tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32409851557342926062024-02-22T23:42:51.974-08:00As Miss Golightly was saying.....BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-53577741749991786802012-01-08T10:36:00.001-08:002012-01-08T10:46:14.647-08:002012 Recipe Challenge: Week One - The Best Bread and Butter PuddingFirst of all: Happy New Year! <br />
<br />
Any of you who follow me on Twitter will know that the lovely Amy came up with the idea of cooking a recipe a week from her shiny new Marks and Spencer Kitchen Diary. As an aspiring domestic goddess I jumped at the chance to get involved, along with Kat.<br />
<br />
First up was The Best Bread and Butter Pudding. Now with it being the first week of January I (along with most of the UK population) am trying to be more healthy so I was a bit disheartened to find that the first recipe was a stodgy pudding! I didn't let this put me off though and dusted off my pinny and rolled up my sleeves.<br />
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Recipe<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
60g dried fruit<br />
4tbsp brandy or sherry<br />
400g slice panettone<br />
70g unsalted butter<br />
150g chocolate<br />
300ml double cream<br />
300ml whole milk<br />
2 eggs, large<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
75g caster sugar<br />
40g nuts, chopped<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
<br />
Place the dried fruit in the alcohol and soak overnight {if you’re short on time you can gently heat the mixture in a pan for a few minutes and leave to cool}<br />
<br />
Take a large knob of buttter and grease a shallow 1.5 litre ovenproof dish.<br />
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Spread the remaining butter over both sides of the panettone slices.<br />
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Arrange the slices in the dish in overlapping layers, sprinkling the dried fruit and nuts between layers.<br />
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Break the chocolate in small pieces and put in a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and let the chocolate melt, stirring ocassionally. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool slightly.<br />
<br />
Pour the cream and milk into a clean pan and warm gently, then whisk into the melted chocolate until evenly blended and leave to cool.<br />
<br />
Place the whole eggs, yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and creamy.<br />
<br />
Whisk in the chocolate mixture and then slowly pour over the panettone.<br />
<br />
Use your hands to press the panettone into the mixture to ensure they are completely immersed.<br />
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Preheat oven to 180c or gas mark 4 for 20-30 minutes whilst the panettone soaks up the custard mixture.<br />
<br />
When ready to bake the pudding, place the dish in a roasting tray and pour boiling water to come halfway up the side of the dish. <br />
<br />
Bake for 40 minutes, remove from the oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving warm.<br />
<br />
As with most recipes I tweaked it slightly and opted to use dark chocolate instead of milk (just because it's my preference), Warbuton's sliced fruit loaf in place of Pannetone and Demerara sugar because my New Years Eve cupcakes obliterated my stash of caster sugar. The recipe didn't specify which type of nuts to use, so I went with hazelnuts as chocolate and hazelnuts are a winning combination in my mind! <br />
<br />
All in all I was happy with how the recipe turned out which is a bit of a miracle as I'm not really a fan of bread and butter pudding but it's not really the kind of thing that I would make in the future. BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-41612750030889565172011-10-10T03:45:00.001-07:002011-10-10T03:45:09.709-07:00A Touch of the Green Eyed Monster<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>As most of you know I’m on a perpetual diet - a quick shifty through my old blog posts will tell you that much. I’ve tried everything, from Slimming World to Slim Fast and calorie counting to cutting out carbs. Unfortunately I have the attention span of a goldfish so nothing ever lasts more than a couple of weeks at best. In August I decided that enough was enough. No more faddy diets, just sensible eating and unholy amounts of exercise. I even roped a couple of friends in for moral support, thinking that if we’re all in the same boat there will be fewer suggestions of a pub meal and a few drinks on Friday night, and cinema trips won’t have to come with a visit to the Ben and Jerry’s counter. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To my surprise it actually worked, we all signed up to My Fitness Pal and made a point of logging everything that passed our lips. This time nothing was negligible, not a cheeky midweek trip to Starbucks or a slab of cake that someone had brought into the office to celebrate a birthday. Everything was logged, everything. A cuppa in the morning? 11 calories. A gin and slimline tonic? 57 calories. The best (or worst) thing about the iPhone app is that it has a built barcode scanner, so I’d often find myself wandering round Sainsburys, scanning things and shouting “943 calories?!” and hastily replacing whatever I’d picked up. I’ll admit I got a few funny looks, but I bet most people in the vicinity thought twice before putting that pizza in their basket. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>So far I’ve lost just over a stone by sticking religiously to my 1200 calories per day and taking up residence in the gym. A stone doesn’t sound much but I’ve been told time and time again that the best way to shed some timber is to lose it slowly – a pound of two a week is the way to lose it and keep it off. Now I was quite happy with this – I could feel my jeans becoming a bit looser and wasn’t as concerned that the buttons could pop on my work shirt at any given moment – until one of my friends started to drop two pounds a week, every week, without fail. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I should be happy for her (which I am), but at the same time its soul destroying when the needle on the scale just won’t shift. I know I should have taken measurements before I started, and I know weight isn’t everything but I’m jealous. There, I said it. I’m a terrible person. I go tot the gym 6 times a week for at least an hour at a time, I sweat like Homer Simpson in a Krispy Kreme shop at spinning twice a week and I log every last morsel and some weeks the scales just don’t move. I get up at 6 am to go to the gym for goodness sake – what kind of crazy person behaviour is that?!? My friend does a Zumba class once a week (if you’re lucky) and its absolutely falling off her. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. If one more person says “<i>yeah but maybe [friend] has more weight to lose than you</i>” I think I’ll scream. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The old me would deal with this by heading straight to KFC for a Wicked Zinger box meal, but not this time. This time I’m not giving up, I just really wish I could shake off this green eyed monster. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:1.3pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>B xx<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div>BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-49396281358408057052011-09-05T00:28:00.001-07:002011-09-05T00:34:19.919-07:00Product Rave: Molton Brown Protecting Vitamin Lipsaver<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JpRKMn3Tp0e05jP_9T7yc3VC2BLl3PaBQpgvVdCOQcksogxM1Di7Y6-GRgdAQoaJi8MFHvhkQUVS5ONtGDz4x18SSaLcscXMzGQFS8_p_KY3cVCO9USx14BAGQj4RELFye2SaaD-Jl4/s1600/photo-701552.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JpRKMn3Tp0e05jP_9T7yc3VC2BLl3PaBQpgvVdCOQcksogxM1Di7Y6-GRgdAQoaJi8MFHvhkQUVS5ONtGDz4x18SSaLcscXMzGQFS8_p_KY3cVCO9USx14BAGQj4RELFye2SaaD-Jl4/s320/photo-701552.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648774065105279106" /></a></p>
<br />
<br />
<br />Hello lovelies
<br />
<br />Hope you're all keeping well?
<br />
<br />I've just got back from my jollies in Spain and I'm not acclimatising at all well to this horrible autumnal weather - I guess summer is now officially over!
<br />
<br />I thought I'd share my latest favourite product with you all - Molton Brown's Protecting Vitamin Lip Saver. I honestly cannot say enough lovely things about this little tube of wonderfulness! My mum gave me a sample size that she got on a BA flight a few months ago and I was impressed from the first use. The tiny tube was packed with moisturising ingredients including beeswax, honey and vitamin E and is more of an intensive lip moisturiser than normal lip balms.
<br />
<br />Before I used the Lip Saver, my lips were chapped to within an inch of their lives, but with one use (really, just one was all it took), they were soft and smooth. I'm not sure if its just me but my lips often become used to products after a while and they stop being as effective as they were to begin with, but this just hasn't happened with the lip saver, my lips feel as good after 6 months of religious use as they did after two uses.
<br />
<br />I really like the fact that it comes in a tube as I'm not a fan of lip balms in pots for hygiene reasons. I'm also impressed at just how long it lasts - I apply it religiously and the tiny freebie tube (7ml) lasted me about 6 weeks. The full size (15ml) tube costs £10 and lasts me around 3 months with regular, liberal applications.
<br />
<br />Prior to trying this out, my HG lip balm was always Clinique Superbalm, and though I'd definitely use Superbalm again (and regularly do), the Molton Brown product has just pipped it for everyday use. Price-wise they're much of a muchness, however this product differs from Superbalm in that it's not glossy but rather is a more traditional kind of lip balm, which is why I prefer it for everyday use - I don't wear a huge amount of make up at work so the matte look is a bit more in-keeping.
<br />
<br />In short, I'd say that this is the best £10 I've ever spent and I'd recommend it to everyone!
