'The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex

My latest purchase in my quest for even skin led me to this universally well known serum 'The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex'.

The lady at the store said it will help get rid of the acne scarring, even out skin tone and help the skin gain natural suppleness. She also said that it will help with the pesky brown spots. We'll see.

I bought this a couple of weeks ago, and I have to admit that I've noticed one of the scars already almost disappeared. Also, my brown spots seem to have faded a little. No effect on the uneven skin though (my problem area is around the mouth and sides of nose. I'm looking forward to finishing this up to see any results. But I am already excited at trying out one more serum before I decide on which one to stick to.

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair shampoo and conditioner

I think I have found my HG drug store shampoo. Ever since I turned 14, I've dyed my naturally black hair. Its been every colour, blue, red, purple, dark green, TONNES of highlights and peroxide. I have been very fortunate to have thick hair and has not been damaged too much... until a couple of years ago. I had my hair dyed light brown with blond highlights. Yes, Indian me with blond highlights. To be honest, it looked fine in the winter as my skin was a lighter but in the summer, I looked like a crazy haired banshee. Plus my hair started breaking which was a first for me.

About three months ago, I decided to take the plunge and dye my hair jet black. I cut my waist length hair to just below my shoulder and picked up a temporary dye packet from Superdrugs and just did it myself. One of the reasons why I did this was because I wanted to recondition my hair, and also it was like a part of a 'cleansing ritual' after the awfulness of last year.

I do like my hair dark at the moment, and I think I it makes me look younger (I actually got id'd at a bar last week). My hair now looks thicker and healthier now as well but it wasn't making my hair easier to manage, i.e still tangled like hell - in the past, I didn't even need to use a comb it was so silky.

I had run out of my usual shampoo and conditioner and went to my trusty Boots to buy some more. That was when I came across this:

Retails for just over £5, this stuff works so well. I can't use hair products too much because my hair is naturally thick and any extra product weighs it down. This stuff really clears away the gunk of hair creams, serums or daily pollution. The product is clear with delicious glitter in it.

The glitter does not show up it the hair but it must be a factor in making my hair feel and look so healthy again. It claims to volumise and repair - and I honestly think it does do that. The smell? Molton Brown's 'Blissful Templetree' is one of my favorite smells in the world and this shampoo is the closest I have come across to anything smelling similar. The bonus is that the smell lingers in the hair for hours after and it just makes me feel clean and refreshed.

I also picked up the conditioner from this line a week or so later also:

Just a standard conditioner, does nothing outstanding, although the tangling is less these days. Smells great as well though.

Surprisingly these products are not marketed as for coloured or dyed hair. But I remember being told by a professional hair stylist that as long as a shampoo and conditioner is nourishing and helps hydrate, it will do the job. I think this is true because when I went into work the second time I used it, a few of my colleagues commented on my hair and thought I had re-dyed it again, which means the shampoo (or glitter parts in it) gave my colour another boost.

At the moment, Boots have everything in this range for a third off. I didn't realise they had dry shampoo as well or else I would have bought it. But I've only just recently purchased the Batiste one, which I plan on reviewing soon.

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Ben and Jerry's sundae at the common 2010

I was at the Ben and Jerry's music festival yesterday, at Clapham Common.

It was a nice little thing. Weather was good, and it was just a very relaxing atmosphere. I have to give a special mention to the portaloos. I have never been to anything like this where the portaloos were so clean and fresh - those that have been to festivals will know how grim they can become. So a massive well done to the organisers for that!

There were loads of activities which were usually free - which included rides, candy floss, races, thumb war(!) and competitions. All the ice cream was free and you can eat as much as you like. So we went to every stand and devoured as much as we possible could. It was all good value for money considering the tickets cost less that £18 including P&P.

I didn't recognise most of the bands playing except for Scouting for Girls, and Idlewild. To be honest, the only reason I went was for Idlewild. I had paid twice to see them previously but for one thing or another, couldn't go. So when I heard they were playing here, I jumped at the chance. And they didn't disappoint. 

Here's a small clip of them playing the song 'American Dream'

Another band I paid to see, but didn't get to see in the end was the Kings of Leon (they cancelled). These guys were doing air guitar to 'Sex is on fire'. They were hilarious, and made a great substitute for the real band. 

Check out my You Tube account for more of these videos (I figured how to upload for the first time - yee-ha!)

On another note, I've lost my camera so have been taking pictures and the videos with my iphone. Its really annoying because the camera has such sentimental value (so don't actually want to buy a new one even though its on its last legs), and can't always find my iphone adapter to transfer the files onto my macbook.

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Things I'm loving this month

MAC 'flirt and tease'

Without flash

With Flash

I think this is a pro product. Correct me if I'm wrong. It is a Deep purple with silver pearl (Sheertone Shimmer). I've had this for ages and not been a big fan of it. However, in this heat, with all the tanning I'm loving it at the moment. I decided to pull this out in the morning  a couple of weeks ago to see what it looked like on my skin. Since then, it goes everywhere with me in my handbag. I'm really liking it. Teamed with an elf complexion brush, it gives a subtle lift to my cheeks. It does look a scary colour in the pan, but I find I have to apply it several times before it goes on very dramatically. Don't let the shimmer scare you, its really not that bad in the sun and at night, its great.

