Cold Snap

Now I'm not a weather woman but I knew a while ago that we were expecting this cold snap. Not because I'm a genius but because the skin on my legs has been unbearably itchy and sore. I've been moisturising twice a day and (grossly) shaving as little as possible (we have a puppy... husband is having no chance to look at my legs) but it's still driving me mad. Most moisturisers I've used have stopped the itching for about 5 minutes and then it's back with a vengeance. I got desperate enough to search my cupboards which are full to bursting with different things I've bought on a whim and to my joy found a full bottle of Dove Intensive Body Lotion for extra dry skin and it's been working wonders.

It combines oil and cream so it's non-greasy, easily absorbed and hydrating. My skin had been feeling so tight and scaly and no feels soft and well, normal, hours after I've applied it. For me in winter this is unheard of. Even old favourites like Nivea Soft which I usually can't live without just weren't working. If you too are suffering then please try this. I'm a massive fan of This Works Dry Leg Oil too but a) it is oil so you really need to give it time to be absorbed - not ideal for using before work or bed b) it's much more expensive (around £30 for 120ml). This is a great, non-pricey fix to that horrible winter skin itch xx

Deprived

I think I would recommend getting a puppy to anyone contemplating children. I am exhausted. Little Mouse does not like being left alone at night and therefore howls the whole time. We have been getting 3-4 hours sleep since we got her. I got told I looked like a harrassed new mother when I came into work this morning. Luckily she is incredibly sweet. xx

Belt Tightening

I've been feeling slightly uninspired of late as the recession really has hit our house and my usual product treats have all but dried up. I then realised that this blog was not solely set up for the purpose of reviewing things so I really have no excuse and should pull my finger out (as my mum would say).

The good thing about having to tighten our belts means that I am finally using all the bits of make-up and tubs of cream that I've had for ages, used twice and then forgotten about having moved on to the next thing. So, poverty has driven me to fall in love with some things all over again and experiment more with how I use them. I realise that maybe I'd got stuck in a make-up rut and I really should be keeping my hand in with different trends.

One product I'm now using most days is Bourjois Suivez mon Regard eye shadow in Illuminateur. I had a massive love in with these years ago and then, as usual, got distracted by something else and never really used them again. Illuminateur is a lovely whitey, silver colour so really good for subtle everyday use or as a base for smokey eyes. It goes with everything so it's really useful if you're trying something a bit daring with other colours but want a safe base. I have this in brown, pink and blueish white too so I'm definitely going to start using those colours again too.

I've also unearthed my not-so-old Laura Mercier bronzer which is great for building up a bit of colour on your face and is easily adaptable depending on what time of year it is. And I'm trying to keep my obsessive mascara buying under control by using the many I already have. This may sound normal but I have at least ten that I've used a bit of and then just got distracted away from by a newer one that I 'must try'. I'm finishing off my Max Factor Masterpiece Max which is one of my top three favourite mascara's, and I've unearthed a L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagene which looks new and I think I used once and then thought it was probably one of those ones that was better having been left open for a couple of months. It's not bad! Not one of the best and you do need an eyelash comb to get some of the clumps out. I'm quite enjoying these trips down memory lane xx

A Little Distraction

I know I'm forever making excuses for my massive gaps in posting but I think you'll see that this is a pretty good one. This is Mouse, she's been my little distraction for the past few weeks, not because she's actually with us yet (she's only 5 weeks old) but because I've been like an expectant mother fretting and too excited to sleep. She arrives on 29th September and I just can't wait but before then I will to get a grip and do a proper post soon! xx

Laura Mercier - Secret Camoflage (Make Up 4 - Top 10 for 2010)

For the last year I've been using Benefit's Erase Paste to cover up the dark circles under my eyes. Although a lot of people I've spoken to seem to think otherwise, I really like it, it's easy to apply and does the job and seems to stay on pretty well. However, I kept hearing about the wonders of Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage and eventually splurged out and got it.

It's ok. Only ok. Maybe I'm not using quite the right brush (although I am using a concealer brush... just not a Laura Mercier one) but it just seems to be very drying and hard to apply. It seems like a lot of hard work for something that doesn't give quite the coverage of other products I've tried. I do think that maybe it looks slightly more natural maybe than the Erase Paste - I mean you are supposed to have a contrast in colour under the eyes. But the coverage near the inner corner gets blotchy and it has really dried out the sensitive skin here.