<br />
<br />xxx
<br />
<br />(image courtesy of google - the tube didn't photograph very well)BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-3590011667712230122011-08-02T07:14:00.000-07:002011-08-02T07:20:00.887-07:00Desperate Times......<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>… call for desperate measures. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I'm not sure how its happened but my holiday has somehow crept up on me. It doesn’t seem 5 minutes since I was getting on a plane to Dubai so I have no idea where the last two months have gone! I've now got two weeks until I have to wear a bikini again, and the thought is filling me with dread to say the least. I was doing really well with the whole diet/fitness thing until a couple of weeks ago when I fell off the bandwagon in spectacular style. Since then I've persevered with the salads for lunch (only these salads have incorporated potato salad, pasta, pesto, cheese and lashings of Caesar dressing) and I've been going to the gym sporadically at best. If only one spinning class and one Zumba class a week was enough!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A weekend away with the girls last weekend pushed me over the edge. We did far too much eating and drinking, though a LOT of shopping was done and that counts as exercise, right??<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Anyway, now that I have only two weeks to go, I've decided to take up the Special K challenge for the two weeks before I leave. You know the one, you have a bowl of Special K for brekkie, one for lunch and a normal dinner (obviously 'normal' doesn’t include a large Domino's pizza, mores the pity). Plus you can have two 100 calorie or less snacks per day. I'm not really a snacker so I think the snacks will be a massive bonus as they'll be like treats.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I'm not expecting miracles, but if I can shift about 7 pounds I'd be very happy. I know that this is not the healthiest way to lose weight, but I don't plan on being on the diet for longer than two weeks (…if I even last that long). When I get back I'll be going back to the good old myfitnesspal app and regular gym sessions, but I thought it only fair to warn you all that there will be a lot of whingy food-related tweets coming from my account - I won't be offended if you tell me to shut up!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>xxx<o:p></o:p></p></div>BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-77308940619957468932011-07-26T02:43:00.000-07:002011-07-26T02:44:51.533-07:00Puppy Love Part Two: The Sequel<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xRJnkZ1DtZIBzt7_aTBxIpK5XEl-poStWBGkEkOXIohrSmCty1vG81Z98Ml4ruPmSrJB1LM_lwvoDbkU6nqqpjIE_4SR6YDn64Z0pENEQ0HylY7fxjWgSZedJszViewacjjKsWpcMuM/s1600/photo+1-791534.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xRJnkZ1DtZIBzt7_aTBxIpK5XEl-poStWBGkEkOXIohrSmCty1vG81Z98Ml4ruPmSrJB1LM_lwvoDbkU6nqqpjIE_4SR6YDn64Z0pENEQ0HylY7fxjWgSZedJszViewacjjKsWpcMuM/s320/photo+1-791534.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633594755107425634" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlQX8KL-6TCJIj39WKLDQpvAIgNsakptoH9Y44TugLmOHEk3IDZfXuoNtR1jvHkJ0fbxm7TzHbzCoKgRoeABLKE-zijMxSjd8dbBHpAO3dl4bqUGcybNW6fCyabcOPrIrJoxJ1Y6TNqA/s1600/photo+2-792824.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlQX8KL-6TCJIj39WKLDQpvAIgNsakptoH9Y44TugLmOHEk3IDZfXuoNtR1jvHkJ0fbxm7TzHbzCoKgRoeABLKE-zijMxSjd8dbBHpAO3dl4bqUGcybNW6fCyabcOPrIrJoxJ1Y6TNqA/s320/photo+2-792824.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633594755214511762" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mAyV8I91jZZJi0etvLJdbpKuths4EUR1vCst4Eg-4eXsbkQrBLTiYhfOztIBQ_bAdltT_hCiTtvZVSAK3JB-7z-0QZc5MChP1kQwfFhJvlY_aBJIlt-q_KsWVVIPy22-HCGe-8HWf9s/s1600/photo+3-793373.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mAyV8I91jZZJi0etvLJdbpKuths4EUR1vCst4Eg-4eXsbkQrBLTiYhfOztIBQ_bAdltT_hCiTtvZVSAK3JB-7z-0QZc5MChP1kQwfFhJvlY_aBJIlt-q_KsWVVIPy22-HCGe-8HWf9s/s320/photo+3-793373.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633594757228633570" /></a></p>As if last week's puppy pics weren't achingly cute I'm back with more! Turns out my mum is just as much of a soft touch as I am, and when she went to visit Toby on Sunday she ended up agreeing to take another one too.<p>The puppies are Working Cocker Spaniels so mist of the litter are going on to be trained as gun dogs, but unfortunately one turned out to be gun-shy, so no-one wanted him, poor little sausage! <p>Luckily mum and dad couldn't resist, so ladies and gents, meet Bailey......BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-54190523764860683432011-07-25T04:00:00.001-07:002011-07-25T04:00:56.598-07:00I don't like Mondays......... but then again who does??<p>Why is it that Mondays are always so much harder when you've had a good weekend? This weekend has mostly been spent gambling (York Races), listening to music in the sun (Tramlines), and getting mushy over puppies!<p>Living in Sheffield we're very lucky that we have an amazing 3 day free festival in July called Tramlines. This year was its third birthday an its safe to say that its growing in size and variety every single year! Unfortunately I missed Saturday as I'd already been signed up for the races but I made Sunday and had a great day (as always)!<p>There's literally something for everyone, from folk to house and pop to hardcore and the festival showcases both local talent (from Toddla T to Rolo Tomassi) and also favourites from outside of South Yorkshire. There's even a buskers bus to ferry you round toen, which given Sheffield's famous hills ia definitely a fab idea. This year's headliners were Ash who were absolutely immense - it's been a fair few years since I've seen them and I can confirm that they're as good now as they were 10 years ago (saying that makes me feel REALLY old). The organisation and effort that goes into pulling such a huge event together is amazing and it really makes me proud to be a Sheffielder! I'd definitely recommend it to everyone so get yourselves down next year!<p>Luckily it's only a 4 day week and I have a weekend at the seaside with the girls coming up - is it wrong that I'm already packed??<p>Hope everyone has had a fabulous weekend and that this week isn't too painful!<p>xxBrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-5444201285191521492011-07-18T15:02:00.000-07:002011-07-19T01:02:52.262-07:00Puppy Love<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXzZpTaZhEsalNkgUBU8rzzWMDYtEtAgbjzITnkotL8cvefbOwHxx1jMeE151lR4ZWVOnxobtHzFiwDM3nUyVK8u6IoNArFX21-DqWOElHilnsebs7T40sCeNybXIh8Y8Q4kxJh4Jfhs/s1600/photo+1-726240.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXzZpTaZhEsalNkgUBU8rzzWMDYtEtAgbjzITnkotL8cvefbOwHxx1jMeE151lR4ZWVOnxobtHzFiwDM3nUyVK8u6IoNArFX21-DqWOElHilnsebs7T40sCeNybXIh8Y8Q4kxJh4Jfhs/s320/photo+1-726240.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630816486026877298" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialVvq8SjVyzRoUHWjUXU677CmjVNcGY3DkM-k-OenEtMdLJLwvy3PqL7ful65R1JQqkDl67jgNOcxG4FVt6X1udIBJS4wpBqG5Pdm9mjxu18BDnrYosWQ9ggLQl2ESB-7L4Hq5eQFICs/s1600/photo+2-727039.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialVvq8SjVyzRoUHWjUXU677CmjVNcGY3DkM-k-OenEtMdLJLwvy3PqL7ful65R1JQqkDl67jgNOcxG4FVt6X1udIBJS4wpBqG5Pdm9mjxu18BDnrYosWQ9ggLQl2ESB-7L4Hq5eQFICs/s320/photo+2-727039.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630816489477549410" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wx-W4GfdPtpm8o6H5zkOaOsv9wZ4HLyTR6p3ZscBcrUzntmNebydl50J8RgCQDPEfLX0-736-agqjNyl5_kDC2j4nafRBUlG1OHGCAjjR-X4P9ZeqV-Oak7lBUNyIZvqxi7fOEq9StI/s1600/photo+3-728518.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wx-W4GfdPtpm8o6H5zkOaOsv9wZ4HLyTR6p3ZscBcrUzntmNebydl50J8RgCQDPEfLX0-736-agqjNyl5_kDC2j4nafRBUlG1OHGCAjjR-X4P9ZeqV-Oak7lBUNyIZvqxi7fOEq9StI/s320/photo+3-728518.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630816494014554210" /></a></p>Hi everyone!<p>Meet the latest addition to the family, Toby....<br /><br />Unfortunately he won't be coming to live with me as he's my mum's but still isn't he gorgeous??<br /><br />All together now: Awwwwwwwww!!<br /><br />xxxBrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-24218832829200421802011-05-12T09:11:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:38:23.930-07:00Mission: Possible<div class=WordSection1> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Hello Ladies and Gents!