Glow-getter

My skintype is combination.  I have large pores, a shiny, sebum-y T-zone and just enough dryness in other areas for fine lines and wrinkles to form.  Combination skin is just shit, really, so I'm always keen to try anything that can redress the balance and even things out.  Like GlamGlow Supermud - which I've heard amazing things about.

I interviewed a couple of soap stars before Christmas and they were raving about it the original GlamGlow Youthmud, but it was the news that Natalie Portman is a fan that got my attention.  Who wouldn't want skin like Natalie Portman's?

So I tried it. 

I applied the mask and left it for about 20 minutes, so it changed from wet and a dark grey colour to dry and a much lighter shade of grey (*tempted to insert 50 Shades of Grey reference here).  It got tighter and tighter on my face so I could barely make any facial expressions, which was satisfying but frustrating as my housemates were having a particularly hilarious chat at the time.  Once it was totally dry, I rinsed it off with warm water and a cloth (no peeling off like a giant Bioré strip, sadly) and could actually see a difference straight away.  My massive pores looked a little less massive, and my skintone looked brighter and a bit more even.

As another trick, instead of applying it all over your face, you could also just dab small amounts onto blemishes and leave overnight to draw out all the nasties.  I haven't done that yet but imagine it would work well.

GlamGlow Supermud Super-Clearing Mud Mask Treatment, £45, is available from Space NK and www.glamglowmud.co.uk.

Metal works

When the press release about the latest innovation from the people behind the Caviar Manicure arrived in my inbox, I got excited.  Ciaté Very Colourfoil Manicure Collection looked amazing - different coloured sheets of foil you could layer on top of a standard paint job, create endless effects and colourways?  I was desperate to try.  

I actually opened the kit the moment it arrived (this is pretty rare - usually my post starts to pile up on my desk before I even get the chance to look at it, let alone open it).  I immediately practised on the plastic nail wheel, then couldn't resist giving myself a quick ring finger mani...  

I love a good crafternoon and am not daunted by a bit of glue and fiddling about, but I reckon the kit was simple enough that anyone could use it and, with practice, master.

• Start by painting your nails with two coats of polish.  Ciaté include one in the kit but you could use anything.

• Using the glue provided, dab small amounts onto the nail - the foil will stick to those points so plan your finished look at this point.

• Leave the glue to dry slightly (so it changes from white to clear) and then lay one of the foils onto the nail.  Press and hold the foil, and then slowly peel it off. 

• For a multi-tonal effect, add more dots of glue and repeat with a different-coloured foil sheet.

• That's it, once the glue has dried your manicure is complete.  (I finished my mani with topcoat but found this dulled the effect so I wouldn't actually recommend it.)

Ciaté Very Colourfoil Manicure Collection in Wonderland or Kaleidoscope, £14.01 exclusively at QVC from 3rd March.

Beanie men

This winter, I've mostly been channelling Compo from 'Last of the Summer Wine' and been wearing a short, cable knit beanie hat from Topman.  Little did I did realise, I should have looked to another unlikely style hero - East 17's Brian Harvey.  Yep, him of run-yourself-over-to-save-a-jacket-potato fame seems to be the man of the moment when it comes to East Londoners' headwear inspiration.

The tall beanie is everywhere right now and is indicative of the fashion industry's wider love of all things 90s.  Cool kids of the moment - Harry Styles, Cara Delevingne and Rihanna - are sporting the look, and you can't walk down Kingsland Road without passing several of the peanut-shaped woolly headwarmers.

If you want to get the look, check out some of the High Street styles below.  Look for neons and brights to make the transition from winter to warmer weather, but please don't sit directly in front of me at the Rio and leave your hat on for the whole of Django Unchained.  Just saying.

Clockwise from top left:

Vintage Wool Patch Beanie, £15 at Urban Outfitters

Boy London Beanie Hat, £35 at asos

Unisex Cuffed Acrylic Lined Beanie, £17 at American Apparel

Carhartt Watch Beanie, £20 at asos

The Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection

Like make-up?  Like Mad Men?  Then chances are you'll be singing 'Zou Bisou Bisou' over the new Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection.

The capsule range of three products was inspired by the upcoming sixth season of the show, and drew from the brand's own archives - the paisley print is a direct replica of late 1960s Estée Lauder design. With metal and enamel casing, vintage logos and a colour palette to match the leading ladies' beauty looks, this is proper old school elegance.

The products aren't cheap, but they're predicted to sell out within a few weeks so be quick!

Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection See Thru Blush in Light Show, £48
Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection Rich, Rich Lipstick in Pinkadelic, £26
Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection Nail Lacquer in Pink Paisley, £20

Available from Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Selfridges and Estée Lauder, from March.

Talon show

Textured tips are the big news of 2013 and - luckily for us - the big brands have made it super easy to get the look at home.  From OPI's 'Liquid Sand' lacquers to the extensive range of finishes from nails inc., the 'nail art' look now pours freely from a bottle.  NO SKILL INVOLVED.

I grabbed a few from the Bella beauty cupboard and experimented with the effects...

nails inc. Concrete Effect Polish in Stonehenge.

nails inc. Feathers Effect Polish in Edinburgh layered over Bourjois So Laque Nail Enamel in Rose Imaginaire.

Models Own Wonderland Polish in Southern Lights applied to the tips of nails pre-painted with base coat.

nails inc. Feathers Effect Polish in Edinburgh layered over Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Ion.

Verdict?  I'm now obsessed with the Feathers one (as you might've guessed from the fact I tried it twice).  It's versatile, as it can be worn over any base shade, foolproof and surprisingly long-wearing.  

Buy yours online from 1st March.

An introduction...

Please bear with me, I'm a technophobe with a short attention span.  This blog is likely to be one of those things I start with the best of intentions, and then quickly tire of.  Like the times I thought I'd be a portrait artist (I gave up after one exhibition and, like, no more than 10 commissions), or a jewellery designer (still ongoing, yet to make any money as I have a habit of giving away everything I make).

Other things that are likely to distract me include...
• the pub.  I like the pub.
• cat videos on YouTube.  If I'm on the internet, I'm very likely to watching cat videos.  This will make an online writing project very tricky.
• my actual job.  I am the Deputy Beauty Editor of Bella magazine.
• my housemates.  Mostly their boxset of Keeping Up Appearances DVDs, which - for some reason - I can't stop watching.
• my boyfriend.  Boyfriends take up a LOT of time.

If I can get my shit together for long enough to actually post stuff, I hope for this to be informative and inspiring for anyone interested in fashion and (well, mostly) beauty news.  

From a personal perspective, I'm hoping to use it to get up to speed with online journalism and all my tweety/bloggy/techno-savvy peers...


(If you've ever visited the Bella website, you'll understand why I need do my own thing)