The Body shop 'Vitamnin E Face Mist'

This has been a life saver in this horrid heat. Sets my make up in the morning and refreshes my skin throughout the day. You know sometimes the foundation looks a bit 'cakey'/'powdery', when the concealer gathers around as the day wears on? Well, this sets the powder to a natural finish and gives foundation an extra boost. LOVE this stuff.


Boots 17 Lipstick in 'Peace'

Without flash

I use it like a lip balm to be honest. Under a fiver, it doesn't show up dramatically on my pigmented lips, but keeps the lips hydrated and now has a position on my work desk with the rest of my trinkets and potions (as my boss describes it)


Bare Minerals All Over Face Color in 'warmth'

I've had this for a long time but didn't like it much as it looked like a weird terracotta colour on me. But recently, I use it over my foundation, under a finishing powder (finishing up a Lily Lilo foundation sample at the moment) and it gives me a healthy summer glow, with subtle defined cheekbones. 


Lush 'Tea Tree Water'

The best thing I have discovered in a long time. I had a habit of getting a lot of small spots under my neck. One sweep of this, overnight they disappeared and have kept my spots at bay. This simple thing is a miracle life saver for me. I reckon this will be my staple toner for all time now. The bottle lasts for ages, is so gentle and makes my feel really clean without the drying effect when I use it. I can see this being ideal for the teenage skin and wish I had known about it in my 'youth'. 

My MacBook isn't working...

So I can't write up any blog posts until I figure out what's wrong with it. I wish its not broken :(

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Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum - The Result

Back at the end of March of this year, I picked up the 'Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Complexion Correcting' to try out. I thought that I'd do it justice and use the whole product before I give my full opinion on it. Here is the original blog posting.

As you can see, its almost entirely empty. The whole 30ml last me over three months, and I did use it every single night and mostly in the morning as well. So onto the review.


Packaging
I am not a fan of the see-through glass is. It was a little annoying to keep my bottle in its original box, in a cupboard whenever I was not using it. This is because products like this can be damaged by sunlight so its always good to keep it in the shade. Also, my dropper did not work. I resorted to pouring the product on my hands. 


Application of the product
The smell is lovely, texture really milky and absorbed easily into my skin. The first week I used it, I loved it. My skin felt so smooth and plump. So I was really excited and started to dream about the perfect skin.


Results
Signs of brighter looking skin? Slight improvement at first but after three months, my skin just looks duller than before
Even looking skin? Slight improvement but that could also be because i've tanned quite a bit over the last month. The spot scars from three months ago are still there and the serum made no difference at all.
Even out brown spots? I added a few extra drops at my brown spots hoping to see a difference. It seemed to help brighten the recent ones that came up,  but didn't notices any difference on the ones I've had for years. Alas no. No difference whatsoever.
Overall experience? To be honest, I won't probably get this again, especially as the price is so crazy for something that seemed to work only a couple of weeks for me. I'm really disappointed as I had such high hopes. 


I'm not going to be disillusioned by the experience though. I have two more serums on my list to try out and will probably do a before and after blog post like this again.


In the meantime, if anyone has any recommendations on evening skin tone and getting rid of brown spots, I beg of you, please please let me know!
x

Wireles 2010 with Jay Z and Slash!

Jay Z played at the wireless festival in Hyde Park a couple of Sunday's ago. I went to my friend's wedding on the Saturday, which was beautiful and just so unique. Then on Sunday, I travelled back to London to meet my friends to get a good spot and enjoys the other bands before Mr Jigga-man arrived. We bought a picnic which seemed to be the envy of most people there. We got quite a good spot in front of the stage but within 5 minutes of getting into the park, this was the state of our feet:

Anyway, there were an eclectic bunch of music throughout the day. One of the highlights has to be Slash

He played such a good set, it left me breathless. The last song he played was 'sweet child of mine' and the place went just nuts!

Friendly Fires were bloody awesome as well.

Lilly Allen, who I never a massive fan of, was actually really good. She's such a London girl, you gotta love her!

Lastly... 'Teen Spirit' came on the speakers to get the crowd going, and without any announcement.... Mr Big Pimpin!!!

The whole place just went crazy!!! He played his classics, and a surprise - the Indian 'knight rider' tune! Beyonce was watching at the back, and he mentioned her name a couple of times. It was so sweet! Everytime he did, the crowd turned around and kept screaming 'BEYONCE!!!!!!!!'. She ignored us though.

There were a couple of idiots there. Mainly girls surprisingly, and it got pretty scary a few times with people throwing beer bottles into the crowd. Lilly Allen actually addressed it and dedicated 'f**k you very much' to them. But when Jay Z came on, did I see a single thrown bottle? No sirree. The whole place was just so engaged with him that there wasn't time for anything else.

Wireless is a funny one, it has everything that a music festival has without the staying over, dirty camping necessities. I saw The Killers there last night which was late. Looking forward to seeing who's playing next year!