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I know, I know, I’ve been neglecting you again! Sorry about that but it’s been a horrendously hectic few months in Sunny Sheffield. I won’t bore you all with the deets because, well, it’s boring, but hopefully I’ve got past the worst of it so I’m back to ramble (for the foreseeable future at least).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know that I’ve set myself a <s>little</s> massive challenge – next year I’m going to run the Sheffield Half Marathon. Its not until May, but I figured that in a year I should be able to build up to run it in a (half) decent time so as not to embarrass myself. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I’m telling the world this so that there’s no way of me bottling it at the last minute, and also so that people can shout at me through Twitter if I fall off the wagon. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I like to think that I’m reasonably fit as I’m quite religious about going to the gym, but running is something that I’ve never quite got into. I thought that by setting a clear goal it might give me the push I need to actually get my backside into gear and do some training. Also, I vaguely remember someone somewhere telling me that running is the best thing for weight loss – whether it’s true or not remains to be seen, but I’m certainly going to give it a whirl!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Also, very luckily for me, this little challenge fits in beautifully with the latest phase of the Aussie Angels project I’m involved in – Aussie Lighter Self. The project isn’t necessarily to be taken literally (though that is the way that I’m choosing to interpret it as it’s the most applicable to me) and can cover anything from de-cluttering your life to de-stressing and getting healthy in time for the summer. I’d thoroughly recommend that you all hop along to <a href="http://www.uncoveraussie.co.uk/">Uncover Aussie</a> and check out the three videos that have been posted to help you all lighten up!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>xxx<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> </div> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-15108563070980603292011-03-17T02:02:00.001-07:002011-03-17T02:02:17.151-07:00Aussie Angels - your chance to get involved!<div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal>Hi lovelies<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>I'm sure that you're all aware of Aussie Hair products (if you aren't - why not??), and most of you will be aware of the Aussie Angels. If you aren't click<span style='color:navy'> </span><a href="http://www.uncoveraussie.co.uk/">here</a> and be enlightened! To celebrate the fact that spring has sprung, Aussie are offering 10 of you lovely bloggers the chance to join in the fun at an Aussie event. So far the events have included Australia Day parties, Aussie to the Rescue evenings, (where a crack team of make up artists, stylists and hairstrylists whipped us angels into shape), and an awesome Blogger's market which the snow ruined for me (boo). I can vouch for the events being not only heaps of fun but also a great chance to meet other bloggers and pick up lots of tips!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>To be in with a chance of attending an event, all you need to do is answer the following question on your blog: <b><i><span style='color:#000066'>“Put a spring in your spring! Tell us, how would you lighten up your life? #AussieLight” </span></i></b>and tweet a link to the post to @yummyhair - couldn’t be simpler really could it??<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Winners will be chosen by the lovely Uncover Aussie team and they're looking for something creative so think outside the box! The competiton closes at<b><span style='color:#000066'> </span></b></span>Midnight on Sunday 20th March 2011 and winners will be chosen based <span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>on the most creative response that reflects the Aussie spirit. This means videos, pictures, stories or even songs can be their blog post entry</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"; color:#000066'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class=MsoNormal>Full T’s & C’s can be found <a href="http://www.uncoveraussie.co.uk/uncategorized/our-winning-angels"><span style='color:windowtext'>here</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>xxx<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> </div> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-37807305157575505572011-03-10T03:04:00.000-08:002011-03-10T03:05:05.696-08:00REWIEW: China Glaze Nail Strengthener & Growth Formula<div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal>Hello Lovelies!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><img width=98 height=130 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CBDF12.FE7F92D0"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>As you will be aware from a previous post (found <a href="http://confessionsofmua.blogspot.com/2010/04/product-rave-opi-nail-envy-natural-nail.html">here</a>), I'm a complete Nail Envy junkie. Unfortunately, last time I went to Sally's to stock up they were completely sold out of Nail Envy of all descriptions. Before I descended into a complete state of panic, the Sales Assistant pointed out China Glaze's alternative to Nail Envy , the snappily titled "<span lang=EN-US>Nail Strengthener & Growth Formula". I've previously been impressed with the China Glaze product range and decided to give it a whirl. The packaging is nice enough, and I definitely prefer the bottle to the Nail Envy bottle as I like that its frosted and I find it’s often a bit of a pain getting the dregs out of the Nail Envy bottle. I think that I paid about £6 for it (with my trade card), but I've helpfully thrown out the receipt so I can't be more precise I'm afraid. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>I've been using this product for the last few weeks, and I'm sorry to report that the results aren't great. I often used Nail Envy as a basecoat for other polishes, however the box of the China Glaze product explicitly states that it should NOT be used under polishes. "When I read this I didn’t pay much attention and thought "Meh, what's the worst that can happen?" How naive was. It turns out that the reason it shouldn’t be used as a basecoat is because it peels, and not just a little bit - so far I haven't survived a day with my nails intact! <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US>The directions also state: "<span style='color:black'>Apply two coats to clean, bare nails every other day <i>(good luck with it lasting that long)</i> for four weeks. For best results, use with Orange Cuticle Oil". Now I'm a bit lazy at best, and this sounds like FAR too much of a palaver. Especially when I'm used to the Nail Envy Way of thinking (2 coats, then one coat a day for a week. Repeat). Confession time: I'm not one for taking off my nail polish every other day, and I often 'rock' chipped nails (I know, I know, for some of you that is a cardinal sin, but to be quite frank, if it's good enough for Juliette Lewis, it's good enough for me).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>There are a couple of good things about this product: it certainly makes my nails really hard (for the time it lasts) and its (slightly) cheaper than Nail Envy, but I'm afraid that it comes nowhere near knocking Nail Envy off its pedestal.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>(image courtesy of Google - I still can't find that pesky camera lead!)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='color:black'>B x</span><span lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-66163540935300637252011-01-30T07:47:00.001-08:002011-01-30T07:47:38.203-08:00Fringe Benefits<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXMi6GtbubfMnsEvTZVyc_4gK9ERGXgFblvINDFxbzTUvT4Zawz13KVZixkpyr7paL541gSNW4MeLis8K4YRMhHK19uzdPqJ-NIhguVsqghYtCKX0n63C_5V8xLXjt4JvJJTpeAwbEZA/s1600-h/IMG_0356%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0356" border="0" alt="IMG_0356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGrQLw3te6SufEiVORWh2CpoZ858apPGE0MbN-HeWpRYcKuQ0P0h1on5klxTVt1BMjFzq2ufgeGzpb5dVezQxc-X6Zrigh7qICNc4d4moVSOLmuBN3A2d_d2KCc_ZXNERlT4F1gjDuFU/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p align="justify">Can you believe that I schedule ONE post and it doesn’t work?! Typical. </p> <p align="justify">For those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter and missed my post-drastic-cut-wobbles, between Christmas and New Year I was feeling particularly ‘meh’ about my hair so I decided it was high time that I went for the chop. I was planning on going back to my trusty chin-length bob but somehow my hairdresser managed to convince me that a fringe was the way to go. Considering the fact that I haven’t had a fringe for about 12 years I was surprisingly easily led and a 40 minutes later there was no going back. </p> <p align="justify">I wasn’t entirely sure about it to start with but I think I’m just about getting used to it now, so much so that instead of growing it out immediately as I originally intended, I’ve become quite attached to it!