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Thursday, 18 February 2010

Nail of the Day - OPI Crimsun

 Yes, it's another Holographic polish, but this is one I'm a little disappointed in ...











 Application was exceedingly sheer, meaning I still have visible nail lines, and ... it's pink. Not this orange shade you see here under my halogen lights, and not the crimson you assume from the name.  It's pink.  Fuschia-pink under most lights.  Not a bad colour, as it happens, but not what I wanted!


Also, the holograph-effect is barely visible on the nail.


It's a nice polish.  But not a great one. I like it, but I don't love it. It's also started to chip after about 18 hours on the nail.  Boo!  Holographic polishes are notoriously chippy though, so maybe that's me being picky. I bought mine from eBay.
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Wednesday, 17 February 2010

Organic Wednesday - NEOM Candles



Candles.  Oh, how I love candles!  Jonathan Ward, Kenneth Turner and now NEOM, I love them all ...  was especially delighted when I found out this week that NEOM are expanding their fragrance library to 12 this March with the addition of two new varieties of candle.

Serenity, which has hints of vanilla and sandalwood and about which NEOM say: "For the ultimate piece of me-time, comfort in warming tones of vanilla, a fantastically comforting scent, combined with woody and calming sandalwood. Also works as a gentle aphrodisiac."  Hmn, now that sounds more interesting than I thought when I first read it ....

Also, (and this is the one I'm really excited about) they're bringing out a Sumptuous variety too, which combines rose and neroli - two of my all time favourite scents - and they have this to say about it:  "The most deliciously decadent scent in the NEOM library, rose is calming, soothing oil whilst precious neroli (orange blossom) lifts your spirit and calms the mind. Quite simply - the most opulent feel-good scent in the world."  

Now my mum is an aromatherapist, a reflexologist and a reiki master (she needs to get out more) and she uses neroli like it's going out of fashion, so basically, this scent will make me think of home, and help uplift my spirits at the same time.  I can't wait to get my hands on one of these babies for a sniff.  I think I might also send my mum one for Mother's Day ...

The candles are entirely organic and have a natural base.  You can buy them from NEOM online, or Planet Organic.  I'll be chatting to Nicola Elliot about the brand very soon, so you'll be able to find out more about them then, keep an eye out!
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Organic Wednesday - Dr Bronner vs Method

Doing things slightly differently this week - haven't done a side by side comparison for a while, so I thought I'd do one now.

I've mentioned how much I like Dr Bronner soaps before and they have a new one available from their Shikakai range, and in this trial, I'm using the peppermint version - I'm a sucker for peppermint:


And in the clear corner, I'll be testing Method's handwash in Sweet Water:


Now, both of these products are organic, and claim to be non-drying, and contain no ingredients known to irritate skin.

Here's how they look out of the bottles (Dr Bronner first, then Method)

 

Dr Bronners is a thin, runny liquid that's very difficult to control ... it's also an odd colour, how unnattractive is that yellow-y brown?  The Method is a more familiar gel-style affair (trust me, it is there in the photo, I assure you!) that won't run all down your arm while you're trying to take photos of it.  Of course, that might just be my problem ...

Here's how they foam.  I don't know about you, but I LOVE a proper foamy handwash, even though I know that many foaming agents are bad for your skin!  As before, Dr Bronner first, then Method:
 

Just to be clear, I used one full pump of each product, and hands were washed consecutively, in the same temperature water.  As you can see, the Dr Bronner has foamed up magnificently, very surprising as the main ingredients appear to be sugar and a seed extract! The Method doesn't foam up nearly so well, although compared to a lot of organic SLS-free cleansers, it's actually pretty good.  Even compared to Method's own moisturising handwash, this is good foam.  Dr Bronner's peppermint smells precisely like washing your hands with a stick of Blackpool rock (not as sticky though) where Method has a more generic, gentle, slightly perfumed scent, which is not at all unpleasant.

Neither soap left my hands dried out, which is great. Even though I do like a foaming hand wash I hate it when it leaves my hands feeling dry after, or worse, feeling like I need handcream.  I don't believe in handcream (or toner, or body lotion.  Yes, I'm a weird, I know), so don't use it too often, and hate feeling that another product I'm using is forcing me to use it.

I guess which one you'll prefer will come down to what you want from your handwash, Method's wash is undoubtedly the one that'll look more stylish in your bathroom, but Dr Bronner is the one that'll give you the most satisfaction when you use it!  Both of these have pride of place in the bathrooms around our house, and I guess which one we buy next depends on which one runs out first!

Dr Bronner is available from Victoria Health, independent health food shops and Liberty in London, whereas you can buy Method from Boots, Waitrose or from the Method website.
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Tuesday, 16 February 2010

Onix Blowdry - Two Months on ...

Most of my readers now that before Christmas I had a three month blowdry at Comptons, and I loved it.  I gave a follow up post a little later but after a few requests, I thought it was time I gave an update on how it looks now.  Going back to the picture I took of my hair on Saturday, this is how it looks now:


I have to say though that yes, my hair is not as straight as it was when I first had it done, and it's no longer wash and go to keep it completely straight.  The above picture was taken after a swift five minute blow dry using my fingers instead of a brush or comb. Here's how it looks if I let it air-dry now:


As you can see, there's a little curling at the ends, but it still looks natural, and it's still a whole heap better than it was before the treatment.  I still haven't used my straighteners, and I only use my hair-dryer for special occasions.  Still not using any styling products either, which is wonderful and it STILL doesn't fuzz up in the rain.

I'd recommend this treatment - and Compton Hair- to anyone who's ever been fed up with wavy/curly or just plain fuzzy hair, it's been a life-changing experience for me!  Having just that little bit of extra time every day is wonderful, I love it.
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Monday, 15 February 2010

Frontcover



I know a lot of people really like Frontcover boxes, which are available at Boots. A little bird has told me that they're re-releasing their infamous Rainbow box of eyeshadow shades on 25th February.  Originally released for Christmas 2008, they were a sell-out and quickly became a cult item. Boxes contain 25 shadows, applicators and a "Shadowline" which turns any eyeshadow into a liquid liner.

The boxes will be available for £15 until 23rd March when the price will increase to the RRP of £30. Will you be getting one?
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