Groovin' with Daft Punk ...!!

Bonjour!

Well what a week of absolute madness (hence my lack of mid-week postage - haven't even had time to go to the gym!). The hubby wasn't around much due to the usual work commitments (what's new!) leaving yours truly to 'do' the half term thing with all the ferrying of kids backwards and forwards, left, right and centre! You know it's been a bit manic when you get to work and actually 'enjoy' the relative tranquillity of sitting at your desk with a cup of tea and several calculations (sad I know!).  Anyway, we're out tonight to my manager's leaving party - she's off to enjoy life outside of the office environment! No idea what to wear - haven't had much time to look for anything new so no doubt it will be the usual skinny jeans and black top with hopefully plenty of drinking and dancing ...!

Talking of dancing ... a couple of weeks ago when my daughter and myself were in New Look, a certain tune started playing over the shop stereo.  I was stopped in my tracks as I recognised it from years ago but couldn't pinpoint the artist etc and I said so to the young assistant - she gave me a somewhat quizzical look (as you can imagine) whilst advising me that she had no idea who it was - obviously! I was in agony - like a dog with a bone - and it was eating away at me.  I told my daughter I just wanted to get on down and boogie there and then on the shop floor - needless to say that didn't go down too well! I had to find out who had created this masterpiece I used to know but it had somehow passed me by - the shame! I knew it was something to do with with Parliament (the Funkadelic kind) but that was it.  Finally during that evening's #30sbloggers chat on Twitter it was established that this was indeed the tune ... the Daft Punk Remix - after all that I hope you enjoy the experience!


Scott Grooves Feat. Parliament/Funkadelic - Mothership Reconnection (Daft Punk Remix)...

What a mouthful - however, it's totally worth it ...takes me right back to 1998 ... who remembers this video?

How sweet to have found it again after all this time. It's going on my IPod now so I can enjoy on the treadmill in all it's grooviness!

Do you remember all the tunes you used to dance to - do you remember this Daft Punk Remix?

Jen x

A Lil' Giveaway ...!

Bonjour!

I told myself that when I got to 450 followers on Bloglovin (which may seem small fry to some but is a huge deal to me!) I would do a little celebratory Giveaway! On Saturday morning I reached 450 - yey!! but then at lunchtime it had gone down to 449 - pants!!  Despite the 'pants' situation I decided to go ahead with the Giveaway because what's one follower, more or less, between us bloggers ... ? And now I'm back at 450 - yey!!  Anyway - I'm giving away three of my favourite products of the moment to one winner  ...

Elf Baked Eyeshadow Palette in California
Elf Baked Blush in Rich Rose
L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara in Black

You can read my reviews on Rich Rose and Miss Manga here and here. Swatches for my California Palette can be found here. Now although I can't vouch for this personally I did read that this is very similar to a certain Sephora palette - and that can only be good yes?!

To enter please complete the Rafflecopter below ...

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*The Giveaway will run until  23.03.14 and is open internationally *All entries will be checked.
*Please obtain permission/consent from an adult if you are under 18 *As with all new products please be aware of possible allergic reaction and remember to test the product suitably first.


Good Luck!

Jen x

NOTD - Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Mocha & No7 Matte Nail Effects

Bonjour!

This is the second of my Barry M Matte Nail Paints - in Mocha  - you can see my NOTD in Crush here.  I love the colours/finish of these Barry M Mattes but the wear time is not so good, so with my recent £3 off Boots voucher I bought the No7 Matte Nail Effects Topcoat (it only came to £4) ...

I took these pictures on two separate occasions and on both days the sun decided to make a welcome appearance - on and off mind! As with Crush, Mocha is not a true matte but has a bit of a sheen to it (as in the first pic), which I don't mind at all. Easy enough to apply but you do need two coats and drying time is average.  It doesn't last without a topcoat and chipped after a day. It's a good laid back, deep neutral shade though and really does look like one of those chilled iced mocha drinks that go down so well in the Summertime - I now have Summertime on my mind - can't come soon enough!

Anyway - the bottom pic is after having applied the No7 Matte Nail Effects topcoat - although it looks opaque in the bottle it goes on clear.  As you can see Mocha is now a proper 'flat matte' with virtually no light bouncing off the nail. With this topcoat the polish lasted two days before chips - so an extra day's grace - still not fantastic but better and to be honest I'm beginning to wonder whether anything will ever last on my nails more than a few days anyway - maybe if I become a lady of leisure someday and employ a cook, cleaner and bottle washer - yeah right!

I know many of us associate nail polish with glossy finish but I do like this effect for a change, it takes it to a whole new level of grunginess don't you think? The No 7 Matte Nail Effects Topcoat is meant to make any polish matte (not just the ones that are meant to be anyway!) - so you could have a field day (should you have the time and patience) messing about with all your different polishes just to see the difference!

