UPDATE AND NEW REVIEWS TO COME

It’s been a busy few months; we suffered a measuring miscalculation (not me this time, but Mark – phew) and took delivery of a new display cabinet so enormous it took 4 huge men to lift it and we had to cut part of the back fence to get the bugger in.

It’s certainly a talking point though, visitors come in and say, What the f**k is THAT?

ALL our stuff fits into a little corner of it, so we’ve been going around Home Sense buying any old crap just to fill it. I had to beat off an old lady who was reaching for a Thai figurine I’d previously earmarked because it was exactly 40cms high. Although when we got it home it turned out to be 40.5cms high and we just couldn’t force it to fit – turns out Mark isn’t the only one who can’t measure.

We had a new boiler fitted and part of the bathroom is a mini building site ready for the new bathroom – which we haven’t chosen yet but is due to be installed at the end of October.

Lastly, and more importantly, my second son left for university (he was supposed to be taking a gap year, I’m not ready!) and my heart is breaking all over again.

But, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping and I bought a few bits and pieces that caught my eye for various reasons. Some are instant loves, others instant regrets and the rest I’m still figuring out. I think you need at least 6 weeks of testing to write an informed opinion and the full reviews will gradually appear over the coming days and weeks.

Elemis Anti-Ageing Dynamic Resurfacing Pads (£40.00) £31.00 AllBeauty

As part of the ELEMIS Anti-Ageing Resurfacing Programme, these skin-resurfacing facial pads acts as a very effective, yet gentle exfoliator, without compromising natural pH levels.

This is my second purchase, I reordered before the first was empty, but I think I might have hit on a much cheaper alternative.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Insta-Smooth Primer, 50ml (normally £58.00) £46.40 Heathrow points

An ultra-firming primer that visibly reduces the look of wrinkles, fine lines, and pores, leaving skin perfectly prepped for make-up, or simply fresh-faced for the day.

I can’t believe the price of this. NO primer is worth that much, but I think I like it. I need more time.

Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Night Pads 60 packs extreme £7.47 Boots

Super strength set of exfoliating wipes packed with Glycolic acid, Salicylic acid + Lactic acid. These pads target oily + congested skin + are ideal for your weekly treatment to bring the skin back to life + decongest clogged pores.

Not exactly the same as the Elemis pads, but I think (shoot me down if I’m wrong) they do more or less the same thing, but at a more reasonable price point.

TRINNY LONDON FLUSH BLUSH / BLUSHER £20.00

A dusky vintage rose pink. It delivers the softest whisper of natural flush and is named after one of Trinny dearest friends, Electra.

I chose the wrong shade, but it’s a decent (slightly overpriced) product that delivers on its promise.

TRINNY LONDON MIRACLE BLUR / LIP AND LINE FILLER £26.00

Our Miracle Blur Lip and Line Filler, untraceably adapts to fine lines on the skin’s surface filling in and ironing out wrinkles, leaving your skin smooth and perfectly even.

Not getting on with this at all. I bought it because it has ‘miracle’ and ‘blur’ in its name and I’m a sheep and everyone raves about it. Baaaa!

TRINNY LONDON FACE FINISH / MATTIFYING BALM £25.00

Face Finish gives a flawless finish fast, without the cakey, dusty residue of a powder. It zaps shine, blurs fine lines, and masks minor imperfections in one seamless sweep.

Too expensive, but I like it.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips – Too Bad I Am Bad £25.00

This has all the anti-ageing ingredients you need to create high impact colour with a second-skin feel. This buildable, warm rosy pink shade glides on seamlessly like a gloss yet feels completely weightless.

I normally steer clear of matte lipsticks, but this mixed with Chanel’s Marlene (discontinued of course) is divine.

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette The Uptown Girl 5.2g £40.00

Luxury Palette eyeshadow palette in The Uptown Girl is a quartet of champagne, oyster, smoky grey and blush pink shades.

Four harmonious colour ways that offer a complete “desk to disco” eye colour wardrobe and an easy to use application ritual that is fail-safe to follow.

Spoiler – it’s beautiful.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Ampoules, 30ml £89.00

This powerful recovery concentrate calms the look of irritated, stressed skin and strengthens skin’s barrier to improve its natural resistance against future assaults.

Another airport points buy (get the Heathrow reward card). Again, I think I’ve found a ‘sort of’ alternative from Beauty Pie because I can’t repeat the purchase at this price.

