My first ever acrylic nails - rainbow nails

Today I got my first ever set of acrylic nails. Previously, I had been pleased with the condition of my nails, and therefore has been wary of applying acrylic nails as they will damage my own nails (when they machine-file the topd to create a rough surface).

However recently my nails have been damaged anyhow, and so I figured I may as well try them out!

I went for a rounded square shape, and rainbow nail polish. 

Have you had acrylics? Have you stuck with them?

Rockabilly Beauty - Make-Up I buy over and over again (holy grail)

There are certain products that I am happy buying over and over again. I used to always be tempted by the next new thing, but actually ended up returning to these, as products that do exactly what I want them to.

Foundation

Max Factor Ageless Elixor Foundation. It feels so creamy, definitely as if there is a serum in it. I like quite heavy coverage, and this gives it to me, without being cakey or mask like. It has an SPF in it, which eases my conscience perhaps more than saving my skin, but it's an added bonus I guess!

Eyebrows

Beautiful Brows in Black is my holy grail of eyebrow products. In the past I used to use either black eyeliner or black eyeshadow, and this seems to give me the best of both worlds. You get three stencils and you just apply the powder through the stencil. Easy Peasey. I love the precise definition it gives me. Look how odd I look with my natural colour eyebrows!

Face Care

Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish was the best skin decision I ever made. I've since used most of the products in her range, and love all of them. 

Eye Liner

I have tried and hated many many black eye liners for the rockabilly/retro catseye flick. They get judged on smudging (where they end up on the top half of your eyelid) and general steadfastedness. 

The only once I have been pleased with are Mac's LiquidLast and Mac's Gel liner. The LiquidLast lasts the best, but the gel gives a nicer shape, so I sometimes use both for different parts of the same application.

Beautiful Brows kit - first time use

Yesterday I treated myself to a Beautiful Brows kit, which costs £35. It comes with a brow powder in your colour, a brush, three stencils, a lipstick and a mascara.

I use black powder on my eyebrows every day. You can see in these before pictures how naturally fair I am!

I usually use an eyeshadow, applied with a brush, but have heard good things about Beautiful Brows, so I decided to give them a go! The lady on the stand said that after ten minutes the powder sets and is then sweat and smudge proof. I'll let you know about that once I've worn it for a bit! She also said that it could last two years of daily use.

You get three stencils, so I thought I'd be brave and go straight for 'Bold', rather than 'Natural' or 'Sleek'.

One brow on........

There is definitely a slight scouse brow look to these ones! However, I wear glasses, so can take a heavier brow!

Apologies that my camera is at the salon, so webcam will have to suffice.

As you can see, I am attempting to vary my expressions with varying success!

Obviously, the powder goes in a set stencil, and so I am left with rather off areas of regular eyebrow hair, but no powder. Not sure how I feel about that just yet! Will wear it for the day and see whether anyone points and laughs!

Follow up - I use Beautiful Brows every day without fail. I look crazy without them. I use the Bold stencil and recommend them all of the time!

The best thing I ever did for my skin...

As a teen I had pretty bad skin, but I guess that's pretty normal. As I grew, my skin definitely improved, but was always what I would call problem skin.

I would usually have a few spots here and there, and I never felt particualrly relaxed about the state of my skin, a little like I was in constant battle with it.

I used to use whatever would promise me the best results, and often wanted the harshest products I could find. I wanted to win the war!

However, what really worked for me, and has continued to work over the years, was switching to water. I used to use wipes, or cotton wool with a cleanser. Water seemed like a bit too much of an effort - I couldn't do it from my bed before going to sleep! I wanted stringent chemicals to do their 'magic'.

Initially I switched to Liz Earle's cleanse and polish, which you wipe away with warm water and a cloth. I stuck with this for years, as it made my skin so much happier. The spots went, and my skin relaxed.

Recently I ran out and replaced the cleanse and polish with Boots cold cream. It clearly doesn't share all of the yummy ingredients of Liz Earle, but I'm using the same technique. Applying it, and then wiping off with warm water and a cloth. My skin is still just as happy.

My conclusion is that my skin didn't want those harsh chemicals to strip it, it just needed a regular scrub with a cloth! I no longer need to buy an exfoliator, as the cloth is doing that each and every wash.

I'll continue to switch between Liz Earle and the cold cream, and my skin is the best its ever been. 

What has made your skin the happiest?

Bio Oil for a Spot Scar

Firstly, apologies for the use of a stock photo, it is very unlike me. I have been so busy getting the salon ready, that blogging has had to take a little bit of a back seat for a short while!

I had mentioned on twitter that I was trying Bio Oil on a spot scar I have on my face, and quite a few people were interested in hearing how I got on.

The scar is from a spot I had perhaps a year ago, and the mark just never went away. So it permanently looks like a red mark on my cheek, as if I have a spot always. It isn't the end of the world, make-up covers it, but it would be nice if it could go away. So I decided to try a new treatment for it!

I have heard and read many people who swear by Bio Oil, particularly for fresh scars and fresh stretch marks. So it clearly works for some people for some things!

I started rubbing it on my scar (and all over my face, as it also says its for wrinkles!) twice a day. All was going well. When I had super dry skin in Las Vegas I started using it all over my body too, and on my sunburn. Fabulous.

However...I then noticed I had developed a milium (singular of millia) just above the scar. Millia are also known as milk spots, and is a keratin-filled cyst. It basically looks like a very small whitehead that you cannot pop. I have never had one before, and it certainly annoyed me more than the scar! It would seem that perhaps the mineral oil in the product blocked one of my pores.

When I googled removing millia, it talked about needing to visit a doctor or dermatologist to have it lanced - using a needle to create a very small hole to pop the solid keratin out of. Ick. Basically, I did what you shouldn't do, and just did it at home with a sewing needle. At the moment I don't seem to have given myself a new scar, and it has gone.

Back to square one with the original scar!