Oooh la la! Shaving gel

I'm not a big fan of shaving creams and prefer gels. They just seem to be less fussy and easier to use. They had run out of my favourite shaving gel (I forget the name) last time I was my store so I picked this up instead. Its called 'Queen of... Ooh la la! Shaving Gel'. For under £3 as well. It seems to be a very new line from King of Shaves line. There is also a 'Ta -da' which has tree tree oil in it. But I decided to get the 'ooh la la' as it has aloe vera and my skin is very sensitive.

Its a cute packaging and seems to be marketed for the younger generation. But I don't care. Its paraben and perfume free with the added aloe vera. On application, it doesn't foam up which is great. I wouldn't say it is more of a creamy consistency rather than gel like.

Its really easy to use, the razor just glides off. I've just used it in the bath and my skin feels pretty smooth. However, I still needed to use moisturiser on top. Overall, its a decent product, for the price as well. I have a feeling that once it is more established, the price may hike up. Only downside is that although its 150ml, it does finish up pretty quickly.

2: Montagne Jeunesse Cucumber Purifying Peel-Off Masque

So here is the second instalment of my little experiment with Montagne Jeunesse face masks that usually go for under £1 a pack.  Here is my blog post on the 'passion peel off mask'. This review is on the 'Cucumber purifying peel-off mask'.

This is catered for normal, oily and t-zone skin. Although my skin is dry, I picked this up because my t-zone gets oily and clogged up throughout the day.


This is meant to be an anti-stress mask,and its main ingredient is cucumber.

So easy to use and it actually feels as though you are peeling away dead and dry skin. You’ll love the opaque green texture – it’s really fresh looking. After a few minutes the masque will start to dry and your face will feel tight. When completely dry you just gently peel it off and rinse your face with water to get rid of the residue. Your skin will feel instantly smoother, clearer and refreshed, it’s fabulous. This masque is great for use once a week as a skin detox. I do like it, but the passion peel off is still my favourite so far which I find far more effective for my skin.

Body Shop haul

Boots were doing a 20% off all purchases for their cardholders. So I picked up a few things:

• White musk: normal price, £14 for 60ml.  My trusty old timer which stays in my bag
• Vitamin E face mist: normal price, £7 for 100ml. This is the first time I tried it and I gotta say I'm glad. Its really cooling, and the pump gives a rather gentle mist. I think an new summer essential. I sweat like crazy and I found this helps cool me down. Its supposed to double up as a make up setter. I have used it after I applied my make up in the morning but to be honest, I don't know if it makes any difference.
• Spa Wisdom Tropical Oasis Shower Milk: This was on sale for £3. When I smelt it in the shop. I rather liked it. It has frangipani which I love the smell of. 

Oh my gosh. When I took it home and used it, the smell was repungent. It doesn't lather in the slightest and the smell - I can't describe how hideous it is. Luckily the smell doesn't linger on the body so I am using this in mass to finish it off and never, ever see the sight of again.

• Tea Tree Blotting Tissues: this is not on the website, it costs £4.00 normal price. I used this a lot over the weekend, and it does a decent job. I can see the excess oil transferring onto the tissue and doesn't seem to mess the make up. I just pat it gently across my t-zone when its oily and and it helps keep my face matt for a short time. Its a great alternative to reapplying face powder over and over again, risking the appearance of cake-face.

The last thing I got was this Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray. I feel a bit embarrassed and annoyed because I used it in the disabled toilets at work and I think I left it there. Fingers crossed the cleaners have handed it into facilities. Its cools and soothes the feet for a couple of minutes and gives a strong peppermint smell. Great alternative to the cheesy feet smell on the train on these stuffy hot days.

Lee Stafford beach babe Sea Salt Spray

I wash my hair nearly every day, and blow dry it every time I wash it. However on days when the weather is too hot that air does not even come through my open windows, I cannot bear to put more heat onto my head. We don't get many of those boiling days in London. But this year. Boy, has not been such a heat wave in years. Last weekend, my ice cream had melted within minutes and I was licking warm, melted cream from my hands mostly.

Anyway, on those hot days, I will use the Lee Stafford 'Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray'  on towel dried hair, scrunch it up a bit and be done with it.

£5.99 for 150ml

It contains sunflower extract to help give moisture, shine, protect and repair against free radicals. Don't know about the repair bit. It does give my hair a textured feel, volume and bounce.

Directions For Use:

Simply spray approximately 50 times (adjust to size) over towel dried hair and gently blow dry OR for the ultimate beach goddess look just leave to dry naturally.  It's as simple as that.  The spray also works amazingly on your hair when it is dry.

50 times??!! That's crazy, who's going to bother spraying 50 times (you gotta push the nozzle quite hard each time). So I just spray and scrunch until I've had enough.

I think its a good product, and works fine on my hair. Its gives my hair some style on the days I don't style it with a blow dryer. The one major niggle is the overwhelming smell of the product. Sometimes the smell of sea salt is so powerful, it gives me a headache. But I don't use this every day so I can deal with it. Also, make sure you wash your hair thoroughly as build up can get quite heavy.