Oh and if I read another review that calls this ‘travel-friendly’ I’ll scream because. 1. It’s in a very heavy clunky glass bottle and 2. You cannot store an oil capsule in anything but a glass/plastic airtight jar, because it deflates and goes all soft and squishy.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Reovery Powerfoil Mask x 4 Masks £64.00 (Sample free at beauty counter)

High-performance foil-backed sheet mask creates a protective barrier, allowing our potent technologies to penetrate fast and deep within the skin’s surface and helping to lock in moisture.

Each treatment delivers a surge of liquid revitalisation, immersing skin in a double dose of Advanced Night Repair Serum’s powerful moisture magnet.

At this price, I’m grateful that this was a gift from a sales assistant (jealously guard the lovely ones with your life).

The results are superb, but it’s not particularly pleasant to use.

BEAUTY PIE SUPERACTIVE CAPSULES HYALURONIC ACID & BIOPEPTIDE MICROSPHERES SERUM £9.88

These super-targeted ‘one-shot’ capsules hold high doses of stable actives. With mixed dehydrated Hyaluronic Acid Microspheres, for instant plumping, smoothing and hydrating, and bio-identical pentapeptide 8 and tetrapeptide 8, to help prevent the formation of the skin’s internal ageing enzymes.

I keep meaning to alternate these with the Estée Lauder ampoules, but can’t bring myself to give up the lovely bronze capsules. I must try though, because I’m running low.

BEAUTY PIE SUPER RETINOL CERAMIDE-BOOST ANTI-AGEING FACE SERUM £8.80

Perfectly balanced to both revive and replenish, this ultra-gentle encapsulated retinol serum is infused with lactic and hyaluronic acids, and a concentrated, barrier-repairing ceramide blend to help protect, brighten, hydrate, smooth fine lines and soothe your skin.

I’m scared of retinol on my sensitive skin, but I know it works, and this is a gentle formulation that’s meant to be kind to the skin, yet as effective as its stronger counterparts. I’m only using it once a week to dip my toe in the water, so this one will take time. Zero irritation so far though.

BEAUTY PIE SUPER HEALTHY SKIN™ SHEER TINTED OIL-FREE SPF20 £5.46

Imported from Italy, our Super Healthy Skin™ Tinted SPF20 delivers beautiful, natural, sheer coverage, sun protection, and a radiant all-day gorgeous soft-focus glow. Oil-free, fragrance-free, with a velvety skin finish.

I think I was subconsciously hoping this was Liz Earl’s Sheet Tint in another guise, but the shade I bought – Fair, is way off the mark and it looks very mask-like on me. But, it’s cheap enough to buy another darker shade and mix the two, so I’m going to try that.

THE INKEY LIST Caffeine Serum 15ml £8.99

This under-eye serum is loaded with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant benefits derived from coffee, which help to reduce puffiness, dark circles and prevent skin damage from free radicals, which can make dark circles more pronounced.

Caffeine is well known for its tightening and smoothing properties, so this cheap ‘cult’ eye serum should work. Ordered it today.

OUAI Air Dry Foam £24.00

Boost the natural waves in the hair with Ouai Air Dry Foam. Developed as a wash-and-go solution to the problem of time-consuming styling, this formula works with the structure of the hair to generate enduring results. It will also help to calm down any frizzing tendencies and protect against dryness.

Last year I bought a box of OUAI Treatment Masques when they were on offer and I managed to squeeze out three applications from each sachet. My hair was so lovely and soft afterward that I wanted to try more from this line.

This, from what I’ve read, is for curly hair, but I’m hoping it might add some movement to my straight, slightly kinky hair.

Kérastase Styling L’Incroyable Blowdry 150ml £19.00 

A reworkable lotion that allows you to create flexible, touchable styles and a perfect blowdry with ease.

This unique formula utilises heat-sensitive Micro-Beeswaxes that melt when heated to enhance shape, and form a strong bond between hair fibres when cool for a long-lasting finish without stiffness. The lotion reactivates at 150°C and can be moulded without reapplying for versatile styling. Elastic Polymers enhance flexibility and provide frizz protection for up to 96 hours.

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t need this. I’m happy with Alterna Invisible Roller, which is similar, but if everyone stayed with products that worked and kept on using them until they ran out, the beauty industry would die overnight.

Gosh, that’s quite a bit of shopping, I must’ve been very stressed!