Have you tried the Barry M Matte Nail Paints or the No 7 Matte Topcoat?  What do you think of matte polishes?

Jen x

L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara - Review

Bonjour!

I picked up the L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara a few weeks ago whilst it was offer. The 'Manga' look is based on the Japanese comic strip characters with huge doll eyes fringed with big lashes - since I'm a fan of large lashes and a total mascara addict, curiosity got the better of me - as always ...!

Over on the L'Oreal website the benefits are described as follows...

"Miss manga features a 360 degree flexible brush for effortless application. Its unique brush has a flat surface to intensify and amplify upper lashes while its conical shape capture the lower lashes. Formulated with collagen spheres and polymers for ultimate volume and hold."   (source)

I found this brush easy enough to work with - it does take some getting used to at first, the flexible bit lets the stem 'give' a little (be interesting to see if it would work without this feature) but those flat bristle type thingies almost 'hug' and coat each lash really well without depositing excess mascara all over the eyelid - which means you can work well to thicken the look of the lashline. A creamy formula with a good black pigment - it does add length but for me it's all about the volume (as is stated on the can) and curl which lasts all day -it's also really easy to grab the lower lashes with the thinner end of the brush without making a mess!  I've applied first thing before work, then gone onto the gym straight after (no, I don't remove my make-up before the gym, don't have time!) and it's still in place last thing when I remove without any smudging or flaking.     In my experience, though,  it works best by applying a couple of good coats one after the other (with a bit of wiggling of the wand) - all in one go and I mean that quite literally.  It's not a mascara where I can shove an extra coat on at a later stage as it clumps up and has to be combed through.  It's not as stubborn to take off as 'that stubborn mascara' but it's also not the easiest so you do need to use a decent eye make-up remover.  The top pic shows the usual pathetic bare lashes (obviously) and bottom after a couple of coats of Miss Manga ...

I have seen the Manga ad on TV where the lovely young girl's lashes are huge (lucky girl) but also quite clumpy in places - not everyone's cup of tea and not the look I'm after.  However, used correctly I think the pics speak for themselves and I'm more than happy with the results so Manga is a winner in my book and a mascara I'd be happy to re-purchase at £8.99.  Also available in violet and turquoise for the more adventurous out there but for me it's always black!

Have you tried the L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara (what a mouthful!)? What's your favourite mascara of the moment?

Jen x

The Look of Love...!

Bonjour!

I make no apology for the fact that this is one of my all time favourite tunes - it just so happens to be aptly named bearing in mind that it's Valentines Day!

ABC - The Look of Love ...

Released in 1982 from the album The Lexicon of Love - what an album - remember Poison Arrow, Tears Are Not Enough and All of My Heart? (obviously I'm addressing that question to those of you who, like myself, are slightly more long in the tooth!) I had this album and it's disappeared ...

Ok so the video is a bit weird but I just love this track, it takes me right back to my (very) early New Romantic times and always makes me smile when I hear the opening sax ...

We don't really do Valentine's Day me and the hubby but I was rather surprised when he arrived home yesterday with flowers (I did point out that it wasn't Valentine's Day!) - a nice surprise it was anyway! Maybe there's romance in the old dog yet - or maybe it's because he has several football matches coming up that he wants/needs to attend!  So in return I've bought him a couple of Buds, some sausages and profiteroles - what more could a man want!

Spot the dog snout at the bottom of the pic having a sniff - always trying to get in the act isn't he?!

 We're staying in tonight and cooking our sausages! What are you up to?

Jen x

Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique - Review

Bonjour!

I've been wanting to dip into the wonderful world of Kerastase Paris for a good long while.  Their products are considered by many to be the 'creme de la creme' of haircare. So... for my first foray I went down the reconstruction route ... cue the Kerastase Resistance Ciment Thermique ...

Kerastase 'Resistance' is all about strengthening weak, damaged or fine hair from within.  The Ciment Thermique is a leave-in cream/lotion that works in conjunction with heat to help reconstruct damaged hair and according to the Kerastase website provides the following benefits:-

• Strengthens the hair fibre internally  • Protects the surface of the hair • Smoothes hair from root to tip • Hair is firm, supple and energised

(source)

It has the most pleasant, zingiest aroma ever, reminds me of freshly squeezed limes I'd say! The instructions say to use a walnut sized amount but I go for more of a jumbo cashew and apply mainly to mid lengths and ends before blow drying.  It doesn't weigh hair down but I usually use a volumising product through the roots for some oomph and this seems to work well.   After blow drying I can run the straighteners through lightly - without having to apply any additional product.