</p> <p align="justify">xxx </p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-66242988743045184132011-01-30T07:28:00.001-08:002011-01-30T07:28:45.062-08:00Here We Go Again…<p align="justify">Well where did January go? Seriously, it seems to have absolutely flown by. One minute its New Years Eve, the next its (almost) payday. I should start by wishing everyone a rather belated Happy New Year – I hope 2011 has got off to a great start for everyone. Secondly, I should apologise for being MIA….again. I’ve not really got an excuse this time, I just didn't have anything to say and rather than boring you all to death I thought I may as well keep schtum. Anyway, I’m hoping that 2011 will be a good one so I’ll have plenty to say this year! </p> <p align="justify">All has been quiet on the beauty front recently, mainly because I’ve been trying to use up the stockpiles I have before buying anything else, firstly because my dressing room can’t take any more, and secondly because I’m determined to stop spending money on things I just don’t need so that I can spend it on more exciting things (like holidays). </p> <p align="justify">Usually January is my cue to jump on some diet bandwagon but this year is different. Instead of trying (and failing) to stick to some rigid plan and depriving myself of all the things I love I’m trying to re-educate myself and make myself more aware of what I eat so that I make better choices by keeping a food diary. So far so good! As well as this,  I’m seriously stepping up my gym game too, so brace yourself for lots of incredibly boring gym / fitness / diet posts in preparation for the wedding season – three invites this year all ready, is there something in the water?!</p> <p align="justify">Here’s to a fabulous 2011!</p> <p align="justify">xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-60159037382781487672010-12-03T01:48:00.001-08:002010-12-03T01:48:49.657-08:00Snow is Falling…..(still)<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh349pibzxa1uqTlnJr4HCDVACMufJ2-8rQ3cJZqNB6Y-deUUgwMjxHW47NwsPEeebi6EELvt1-_c5YINcLrBS64WmSwFzgRuibaHCx2RM5Av-XU75l2GAAZ_b3qjCeFrU-aD5V61tjSpY/s1600-h/IMG_0260%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0260" border="0" alt="IMG_0260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7aJfaojBrhSlIe0HhGKK0qzAqYhwn6hRMz5EGfPV7TQwRoGoihRaQBzyDk1oTbB9qFL-b8wD9S5mdPvZGp4gKd83DN4ACfkiDkB_MRXc0KgpzJKTVCPT-mYyd4BrjjXfWNFt5JQD5aI/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a> </p> <p align="center"></p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuaDnb34FXVgedQtS0mEjmi2lunCMoCbNWCZpsIy25-nb7LfWspN3_PcJRlCKCW8BZBSmliuel4E4yfE53wpabhFgsEHdhiFfd2uRGntgSIFW2IkOivvPTYyk0Hr4sVFqU8SgziGuHHA/s1600-h/IMG_0231%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0231" border="0" alt="IMG_0231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFRLRC5-Fc8q8SOL5OjqbbbuW9FkVa521U_tOL7ny5fuPKlYsygbt_-dP7guirm09Mx3NRzDvWlkVdHkpeCLPDjrUfJkAjGiXbTlTAIizrTjMcK_LXk6mmoTGdyYXfXhVj751dNx7-8A/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="183" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTp0cnVUKwkvsacm6BB26KTw4NwxDstvLj8D-HGPQGM6JcBTmft9prD4wgfuXPzViZ2hB1JWUF6zLlNjS6J5zT6m6DX20xz5vP2JNKNE8nKE3NN9V1YK3H_k0S9vW1H_K12pVBze_ZHE/s1600-h/IMG_0268%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0268" border="0" alt="IMG_0268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjzK1P_ToeFbvAuN3DSlKpXLiBzNF4h1O8x-4Zv3Lbprak7zuEHPAtAe3spRflBGhF8uU_0_tCvEpjRsKaTFt_mFDXB4vjS1K7utw6DRmn0edgqV6Mh69WZ_IZ1qJ5zxY8uEZSccWOnlg/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCz0OCq_cPTz7_FboQtsRUYfmu3wz7fT7vtFxIFvAyBARZAZNSQvUzOZQxr8saN-E1Z6Z0a-YlyO0_PGZntl8WqVrZyF7787EFOU4oom2kNCChyphenhyphenNWhMxjps678OOzY6ejG4MMNPetXoZ0/s1600-h/P1000232%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1000232" border="0" alt="P1000232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZ8DN2oUnMjqDTZGGC53swcjSnQLieM3Unvh3MV_bC0CqliniStDDUubhIUgmy2ve2W5mJzE-IsEhWMNl1OTDQ434sifuB7_FdfEgswQqq622ha5WzSo6kh_cGWQhynAZ2H6HA31XJfU/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHOgORZDNCxXq8BF7zJNY-B28kxfB29lwMm-jZCzHv5Lm-TYxppc5VLz16LFLffPtcGDHVrrbq7Y6FXqg2qJ4bGWqEGqX4GmCqyCj_35yOGgCJ36IgNNItsLAEYrI104u58RXpS9U81A/s1600-h/P1000248%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1000248" border="0" alt="P1000248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgEwSQMeBLWO0yi0ZcuJiw3Qz6SbRH-vENrZa0Py3O2QDsOnmezyiYdlrSNCTHiy8x5FaHij7ohfAXeFwyUeS5ggOFEX9il2W4TuIEJkf3lro1-Uiw2vNhAzuhUmY6ex-xGAu2QEVxiQ/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxbXB0sdisp0SJ9I6UQT9SqL-Un5qu3FgSPOvgi-8ioJlN2Ok-NGbIbF6tKYMJF_lSNqWofes6OVuqjdAL-KTlcfOUXxz8p4n28_1grX_mgccm5Eb1CFOe6ypz_dC6vAGOJ9j7MgC80I/s1600-h/P1000262%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1000262" border="0" alt="P1000262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedsraKTnKt_aVoEktUc0qiuvV0tDZ0eRNjzie0rYvkkyf1-7P57h4nVVpmV_5WZAAFWcxUdRLOLCxRNf8NJflwENGN3A1ApIeTTgDleOT5ELG0VO7-wrM-f-hVr3KwC4RWA4nVP6mdlY/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5Fj_YoBjeChU-Ape48kaSBu-lFyTX81Co6ZQ-HP7xLfXKTwNmdi7IbOvq8UJSixUdwYLmi-eWMxiRt1a4OSrWbvj65OeTOCrNDLGdNHikE6joj2OrV9U2ULrQjVrg0UY-QgkYTuaPIY/s1600-h/IMG_0251%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0251" border="0" alt="IMG_0251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoi5ncs3sElTGV5xAwgKiT1u3sGmAD2QBzUXT8g9Me302_45sWDSKBN3fzbqpm1cSUsVUrXHYs5ddlWarPvv25Aka4Javco3rB0LioNrg99jiLPP3eNvQs39ysr6YKTj5kAzUPdBBzY9Q/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireB4irPbqs5vNKvLNnjesAgqwfL4o5pfeY0573-4xQWktQVS3c1z6ps2qQT80L_HhBy1EFgFx4C9ZCc-PVxsEjja5kgadX8SPNaJiWgmoEe5RLOediNDYawPGwdeGptUAGqYiA3Ztjx0/s1600-h/IMG_0250%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0250" border="0" alt="IMG_0250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyC-5A72cWx1qJ_XKALV_UBWuM9TOkeroAmr9itw-JVZPFhNk2BUu5DC1CaUkBdIZH4DGR8MIB45vK0CKmRNU_1geD6sWsQnqnHPuF5-0ShJ-2DCmEmASLv7WkN3zmCUed0isF9kxPNY/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-41084028469020115092010-10-22T11:37:00.000-07:002010-10-22T11:37:01.041-07:00Autumn Treats<p>Hello Lovelies</p> <p align="justify">Brrrrr, its freezing outside! Funnily enough, autumn is my absolute favourite time of year – there’s nothing I like better than wrapping up warm and going for a long walk through the crunchy autumn leaves. Plus I love bonfire night and Halloween! In honour of the seasons turning and my impending trip to New York (well, in January….) I decided to treat myself to some new winter boots.</p> <p align="justify">I’m a big fan of my UGGs in autumn/winter but I find that they’re a bit of a death trap as soon as the ice hits, so instead of buying yet another pair of classics, I decided to mix it up a bit and went for some UGG Kensingtons which are more of a biker style. I had to size up which is a first in UGGs (I usually have to size down!) so I was a bit worried my feet would look huge, but as soon as I tried them on I didn’t care – it’s love!!</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYI_2-2nkg5hZ_fcAVFYdJ8Yk-wAnelGfXNbaMckqD86bUBRJDo_7mAhC4uxLIXZ5uKrR1LU2plPJqFdiw_4U0iOmtrNddIQSKKrkX99XFpWB34oTHt0cTUX3EL1JOIIULSYqqQUQ5Pu4/s1600-h/IMG_0134%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0134" border="0" alt="IMG_0134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3clP6r8GlkqjNHMCjTQAY572AT40uPARPa9c7ok1LLZoxmNBlSrpEepk-5URf76FYTXkM3HEA4Gxsnpxl8I82_uIhNKrLz-5TsVewIt4iuTAG4HJ2jsPNw-6ZVopj-VwDSj_rTH0aP5E/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a> </p> <p align="justify">I also invested in a replacement for the famous River Island Panda hat, which will barely (no pun intended) be off my head until spring – whether the Mr likes it or not!!