PRINTS, YO, to make 'em chic and fashionable...

They also come in nifty wee tins to keep em safe in your handbag:

I was very kindly sent the red lace version to try out and while I'm really not sure this is my kind of thing, I can't dispute the sheer HANDINESS of something which, under Hurricane Bawbag-like conditions, manages to keep yer DO in place perfectly. A little weird to get used to but utterly practical and a godsend if you've just had your hair done and it's raining cats and dogs outside. Which, let's face it, it always is here in Glasgow.

I imagine the leopard-print or tattoo-print Bubble Bettys would be perfect for glamorous, vintagey/pin-up-esque girls who love a coiffed 50s do and red lip, or for folk who just can't bear wrestling with an umbrella.

Each Bubble Betty is priced at £6 and available to buy here.

What do you guys reckon - will the Bubble Betty catch on?