Although my hair is fine and thin it has always been very wayward and can, on occasion, take on the look of a brillo pad if not treated correctly - nice eh? I don't think anything has worked for me as consistently and effectively to give a sleeker head of hair - when I mentioned my intended purchase to Phil (my hairdresser) his exact words were ...'Oh you're going to love it - it makes hair so smooth!'.  I have to say he's hit the nail on the head - I'm kind of addicted to un-brillo-like hair and it definitely feels healthier through the mid-lengths and ends - a proper win! Just over half the tube has been used in two months - using every other day so not too bad for value. I have tried many many heat protectors and assumed they were doing their job but I feel this really works for me - we're talking big guns here!

I got mine on offer at £13 - it seems to retail from most 'beauty onliners' at around £15/£16 - probably one of the best lots of £13 I've ever spent?  Time will continue to tell I guess but for now I'm more than happy with my first delve into Kerastase and although I have other products to use up I think the Ciment Thermique will be a staple in my haircare routine!

Have you tried any products from Kerastase Paris? What's your favourite heat protector for your barnet?

Jen x

I Need Some 'California Love' (and Sun)...!

Bonjour!

You know it's not going to be a good one when you wake up at the start of the week with what seems like several large bricks weighing your head down and you have to go for the painkillers first thing whilst squinting to even see them! Luckily the headaches have diminished as the week has gone on and today my head actually feels pretty normal for the time being...!  How bad has the weather been though and how awful for all the poor people affected by the flooding and storms. I think everybody and their uncle has had enough of the cold, dark, stormy, dreary, wet, windy, grey etc etc etc weather.   Today's glimmer of sunshine popping in and out of the clouds is like heaven ...!

Last weekend I decided to listen to some tunes whilst preparing dinner - husband was engrossed in rugby (no surprise there) so why not!  My daughter sat trying to ignore the fact that I was singing and bopping around the kitchen (I am clearly too old for this type of activity!) and then the husband sneaked this tune on (rugby must have finished) ...

2Pac featuring Dr Dre - California Love

Released in 1995 it's another favourite from back in our heyday ...!

Ok so I'm not into the whole 'Mad Max' type of gear thing going on but oh to be in the California sunshine and be able to party (as much as one can at my age) on or near a beach with no cold hands and feet, aches and pains, no thermals and no hot water bottle!  And how low down and groovy is this tune?  Tell me you don't want to nod your head or even  "...shake it, shake it baby ... shake it, shake it mama...!".   Hubby proceeded to do the latter (just a little, mind, as is acceptable whilst in the kitchen with the family) - my daughter's words were ..."Dad please stop - you're hurting my eyes and vibrating the floor...!"

Have a good  weekend everyone and don't forget to 'shake it baby/mama' - even if just a little - it's good for the soul and circulation (if not the floorboards)!

Jen x

January Favourites/Empties ...

Bonjour!

So that's January over with for another year - I'm so looking forward to the lighter mornings and evenings  - how about you? A mixed bag of favourites and empties over the past month or so then ...

Kerastase Ciment Thermique - been using this since the middle of December and it's a firm favourite! Full review to follow.
L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Reinforcing Shampoo and Conditioner  - this duo is coming to an end now. I was pleasantly surprised with it's performance and have re-purchased. Full review here.
Mandara Spa Tropical Blooms Moisturising Shower Gel - just finished, gorgeous smelling product this one with a  heady floral scent - reminds me of high summer!
Bare Minerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara - all finished. It gives a good effect once on but is a bit of a smudger. Couldn't make my mind up about it - as you can see from my review here. 
Benefit They're Real Mascara - I'm giving up on this one.  A magazine freebie and something I've been trying on and off for a few months - but it's not to be.  It just doesn't 'do it' for me and I poke myself in the eye every time I try!
Elf Baked Blush in Rich Rose - been loving this for a touch of colour and radiance (both of which have so been needed!) - review here.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment - this finished about a week after my review here and I was gutted and am missing it already! I'm trying another eye cream out but will be re-purchasing as soon as I can snap up a good deal!
Maybelline Dream Touch Lumi Concealer in Nude - used mainly for the under-eye area. You do have to be light handed otherwise it has a tendency to cake up but I would re-purchase as it's quite a good concealer for me.
The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector - one of my all time favourites - especially in Winter - it's hard to beat that's for sure. I've repurchased a few times and will continue to do so!

And last but not least ... why oh why does this have to be empty...

Toblerone has to be one of my all time favourite items of confectionery - the chunks are just the right size for a treat after dinner and because you can't (or shouldn't) really fit it all in your mouth at the same time then one is enough on a school night. I've been allowing myself two chunks at the weekends though - get me!  Yes I will be re-purchasing on a fairly regular basis!

What have your favourites been last month? Are you able to fit a whole chunk of Toblerone in your mouth cos I can't!?

Jen x