</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNk8BZ58KbukrZO3i09eKu5jHUjW5dA82Z3YxdrQIgEisftdviWH7QEDpCGnnQ3SKzexO7Q7INCrvINqo8AkUrtHvAVdt5lxNmTG6U41SeLVqkQLpSMBioCsezlRp_nHVHrCkCZywQFgM/s1600-h/SAM_0368%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="SAM_0368" border="0" alt="SAM_0368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIlaauLMtPlbDGQ8iN3idMJyBcpMl-ufeMR2QM-HcHEfLk9pbyFpvhLwamQ1ePIDnwCt0GW1nFJDSZCyJJdhtgUyjKIJv6ln1NHm5xwXIFQbJqcjqyFQk10PlaqKsoBmzJW-JVb8FVObc/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p></p> <p>What are your favourite autumn essentials?</p> <p>xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-86139742204545545002010-10-20T11:21:00.001-07:002010-10-20T11:21:28.121-07:00Paul Mitchell Haul<p>Hello Lovelies</p> <p align="justify">I've had such a busy October that despite my best intentions I've lapsed on the blogging front somewhat! Anyway, I finally plucked up the courage to get my hair cut which, given my hairdresser trust issues was a massive step (more on that to come), but also gave me licence (in my mind at least) to place a little order with <a href="http://www.lookfantastic.com/">Lookfantastic</a>. Most of you will know I have a bit of a fixation on Paul Mitchell products, so along with a couple of old favourites, I also picked up two products I haven't yet tried. </p> <p><strong>The Old Favourites:</strong></p> <p align="center"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwU7wB3C0-J4T4dyA4_dtogh3TA6pCKr5xgxs3IBP_V6pkfDslX3wEbeU1X9pUDkCyztDYXcnioXURbJXGz_dKYU28_MRvSzqWxogIhI7Qie8GccnpeeLPjBoBDuO2H4qRkb7NtOOkek/s1600-h/IMG_0127%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="PlatinumBlonde" border="0" alt="PlatinumBlonde" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyQd8X_HlRtXK1hn97i4L8OPFBL9T7OIEFndWbEhkEL8bDalyq39PAJMNQAImLG26dhcDUJGbAaw7YxvtuvSDqAKjMrR_XumrLjXmT08Z_aJfg35L2YUWA8jP4IEsQIHR5d5A38SXiA4/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a> </strong>Platinum Blonde Shampoo</p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_O-lMlSEATDcfAvyWdt-QrWzNuZWQcn8Hf1ft9e6mbJwf_c0Q0B3uDEYPK6cknMX4MhI3iGkKBP0uzBTzfkVUqYSUVB98Tdgd3E7BnEV1fBZZQ-SN8c8I3SZvQtSqQUr6JGFPWym_Smw/s1600-h/IMG_0126%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0126" border="0" alt="IMG_0126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSXJMIbybk2-iM44E506_AQsHcUxSptB7hE0alGKFyu_9CAN2vSM8K_rCZtr0xL5qMn9Rn5ioIBhdE39PKxx-BTCzAYbj_-YeWF_e21XwtnUc1k-AwUk0wU0YcmWZgSkCszyIMc0MuuE/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a> Super Strong Daily Conditioner</p> <p><strong>The New Kids on the Block:</strong></p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5ZLun9ZJpUXXcZFBFI_EB6jSooKL8Wc1woSrPgxB9SiwzYYZpKEFkEWnFLS4Wig9SJiK1ZhLWcrkeGFFKcnG4_2P0kNCy5w57PndNfgr5o03sZNK4F-bR7YLb8OPhCsZx4SJlR_tGAY/s1600-h/IMG_0128%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0128" border="0" alt="IMG_0128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TICg5IYJRn5il_8Qs1j602a2qUpffPWePYxa5CyCKX__lxv0wF2WdqWwvChF_eaIsJ1eBjni5YmF2qfpZo1N3t1uNYa6Nax3L-2u0JVeigL6b5itWe5H02wI6W_vIhsMROiRCucB3g0/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a>Super Strong Liquid Treatment</p> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJJxd40U8lgripOVbWltryrtMvnD43mTTAosI51RlPeR2gR_wOxuPYNoTyiZqRppvc0LS0YsH6qT6jHK-P-2hVJNSD8WyMMyTSJV-8pWuVqQZTe6_EmjZs2ie22_Ujd4naA2TmxY0mxE/s1600-h/IMG_0130%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0130" border="0" alt="IMG_0130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHcVXWpxXUg5C30VkBceAyvz3ZXsEHwyba_mHA6KHucoi6sDL1AueL6HA9GGpnTpmlWiEaBN-2Afqi84Lo0Uv4lN-3bFobjc14o8aC5LSYsr43Hbs5W42GiucfQm2uleb5lBTHgwOPug/?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a> </p> <p align="center">Thicken Up Styling Liquid</p> <p> </p> <p>Reviews coming soon!</p> <p>xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-65694557000176407612010-09-28T09:33:00.000-07:002010-09-28T09:33:00.932-07:00REVIEW: No7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser<p>Hello lovelies!</p> <p align="justify">I have a very weird relationship with No7. Every so often I’ll find an absolute gem (like the Cleanse and Car eye make up remover which I absolutely swear by) but I only ever have a good look at the display when I have a £5 off voucher burning a hole in my purse.</p> <p align="justify">I’ve read mixed reviews about the Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser, however at £3.75 with a voucher (£8.75 normally, for anyone who’s maths is as terrible as mine) I thought it would be rude not to give it a whirl, as by this point I’d bought enough eye make up remover to fill a child’s paddling pool. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6LidrWG_6C6uJTgnLYrnxmgO-vzF__uqD7OhZxqbI0Mp07-f8YCGgFphN0NyyU4Q3YFeolOXIh3lPy5wneMaBJeNZqtHq1nU3u_L3rnOKzEjErHlKPMo-EY5O4cqCeTdgw42sie6OjM/s1600-h/SAM_0380%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="SAM_0380" border="0" alt="SAM_0380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GXGw4wJLRl-1FALGbMsNKIyJSFczNTRJrfGuJ-KhVsi6VQSLBONgdQJsZk8H5lc3ap8kVxA8en9dmYgMCIRfFiCIifjIsIvwDGcASAVXmPKVbIwd_NkGHSuotkCAqcr84bFlC0eHt3c/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p align="justify">The product comes in a box with a small muslin cloth, however the one I picked up was without a cloth, so I can’t pass comment on the cloth that comes in the box as I had to pick up a pack from my local cook shop. I assume its the same thing, apparently muslin has a LOT of uses!</p> <p align="justify">The directions on the box / bottle tell you to massage the cleanser onto your face then soak the cloth in very hot water, wring it out, lay the cloth over your face to open your pores, remove the cleanser off using the cloth in a circular motion, then splash your face with cold water and pat dry. Now most of you will know by now I’m always in a rush, I much prefer an extra 5 minutes in bed to sitting in the bathroom with a lukewarm cloth on my face, so when I read the instructions I was less than inspired. It all sounds like too much effort to me.</p> <p align="justify">When I actually used the product, it was much easier and much less effort than I expected. The cleanser is really thick and luxurious feeling, and a couple of pumps is plenty for each use. I tend to use it in the shower after I’ve slapped conditioner on which means that I’m probably not getting the cloth as hot as I should, but it seems to be working fine for me. I’m not sure my skin looks any more radiant, but it definitely feels softer, something which is probably more attributable to the cloth than the cleanser - I’d be insterested to try out the cloth paired with different cleansers. I’m not sure I’d buy this product again at full price, but I’d definitely re-purchase with another £5 voucher.</p> <p align="justify">xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-89370764454846735152010-09-26T10:21:00.001-07:002010-09-26T10:21:59.801-07:00REVIEW: Inika Mineral Foundation Powder<p>Hello ladies (and gents)</p> <p align="justify">This review is the second product I received in the September Mypure Bloggers Parcel, Inika Mineral Foundation Powder. This product is available <a href="http://www.mypure.co.uk/inika-b89/mineral-foundation-powder-p1097">here</a> and retails for £24.99 for an 8g pot. I was lucky enough to receive not only the foundation, but also the Inika kabuki brush which is available <a href="http://www.mypure.co.uk/inika-b89/kabuki-brush-p1098">here</a> and retails for £22.99, and a cute little gold make up bag to stash the brush and foundation along with a few other handbag essentials.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqWUCI1GOglIkn8dBVmTJc8wShReYCzj-bjRyDPKMHVr75KUcJwVGUqs8kwbOh_3Jt4teq85-GgJmTKCYuHtnwmpY40jU8YjA8FFaa7HCplUzEBLEp5e8aBchYNmPfTW3KiUUO6p-Cgs/s1600-h/SAM_0381%5B3%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="mypureseptember2" border="0" alt="mypureseptember2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgHRnsg9P1yAE_8Kd6Kj4wUGTZTUIcpesamUqEmIr80epJ3xr5QAbO-hknCIvbbz407Rbp9Y-eS8hz44lF4I0FsONlfuXC6-QCishG_TUx96eVQsbm3MGSZJ1sWG7qztH2NxjwW4tHU8/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>I was really excited to try this product, as I'm a big fan of mineral foundations. I like the way that the coverage can be built from barely-there to medium coverage without feeling mask like or heavy. I also like the feeling that my skin can breathe, which is something I sometimes struggle with when it comes to liquid and creme foundations.