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Monthly Archives: December 2009
Pre-Holiday Product Haul
Well, as I’ve mentioned a couple of times (or three, or four…) I’m off to the Canary Islands on Monday, to try to grab a quick bit of sunshine before Christmas! Before I go, though, I thought I’d show you the little product haul I brought home with me today: these are the products I always find myself buying right before a holiday (plus a couple of sunscreens I’ve been meaning to write about for a while), and they are…
1. Dylash 45 Day Mascara by Eyelure
I’ve always thought the word “mascara” in this product’s name was a little bit misleading, because it’s an eyelash dye, not a mascara, so it won’t do any curling, thickening or lengthening. It will turn pale lashes (and brows) dark, though, and when your lashes are as pale as mine, that’s always a good thing! I’ll still be using my trusty mascara, of course, but for those days when I’m just headed to the beach or pool, I’ll be really glad to have dyed my lashes/brows with this! (My tutorial explaining how to use it is here, in case you’re interested!)
2. Lash Extend Ultra Natural Eyelash Extensions
Can you tell I spend lot of time thinking about eyelashes? They’re the thing that makes the biggest difference to my appearance, and while most of the year I’m obsessed with mascara, when I’m on holiday I sometimes like to be able to go without sometimes (although not often, it has to be said), so before I go, I’ll normally stick on some of these. They’re individual false eyelashes and they claim to last up to four weeks. I’ve found 5 – 7 days to be more realistic, but at least they get me through an early morning flight without forcing me to get up even earlier and apply makeup! (Tutorial on these here.)
3. Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover
Um, yeah. This is the last eye-related product, I promise! I’ve written about this a lot, so all I’ll say is that I never go on holiday without it. Love it.
4. John Frieda Luminous Colour Glaze in Radiant Red
Since I first wrote about this, I’ve re-purchased it several times (and have also got better at applying it, so no more of the streakiness I mentioned in my first review!). I like to use it before vacations, not only because it’s a really excellent conditioner, and always leaves my hair super-soft, but because it makes my hair look really shiny and healthy.
And now for the sunscreens! These aren’t the only ones I’ll be taking with me (I have very fair skin, so I get through a LOT of sunscreen), but the ones I’m currently liking best:
5. Coppertone Kids SPF 50 Continuous Clear Spray
Yeah, it’s for kids. No, I don’t care. I’ve only ever bought this in States, so I’m not sure if it’s available in the UK – I do know I haven’t seen it here, and that most high SPF sunscreens here tend to be of the thick and gloopy variety, which I hate. I love this one because it’s clear, it dries instantly, and the nozzle makes it super-easy to apply. I got through two bottles of this in Florida this summer without a hint of sunburn, and brought this one back with me. Its only disadvantage is that it doesn’t tend to last long – or not on me, anyway (I suspect the spray leads to a lot of wastage), so as a backup, I have….
6. Clinique Sun-Care Body Spray, SPF 30
I first bought this on impulse. I was on my way to a christening and had convinced myself the sunscreen I’d brought with me (Which was of the white, gloopy variety – this was before Coppertone Kids came into my life, obviously!) would stain my dress, and would look too greasy for a formal event. I was probably right, too. Clinique’s was the only clear spray available at the airport, so I bought it, and liked it so much that I’ve re-purchased it a couple of times since. It’s SPF 30, so I use it on duller days, but as with the Coppertone, it goes on easily, dries in quickly and doesn’t stain clothes. It’s also available at almost every airport I’ve ever been to, which is probably why I continue to buy it, despite the fact that I’m sure there are lots of other products that are just as good!
So, there you have it: not all of my holiday products by a long shot, but today’s haul, plus a couple of extras. I’ll be packing tomorrow, so probably won’t have a chance to blog again before I go. Hope everyone has a good couple of weeks, and I’ll see you when I get back! (Well, not literally, of course, but you know what I mean…)
(P.S. Forgot to mention – all of the products above, with the exception of the sunscreens, came from Boots.)
Beauty Society ‘Enormous Lashes & Fabulous Brows’ Holiday Collection
Well, you can see why THIS little set appeals to me, can’t you? If it has the words “lashes” or “brows” in its name, I’m almost guaranteed to want it, and if the word “enormous” is also present, you can definitely count me in. (Er, only if the “enormous” is a reference to the lashes, not the brows, though. Enormous brows aren’t quite so much of a draw, somehow.)
This set is by Beauty Society, and would make a particularly generous gift (ahem!) because all of the products are full-sized. As well as their Enormous Lash Enhancing Serum (I’ve yet to encounter one of these that has actually worked, but I live in hope), you also get a tube of Enormous Mascara, Draw the Line eyeliner and Brow Doctor Eyebrow Enhancing Gel. All of these products claim to enhance eyelash growth, using a mix of peptides and conditioners: I haven’t tried any of them myself, and as I said, I tend to be a little skeptical of these claims, but if you want to try them out for yourself, a set like this offers an excellent opportunity to do it. This is £61.72 at Nordstrom.
Dollface Reviews: Rapid White Brightkit 14-day tooth whitening kit
As I may have mentioned once or twice, I’m a caffeine fiend, which means that keeping my teeth whiter-than-white is probably always going to be an uphill struggle for me. I’ve had them whitened by the dentist, and I’ve tried a couple of the DIY kits that are available, but of course, all of that coffee (and, OK, red wine) takes its toll, and sooner or later I’ll find myself needing a bit of a top-up on the teeth front.
With Christmas and my forthcoming holiday not far away, that time was now, so when Rapid White offered to let me try out their Brightkit Tooth Whitening System, I was happy to give it a go.
This kit works in basically the same way as most of the other teeth whitening kits out there: you get two mouth trays (which you can mold to fit your teeth using boiling water), a tube of the whitening gel, an ‘accelerator’ fluid, and a tube of Rapid White toothpaste. After applying the accelerator directly to your teeth (it’s in a tube with a sponge applicator), you pop the gel-filled trays into your mouth and leave them for 5-10 minutes before brushing your teeth with the toothpaste. Rapid White claim that if you do this twice a day for fourteen days, it can lighten your teeth up to eight shades – they even provide a little colour chart so you can see for yourself.
So, does it work?
