Bourjois Cream Blush

Last night Hetty (my pet African Pygmy Hedgehog) escaped. One minute he was doing his usual circuits of the lounge floor and the next he was gone.

Chris and I spent ages looking for the cheeky little critter only to find him happily snuggling down in a bag of clothes that have been destined for the charity shop for months.

The morals of the story are that you should never underestimate a hedgehog's ability to out-wit you and that if you collect clothes together to take to the charity shop, don't hide them away and forget about them but do it there and then.

Apart from chasing errant hedgehogs, I have spent this week working on a crazy documentary that I'm hoping to get comissioned (it's about BDSM and I have a feeling that it's going to take me way out of my comfort zone but will be an amazing challenge and make compulsive viewing if it gets made), having my hair coloured by the amazing Daniel Galvin Junior and trying to catch up on a bit of sleep. I have also of course been trialling lots of products to tell you about.

My favourite thing this week has got to be the newly released Bourjois Cream Blush. Bourjois powder blusher is such a classic, but the cream blush is something else all together. It goes on beautifully and gives the perfect flush. I love the range of colours and the price-point at £7.99 is excellent too.

I can honestly say that the quality of these blushes matches if not exceeds the MAC, Nars and Bobbi Brown equivalents. The colours are stunning, they go on and blend with real ease and the classic little pots are a pleasure to use.

My favourite colour so far is 02 as I love coral shades of blusher, but they are all really lovely and will suit all skin-tones. I predict that these little pots will become a true beauty staple and hero product for many years to come.

Yves Rocher Retropical Range- Sunkissed Glow-Cheek Stain

Yves Rocher have just launched their Retropical range which they hail as a collection of products for "an exotic and flamboyant look".

I like the brightly coloured eye pencils and mascaras but fear they are a bit young for me.

However, the cheek stain is just gorgeous. It gives a healthy, tanned glow and goes on very easily. I dabbed it on my cheeks and then brushed some bronzer over my face as usual. It contains gold particles that illuminate the stain to make you look even more glowing and sun-kissed.

Check out the ReTropical range here xx

KIKO Makeup Milano, Fierce Spirit Glow Touch Lips and Cheeks

"Hello and welcome", said the handbag to the little KIKO pot

"Why thank you" , said the KIKO pot to the handbag. "It's an honour to be here."

"You are part of a select few" , whispered the handbag. "Only the very best actually make it in".

The pot of KIKO blushed and was grabbed by it's new owner who it made blush too. The blush was a perfect summery pink and the owner's cheeks looked the perfect shade of "just made love".

With a dab on the cheeks and a bit on the lips, the little pot was returned to it's new home, ready for more adventures.


KIKO Glow Touch Lip and Cheeks is AMAZING...I'm totally obsessed. It's part of the limited edition Fierce Spirit Range and you can get it here for £5.90.

Nail Art Nail Tattoos

Allow me to introduce one of my favourite poems/mantras:

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

I have every intention of being naughty, cheeky, eccentric and wearing what the hell I like when I am old.

In the meantime, I'm going to be gifting the following nail polish and tattoos to my Grandma who may be 82 but looks and acts like she is a lot younger. She's utterly fabulous!

Nail Art Nail Tattoos are available here and only cost £5.99. They do a great range of neon polish shades with the pink above being my favourite!

Suitable for teenagers, young adults and Grannys everywhere!!

Cire Trudon 'Yaz' Scented Candle

Have you ever smelt a Cire Trudon Candle? If not, please promise me that you will seek them out and go on quite possibly one of the most interesting olefactory journeys of your life.

Cire Trudon have been making candles since 1643 and tailor made them for Louis XlV and Napoleon. Today, they produce a range of the most quirky, exceptional and high quality scented candles around. From the scent of the Mirror gallery and wooden floor at the Chateau of Versailles to that of Louis XlV's lover, each candle is unbelievably evocative and really plays on the imagination. They are also 100% natural so contain no harmful chemicals.

Anyway, the newest release from Cire Trudon is something a little bit different. Flamoboyant Parisian designer Yazbukey was invited to create a candle and the results are just amazing. Her aim was to create the fragrance of a 1950's lipstick but to me it smells just like a brand new, luxurious leather handbag. Either way, it is ultra glamorous and very sexy.

The candle itself is encased in a black lacquer holder with a pair of bright red lips on the lid. It's such fun and is going straight on my dressing table when I buy one. It's  not cheap at £85 for the candle and an extra £40 for the snuffer lid,  but for me this is almost a piece of art and I will keep the candle holder long after the candle has burnt away.

When you're next near Baker Street, make a slight detour to 36 Chiltern Street and visit the Cire Trudon Boutique. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Crabtree & Evelyn's Avant Garden, Covent Garden

I can' tell you how much is going on in the beauty world at the moment. 

I have so many products to test and tell you about. Some of them are really groundbreaking and quite breathtaking whilst others are big on promises but don't really deliver.

Anyway, today I wanted to move slightly away from products and tell you about something a little bit different that has come to London's Covent Garden. 

Garden designer and rising star Emma Coleman has created "The Avant Garden" which is being hailed as "a classic British herb garden for a new generation" in the West Piazza until 9th June. It is part of the Chelsea Fringe and has been created to mark over 50 years of Crabtree and Evelyn's Gardener's Collection and their 40 years of pioneering botanical formulations.

So, if you fancy a bit of escapism in the middle of the city, head to this little oasis, breathe in the thyme, rosemary and sage and make sure you pick up some free Crabtree and Evelyn samples while you're at it! 

Oh and if you fancy winning a limited edition tube of Crabtree and Evelyn Gardener's Hand Therapy post a comment below and I'll do a draw at the end of the week.

Garnier 5 Sec Perfect Blur

Even by my standards I have had a crazy day.

Here's a taster:

1am: 80's Show on Heart

4am: Finish show and jump in cab

4:30am: Clamber into bed

10am: Alarm goes off

12:30: Voiceover for the Daily Star (in the middle of nowhere)

1:30pm: Rush to Liverpool Street Station

2:30pm: Meet director of TV doc that I'm working on

4:30pm: Travel to Clapton and meet incrdible Dominatrix who might be appearing in said documentary

6:30pm: Return to Liverpool Street and go crazy stocking up on beauty products from Boots (my form of retail therapy)

8pm: snuggle up in bed and grab a few hours sleep

As you can see, I have been quite busy and sleep doesn't figure very highly on the above list. However, one of my reckless Boots purchases has made the world of difference to my poor, slumber deprived face.

After spending £12.99 on a tube of Garnier 5 Sec Perfect Blur and smothering my face with it before work,  I can tell you that this stuff really does do what it says on the tin. I went from shiny, blotchy and pallid to glowing and mattified within seconds. All my imperfections really were blurred away and I felt airbrushed.

My skin feels soft and still looks great six hours later and I would be happy to leave the house with nothing but this and some mascara. This is a definite beauty must-have and really does make a palpable difference to the appearance of your skin.

One thing I would say is that it needs a few seconds to settle on the skin before you apply your makeup as it was a tiny bit slippery to start with. (Although this may be down to the fact that I applied a little too much!)

Here's to spur of the moment shopping at the end of a long day!