</p> <p align="justify">Having read up on Inika, I learnt that the company are Australian and have a firm belief that women should be aware of what goes into their products and therefore goes onto their skin. I was also pleased to find out that this is one of the few 100% natural mineral foundations on the market at the moment. </p> <p align="justify">When I cracked open the packaging I was pleased to find that the colour I was sent was a good match to my skin tone, and that the packaging incorporated a sifter – I've had many an accident with loose products which don’t include a sifter (Barry M Dazzle Dusts, I’m looking at you).</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7i7fvGKdtYrRuXx0zHQMoULOeK9X4RT1TpQNihyphenhyphen0EwXBWwXeys3u6r62B6Uqcj5XTp9rL1GpdDqQR3RYhHe1__9zGGU_lPsMGSCiKMNiI3Q2f8WUE-5PA7JeTMmjHgE5DSaqBryhWyk/s1600-h/SAM_0385%5B13%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="SAM_0385" border="0" alt="SAM_0385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOAmeB3LC1-59C8hd4i0bL_7xvHXM7DmX0OrBJS040cHC0fk3MWSw3K0pmMlVC24oWMyB74kXSRbnZtX8I0Zf211eLSIU9zyaTlwX3w_YKIpEUC7poPdtGvGYrNMvjCxlVb5xadvHPO8/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>My favoured application method is to tip a bit of product into the lid and swirl the kabuki in the lid to pick up the product. I then tap off the excess and buff the foundation into my skin in a circular motion. I used the Kabuki supplied with the foundation and I was really pleased with the results. My skin tone was evened out and there was no cakey-ness or heaviness. The kabuki is fantastic, 100% certified vegan and 100% certified cruelty free. As it is retractable it is perfect for your handbag/makeup bag and the bristles won’t get damaged.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyKNItswUH2mPWeE-fccGwhyphenhyphenH9HkLTavTgmV2x3nGphPL4-1AirPyM74uT4v_zzReRRFVx-GSt4LBYlctUlfXyDhEQ5SoEqbQH14t2lmbX9KBPURCD6OTNvIDkJUOv6O5Qsvy7m6A96I/s1600-h/SAM_0383%5B7%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="SAM_0383" border="0" alt="SAM_0383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9n5H0GCwJC7i_-ujyY5VuVS_48n60R5qBNJBbHf3hyphenhyphen7h5oPnvUfRglqE-CqVgPA6LZ4quctt2d_HQS9eM8Cec_2YPFPKTDKIzQs5YNKRL7MOmobZhXt9w6GQxZ6A7x3pm6_N-DOlzBc/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p align="justify">I’d definitely recommend this product to anyone who like me, doesn't like heavy foundation or anyone who is looking for a lighter foundation than they would usually use, perhaps during the summer or on a holiday. </p> <p>xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-5993476352065643872010-09-21T11:09:00.000-07:002010-09-21T11:10:55.682-07:00REVIEW: Lovea Tahitian Monoi Moisturising Hair MaskThis is the first of the two products I was sent by Mypure for review this month. It is priced at £7.99 for 300ml which I think is a reasonable price for a conditioning mask.<br /><br />Once again, apologies for the lack of photo. There were no camera issues this month, but rather product issues, which will become clear as you read on. <br /><br />I’m a big fan of deep conditioning treatments, they’re a product that I’ve been well acquainted with throughout my various degrees of blonde-ness. My absolute favourite is Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor. I’m fairly confident in saying that there is no product on the planet that will ever come close to it – its perfect (for me at least). That said, I’m a bit of a product tart and I’m always open to trying out new products so I was eager to give this a whirl. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I loved the smell, but unfortunately the product did nothing at all for my hair. The packaging recommends leaving it on the hair for 20 minutes, and as the packaging said for normal hair, I decided to give it an extra 10 minutes. I could tell as soon as i started rinsing my hair that the product wasn’t for me – my hair felt worse than it had before I’d put the conditioner on! Luckily my 3 Minute Miracle saved the day once again!<br /><br />Having had a look at the Mypure website, perhaps I would have fared better with Lovea Burkina Shea Moisturising Hair Mask as it seems to be more geared towards my hair type – maybe next time?<br /><br />In the interests of fairness, I gave the product to a friend who has completely untreated hair to see if she had any more luck than I had. (This is where the photo issue comes in – in my wisdom I completely forgot to take a photo before handing it over!) <br /><br />Here are Amy’s thoughts:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“I have long-ish, naturally dark hair. I don’t really use much of anything on my hair and apart from a quick blast with the dryer I barely use heat on it as my hair is completely poker straight. I use a deep conditioner maybe once a month, mainly because I like to have a pamper night, though I’m not really sure my hair needs it! So here goes with the ‘review’. First of all – the smell is lovely, I'm not exactly sure what it is, but its a definite plus! I left the conditioner on for an episode of Gray’s (about 45 minutes after I’d skipped through the ads), and though it took quite a lot of rinsing out, I was pleased with the condition of my hair afterwards. I rough dried my hair with the dryer but left the majority to dry naturally, and the next morning it felt really silky. The only complaint I would have is that it did not rinse very well.”</span><br /><br />So there you have it – the product is great for normal hair, but not so great for bleached/damaged hair.<br /><br />xxBrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-83398405207782294452010-09-19T04:52:00.001-07:002010-09-19T04:52:48.998-07:00<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8_8ZKrqn40qzF4Qk7z8svgiCgCK3P59qyWyHQayNbPsExudvA8hztTYztQM9hqqfUkaWXPu-tG2Z38PCErtgmkO5Y6s2oJMsIcCXiIMrFbrcm20JoPBuKlZndlnJbp1yInCVr9SSNPc/s1600-h/SorryFlourescent%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="SorryFlourescent" border="0" alt="SorryFlourescent" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvHixaxu8z3WG4v9mDgYqaudkPrezkfpcb89DtrrQ1ZxN3hK4WPl2x0cGaz43xrSzBWLY7HnCqGFolF1Wqgi1unAWWn2ko0_Q_sVTEEBnOAIM2NwJ9rGmM5d9ybpKVa7bfBHX1dDXWW0/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>Hello lovelies</p> <p align="justify">Sorry I’ve been so rubbish lately but I’ve had a lot going on both at home and at work and unfortunately my blog is always the first thing to slip – sometimes there just are not enough hours in the day! Things seem to have calmed down a bit now (either everything’s going to be ok or its just the calm before the storm!), so from this day forward I’m making a concerted effort to get my blog groove back.</p> <p>Stay tuned!</p> <p>xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-57826127469078617542010-08-19T11:34:00.001-07:002010-08-19T11:34:50.973-07:00TAG: It’s all about me!<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeVWhNojS4sOMJk173lDb1chTSdltT0vsCl2EM_IhT_rNttSoF5tCd-eUsfSUTOXxhNhX39l7Zg0Ijl48dQIXX1WdD6CiLyL9WN_hS8FelluVV408Uiz-gvHBtpBGgpyiEIMK9ye6KWI/s1600-h/allabout%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="allabout" border="0" alt="allabout" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33ZwpKUi7aaDkd5Q26xI1MAqnDdTk1oHGf3bqTJKuV7qdsd59wzT4ESUlq5mzP8P0P3GjDK5zOw8pkrXBSz0UDZ_-JH1CpgkyXpVGcav88Sj5MmM9VCUMhBMCHU13TlkB1asz1UWVVf4/?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>I’m sure you all probably know more than you wanted about me, however the gorgeous <a href="http://sheprimpsandpreens.blogspot.com/">Rosalyn</a> tagged me </p> <p><strong>1. What's your favourite make up brand and why?</strong></p> <p>Urban Decay, because I've yet to find a product I don't love. </p> <p><strong>2. How many nail polishes do you own?</strong></p> <p>*counts* 36. I don't think that's too many…….is it?! <br /><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>3. What is your greatest achievement in life?</strong></p> <p>Probably getting my degree/LPC. Its a boring answer but its the truth!!</p> <p><strong>4. What job did you want to do when you were a kid?</strong></p> <p>I always wanted to be a doctor, up until I was about 14 and I discovered a hidden talent for arguing. From then on I decided that I could probably carve a career out of it and decided I wanted to be a solicitor. </p> <p> <br /><strong>5. Do you have any other hobbies, apart from blogging?</strong></p> <p>Snowboarding, football (watching, not playing - if you’d seen me kick a ball you’d understand this), travelling and cooking/baking </p> <p> <br /><strong>6. What's your idea of a perfect weekend?</strong></p> <p>My ideal weekend is generally a 3/4 day weekend to be honest! I'd start by going to the cinema on Friday night with the girls, and maybe for a few cheeky cocktails afterwards!</p> <p>Saturday: a lie in, followed the football (I'm lost without football!), then home for a night on the sofa with the Mr, with a take-away curry, bottle of red, a dvd and some Ben and Jerrys</p> <p>Sunday: A Sunday lunch cooked by the Mr (with me as sous chef), then a nice long walk in the peaks <br /><strong></strong></p> <p><strong>7. What's your favourite item of clothing?</strong></p> <p>I don't really have a favourite item of clothing, I don't really get to attached to clothes. If I had to choose one I would probably say my signed 2004/2005 Sheffield Wednesday shirt (not that I wear it, its currently framed and hanging in my spare room). Or my Mulberry Bayswater.</p> <p> <br /><strong>8. What's your biggest beauty problem and what do you do/use to combat it?</strong></p> <p></p> <p>My biggest problem is probably my dry hair, which, admittedly is due to the bleach! I tend to combat it by using Aussie 3 Minute Miracle once a week – I love that stuff!!</p> <p><u><strong>My questions are:</strong></u></p> <p>What are the 3 beauty products you couldn’t live without?</p> <p>What is your favourite nail polish brand?</p> <p>Do you dye your hair?</p> <p>What is your favourite clothing shop?</p> <p>Who is your style icon?</p> <p>Where is your favourite holiday destination?</p> <p>What is your favourite TV show?</p> <p>What is your favourite song of all time?</p> <p>What is your most prized possession?</p> <p>Do you have any pets?</p> <p>I tag:</p> <p><a href="http://girlwiththegoldentouch.blogspot.com/">Carla</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.glossgalore.com/">Beth</a></p> <p><a href="http://peluxe100.blogspot.com/">Phoebe</a></p> <p><a href="http://daintydollymix.blogspot.com/">Sinead</a></p> <p><a href="http://topshopprincess0188.blogspot.com/">Steph</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.ditzymakeup.com/">Sinead</a></p> <p><a href="http://lilooblog.blogspot.com/">Liloo</a></p> <p>xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-60714029006682812792010-08-11T13:41:00.001-07:002010-08-11T13:41:10.646-07:00Toner Fail: A Cautionary Tale<p align="justify">Those of you who follow me on Twitter may well be aware of a teeny tiny hair disaster I had a couple of weekends ago. I'm a great fan of toning my hair at home in between bleaching sessions, and I've been doing so successfully for well over two years. My current toner of choice is L'Oreal Luocolor P01, which thanks to my Sally's Trade Card I get at a bargain price.</p> <p align="justify">I was down at baby brother's this weekend and my mum had kindly offered to slap the toner on (I have a tendency to miss patches at the back when I'm doing it quickly) so I took her up on her offer. The only problem was I hadn’t realised that I was all out of Luocolour releaser - oops. As I didn’t know where the nearest Sally's was, I thought that I'd pop into the local boots to see what they were offering toner-wise. I spotted this Jerome Russell toner which came in two colours - champagne blonde and ice blonde and chucked the Ice Blonde version in my basket. If I remember rightly it was about £3. </p> <p align="justify">THIS WAS A MASSIVE MISTAKE.</p> <p align="justify">I toddled back to my brother's flat, changed into my PJs and got mummy bear to slap it on. I wasn’t too alarmed when it looked yellow on my hair as the Luocolour toner applies as creamy yellow colour and then gradually turns lilac once applied to the hair. I left it on for the recommended 20 minutes and shampooed it off as normal. When I left the bathroom my mum dissolved into giggles - I thought It was something to do with the mascara halfway down my face, but oh no it was my hair. I didn’t have the foresight to take a picture of it, but I looked very similar to this chap:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLLnrqm5DblW1xZysU5dIyd9fJLZbpWPnQEyI30lMdpYA4ArLClJ5Qu12Xnup-cpXg6JMcQMFMWT0RnzucpaTgNoIPRNTLYZvFWXMo7MBXms7qvbrBsVGxnpIj5Xx-NRfewGFBquXI74/s1600-h/bigbird%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="bigbird" border="0" alt="bigbird" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aqOOwyrCTcXqWrQIBaNNislf863GxYG3MtxLLR58MDYnP2uMW47m1rX6AooMfAJZmT7nqKENJh7UqoqLKcCniQTWdlmmbujtST_N0R8IA7tQCARPpFueVgz6NJvE5pquxKEuPZRn0fY/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="188" /></a> Yes, Big Bird. My hair was less ice blonde, and more sunflower yellow. After rolling on the floor with tears of laughter running down her face, my mum went off to locate a Sally’s to try and rectify the disaster. Luckily there was one less than two miles away (typical) and she came back with a bottle of releaser. Twenty five minutes later, my hair was back to its former glory (PHEW).</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQobvC1JihPiYv4-DZk91FcJYqaw_cO-1CNGs0vKCLt-qNw7nz61FEwpXu_O8kw2XquEGJ12PrpX4-ozR39VJtd4w7CfRLjYkHLBfry3F9ChP1ym2MTcu3-cR9uJfalqtcSSm7mkcUiY/s1600-h/Imported%20Photos%2000117%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="Imported Photos 00117" border="0" alt="Imported Photos 00117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_BScD13VWGE92eK-cVnF_7RF5mfzHWKunkX5r3Gmb5nayCZxvu7JGVHjYtf9dW-vQLtuHjSoBh8Nd0BzCdc76opNBIc10TpmEv1zoZQDSDjG5pu75SXlVZ312C4xd1orA6Akau99CB8/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>The moral of the story? Steer clear of dodgy 3 quid toners, unless you’re looking for a banana-coloured barnet!!</p> <p>xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-30061328945680479472010-07-26T11:57:00.001-07:002010-07-26T11:57:01.859-07:00REVIEW: A'kin Jojoba & Lavender Conditioner<p>This is the second of the products sent to me for review by <a href="http://www.mypure.co.uk">Mypure</a>, it is billed as providing light conditioning and natural lustre to fine or oily hair’. Now my hair is quite fine, but oily it ain’t. In fact its very, very dry so I wasn’t really expecting too much from this product!</p> <p>All in all I was pleasantly surprised, the conditioner was definitely very light but it did put enough moisture back into my hair for it to feel more like hair than straw (which is its usual texture), but not quite enough for it to feel as soft as I’m used to. I really liked the lavender scent too (which again surprised me) especially when I applied the product and left it to work its magic while I read a book in the bath as it was wonderfully relaxing. </p> <p>The main gripe I have about this product is the packaging, the bottle was extremely difficult to squeeze one handed, due to the narrow oblong shape of it. </p> <p>I wouldn’t buy this product again, as it wasn’t really right for my hair and I can think of lots of other products that I could buy for £7.49 which are more suitable for me, though I’m sure that for those with oilier (is that a word?!) hair it would be a great buy.</p> <p>xxx</p> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-77045379007529245932010-07-25T01:53:00.000-07:002010-07-25T01:52:38.711-07:00Lovea's Tahitian Monoi Moisturising Body Lotion (pics to follow)This was another product sent to me for review purposes by MyPure. This retails on the MyPure site at £6.99 for 200ml. 
<br>
<br>My first impressions of the product were that the packaging is great - I'm a big fan of pump-action dispensers, as they're much cleaner, more hygenic and its easier to regulate how much product you are getting than it would be with a squeezy bottle. Also the smell is lovely - very similar to the scent of the Moroccan L'Argan Brilliance Shine Shampoo, which is no bad thing! I'd be interested to know whether this is a scent which occurs throughout the Lovea range, or whether it's a coincidence that the two products I've reviewed smell very similar? 
<br>
<br>Consistency-wise, I found the moisturiser to be light and great for throwing in my gym bag, however I do have quite dry skin, and I found that it wasn't really rich enough for me to use on its own and I needed to top up my moisture levels with a body butter every couple of days. It soaks in very quickly (so ideal for use in the morning) and doesn't feel at all greasy.
<br>
<br> I'd recommend this as a light moisturiser for people with normal skin, but for my slightly drier than average skin it wasn't quite moisturising enough.
<br>
<br>xxx
<br>Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless deviceBrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-6408066251760433892010-07-20T04:51:00.000-07:002010-07-20T04:52:02.490-07:00Too little, too late? MAC/Rodarte - an update<div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Following on from yesterdays post, things have moved on somewhat. After the furore caused by the naming of the products in the Rodarte collection and the countless blog posts/articles which ensued, MAC and Rodart have issued further statements on the subject:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>MAC:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i>"We understand that product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection have offended our consumers and fans. This was never our intent and we are very sorry. We continue to listen carefully to the comments we have received and have the following plans to address concerns:</i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:72.1pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><i>We are committed to donating $100,000 to a non-profit organization that has a proven, successful track-record helping women in need and that can directly improve the lives of women in Juarez in a meaningful way.</i> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:72.1pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><i>We are changing the product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection.</i> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i>As we have done in the past, please be assured that we will communicate details regarding our progress in this matter."</i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Rodarte:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i>"We recognize that the violence against women taking place in Juarez needs to be met with proactive action. We never intended to make light of this serious issue and we are truly sorry.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i>Helping to improve the conditions for women in Juarez is a priority for us and we are thankful for all the comments calling attention to the urgency of addressing this situation."</i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>As I said in my previous post, the cynical part of me feels that a donation to the people of Juarez was never even considered until the inspiration behind the collection was called into question, and I can't help feeling that all MAC is doing is papering over the cracks by throwing money at a situation and hoping that it will go away. I am very happy to see that MAC have acknowledged the fact that the names of some of the items in the collection are controversial to say the least and that they will be changing the names of the products, and I hope that a lesson will be learnt from this debacle and put a bit more thought into the naming of and inspiration behind future collections. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal>On the other hand, I'm shocked by the statement from Rodarte, which to me suggests that they were well aware of the controversy/publicity that this collection would cause and seem to suggest that the collection was intended to help the women of Juarez. Funny then that there was absolutely no mention of any proceeds going to help the town or its people until the blog posts started to be published……..<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3240985155734292606.post-52349829819655261012010-07-19T11:28:00.001-07:002010-07-19T12:02:21.163-07:00All Publicity is Good Publicity……..or is it?<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtI_WM52o21Iu-hjJRDA21ipnNuNmuUzqNkQDxi0ckCna3j_UWKYew5YVe3zXlangVLdvCB8rJ-MHI_tHpt2JB416bt8RrZ0VpCGRtDj8kej7EsljTSugu4nyHRnB-Vrh8zPskLKo6Q0/s1600-h/sneak_rodarte001%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="sneak_rodarte001" border="0" alt="sneak_rodarte001" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNquHxJPBzU63SYfAHykQGx163gUn7XlDCoT-sO5niyg5v4Z76qY63SSG-Y1MUoEo9M3sXU-xUUIZncrZR6Hj_ANIfgzgfJaDxqkcXT9GOO_Fx8iYn0jYhSNZi6GzwF-6mf2nNmjwIWBc/?imgmax=800" width="189" height="244" /></a> </p> <p align="justify">Well here it is, my two'penneth on the whole MAC/Rodarte debacle.....</p> <p align="justify">I held off posting this at 8 pm last night when the bulk of the posts on the subject went up because, firstly, I hadn't read up on the subject to put together an informed post and, secondly, because I was conscious that other bloggers would put together a much more eloquent post than I could. Having given more thought to the collaboration I decided that I would write a post on it, not because I want to jump onto some bandwagon, but because I’m genuinely shocked by what I have seen and read so far on this subject. I’m sure most of you have read countless posts on the subject, and if you don’t want to read another one I fully understand that, however I felt that I had to acknowledge what was going on, and put forwards my views on the subject.</p> <p align="justify">When I initially read about the collaboration between MAC and Rodarte I thought "oh great, just what the world needs - another MAC collection". I'm not a massive MAC addict as my massive 3 purchases in the last 7 months is a testament to, so generally the collections just wash over me. However after hearing about the 'inspiration' behind the collection from various bloggers on Twitter, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to investigate.</p> <p align="justify">First things first, we all know who MAC are, but for those of you who aren't 100% sure who Rodarte are, let me fill you in. Rodarte are a clothing and accessories label who have been around since 2005. According to Wikipedia: <em>"Their style includes gothic and distressed designs, and layered gowns".</em></p> <p align="justify">I first heard about the hoo-ha surrounding this collection when I spotted one of <a href="http://www.mizzworthy.com">Mizzworthy's</a> tweets. Being the nosy parker that I am I decided to investigate a bit further, and went straight to every-internet user's best friend: Google. Basically, the bottom line is this: though the collection was supposedly inspired by the Mexican landscape (which to me would scream warm, earthy tones), the chalky, deathly palette and the names of the products in the collection suggest that it was inspired by something altogether more sinister - the infamous Mexican border town Juarez and its recent history.</p> <p align="justify">Juarez, as you may or may not know, is an industrial city in the Chihuahua region of Mexico which is famous for both its 'maquiladoras' and its staggering number of 'femicides'. A maquiladora is essentially an export assembly plant/factory set up by foreign companies to secure cheap labour. These are mainly located along the US/Mexico border. The average maquiladora worker will earn around $3.40 per day, which is approximately 33% lower than the American HOURLY minimum wage. The majority of maquiladora workers are female and though the legal working age is 16, it is not uncommon for 12, 13 and 14 year olds with false documents to be put to work.</p> <p align="justify">The 'femicides' is the name given to the shocking number of violent deaths of young female students and factory workers aged between 12 and 22 in Juarez. Many of the bodies found showed evidence of rape and torture. There is some inconsistency between the 'official' figures of 400 deaths since 1993 and local estimations of more than 5,000, but whichever way you look at it the numbers are overwhelming. If the numbers weren’t shocking enough, the local attitudes to the killings is even more stomach churning. The police have become so blasé about the situation in Juarez, it is estimated that they only actually file one report for every eight missing women reported. Further, it has become a common belief, not only among law enforcement but also locals that the women who go missing (and worse) have brought it on themselves. One quote which particularly sticks in my throat is this: <em>"Unfortunately, there are women who are in danger because of their lifestyles. After all, it's very hard to go out on the street when it's raining and not get wet." </em>It is very hard to believe that these abhorrent words came from the mouth of the then attorney general of the state of Chihuahua, Arturo González Rascón. These shocking comments, along with a rapidly rise in the rate of murders and disappearances, led to the formation of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association") in 2001; a group of family members of the victims of femicides who have tirelessly been campaigning to raise awareness and lobby the Mexican government to recognise the extent of the problem in Juarez.</p> <p align="justify">Taking all of this into account, it seems in unbelievably bad taste that MAC and Rodarte should see fit to release a collection where the products are given names such as “Factory”, “Ghost Town”, “Juarez” and “Sleepless”.</p> <p align="justify"><strong>The official line:</strong></p> <p align="justify">MAC: <br /><em>"We understand that product names in the MAC Rodarte collection have offended some of our consumers and fans. This was never our intent and we are very sorry. We are listening carefully to the comments posted and are grateful to those of you who have brought your concerns to the forefront of our attention. MAC will give a portion of the proceeds from the MAC Rodarte collection to help those in need in Juarez. We are diligently investigating the best way to do this. Please be assured that we will keep you posted on the details regarding our efforts."</em></p> <p align="justify">Rodarte: <br /><em>"Our makeup collaboration with MAC developed from inspirations on a road trip that we took in Texas last year, from El Paso to Marfa. The ethereal nature of this landscape influenced the creative development and desert palette of the collection. We are truly saddened about injustice in Juarez and it is a very important issue to us. The MAC collaboration was intended as a celebration of the beauty of the landscape and people in the areas that we traveled."</em></p> <p align="justify">I appreciate that Rodarte are a brand which appear to take inspiration from the macabre, and also that MAC is a brand which has a huge focus on artistry and expressing yourself through make-up but I strongly believe that there is a line which has been crossed by this collection. I don’t see anything artistic about  glamourising this type of tragic situation, and it is to me ghoulish (for want of a better word) to attempt to justify the collection and its inspiration as art. I am shocked and saddened that such a huge brand as MAC would wish to produce a collection which is in my eyes in such bad taste, especially after all the good work that has been done by the Viva Glam line. I understand that an argument could be made that this collection has raised awareness of the atrocities in Juarez, but I firmly believe that this could have been done in other, less offensive ways, and I feel that MAC have made a token gesture by offering a percentage of the profits to the people of Juarez. Call me cynical, but I can't help but feel that this would never have entered their conscience without the outcry from bloggers. <br /></p> <p align="justify">For more information on Juarez and the femicides, please click <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=engamr410122006&lang=e">here</a>.</p> <p align="justify">To see some other bloggers' take on the collection please click on the links below:</p> <p><a href="http://www.beautymouth.com">www.beautymouth.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.mizzworthy.com">www.mizzworthy.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.britishbeautyblogger.com">www.britishbeautyblogger.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.bangsandabun.com">www.bangsandabun.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.ladyofthelane.com">www.ladyofthelane.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.big-fashionista.blogspot.com/">www.big-fashionista.blogspot.com/</a> <br /><a href="http://www.vexinthecity.com">www.vexinthecity.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.sofarsochic.co.uk">www.sofarsochic.co.uk</a> <br /><a href="http://www.londonmakeupgirl.com">www.londonmakeupgirl.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.lesalondebeaute.com">www.lesalondebeaute.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.getlippie.com">www.getlippie.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.londonbeautyqueen.blogspot.com">www.londonbeautyqueen.blogspot.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.kraseybeauty.com">www.kraseybeauty.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.makeuploveer.blogspot.com">www.makeuploveer.blogspot.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.sparklesandbows.blogspot.com">www.sparklesandbows.blogspot.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.healingbeauty.co.uk">www.healingbeauty.co.uk</a> <br /><a href="http://www.reallyree.blogspot.com">www.reallyree.blogspot.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.just-nice-things.co.uk">www.just-nice-things.co.uk</a> <br /><a href="http://www.musicalhouses.blogspot.com">www.musicalhouses.blogspot.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.liloo.blogspot.com">www.liloo.blogspot.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.ditzymake-up.blogspot.com">www.ditzymake-up.blogspot.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.perfectly-polished-nails.com">www.perfectly-polished-nails.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.makeupsavvy.co.uk">www.makeupsavvy.co.uk</a> <br /><a href="http://www.sparkleandshade.blogspot.com">www.sparkleandshade.blogspot.com</a> <br /><a href="http://www.makeupadviceforum.com">www.makeupadviceforum.com</a></p>BrionyLouhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08186532504015914063noreply@blogger.com0