NEW! - Fudge Urban Hair Chalk

Fudge Urban Hair Chalk

If anyone reads this blog, they might know my hair is blue and pink. They might also know that it's odd that EVERYONE seems to have stupid hair like me now, because I have had stupid hair for about seven years. It started originally when I was 12 and used to go to High St Kensington Market (RIP) and by all sorts of stupid dye because I wanted to look like Mikki from Lush who was my total girl crush. SHE'S SO FIT.

Mykki Berenyi 3rd from left. FITNESS.

Anyway, fit girls aside, up top are the new hair chalks from Fudge Urban, the brand exclusively stocked in Superdrug. They basically work exactly the same as any of the other hair chalks that have been on the market in the last six months/year. Whack them on, run your straighteners over them and wallop, some non committal hair colour until your wash your locks! Unlike me, you won't end up with sodding BALD patches too. This would have been a great thing had it existed when I was a kid, I mean, who remembers the uselessness of hair mascara!! I just wanted to have good hair so i'd dye it every colour under the sun and would be marched into the school showers and told to scrub my hair till it came out. Of course i'd tell them to eff off. I got expelled from a few schools obviously....

Anyway, this will be released in the next couple of weeks. If you're looking for after hours or weekend colours without annoying your boss/mum/pets, dive in! 

Being Pale - Objects that save our souls pt 3 - More pale foundation swatches

Another instalment in the series of posts regarding the highs and lows of finding a foundation to suit our pallid tones. You can find the first two parts here, and here. So lets not bugger about, you want swatches, I want to GIVE you swatches, so lets carry on with our swatchorama!

L-R Chantecaille Just Skin Anti Smog Tinted Moisturiser SPF15 - Alabaster

Kiehls Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream SPF50 - Fair

Make Up For Ever Face and Body Liquid Make Up - 38

The above is a collection of low to medium coverage products, Chantecaille is pretty matte finish for a tinted moisturiser, whilst Kiehls gives a nice amount of correction to skin whilst being able to see your actual skin, with a mega high SPF, and is water resistant, which is also the case for the MUFE foundation, which is also, although pretty sheer,  MEGA buildable and with no SPF, just in case you want to look glowy in photos without looking ghostly. 

L-R Kevyn Aucoin The Liquid Airbrush Foundation LQ 02

Kevin Aucoin The Liquid Airbrush Foundation LQ 05

Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer SX 02

These are all Kevyn Aucoin foundations, and the liquid airbrush gives a medium coverage, which is buildable, and has no SPF. It's suited to an oily/combo skin. The Sensual Skin Enhancer is mega insanely high coverage and gives a beautiful finish, with no SPF, and gives you a nice sheen, but you have to prep and powder or you'll be left swimming in oil if you're that way inclined. 

Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF 20 Shade 4

Lancome Teint Visionnaire Skin Perfecting Make Up SPF20 005

By Terry Light Expert Perfecting Foundation Brush - Rosy Light - 1

The GA foundation gives fantastic coverage, but it doesn't last hours sadly. You look poreless and perfected for three or so hours though. Lancome Teint Visionnaire, be WARNED LANCOME FANS, this runs much darker than their other 005 foundations, but it's a great finish, really luminous. Finally this pinky white foundation is the By Terry luminising foundation brush and it's pretty great. I would say it's for someone with good skin, BUT if you have a good concealer, it can work wonders even if, like me, you're a blotchy nightmare, and it does last quite a while, although you have to be careful around the nose area, as it can get a little cakey. 

Review - Philosophy - The Microdelivery Peel

You know something, I hate TK Maxx, or TJ Maxx as it's called outside the UK. Whenever I see their adverts they make it seem like a world of wonderment, every corner filled with Dolce and Gabanna, Antoni and Alison, Chloe and whatever else is your high end clothing fantasy, and it can all be yours for £20.00 and you will still have enough change to get the bus home. The reality is very different, and it's basically an indoor jumble sale, an utter mess, and I personally cannot bear it. Despite this, I have actually picked up some great stuff in TK Maxx's now and then, but I find the shopping experience so depressing i'd much rather sit with a cup of tea and look at ebay for some spoilt housewife to start offloading her Louboutins en masse. Who knows, it could happen!? The one upside to the place however is the toiletries section. I have picked up all sorts of gems over the past year, including Joico, Sebastian, Decleor, Fekkai.....and most recently, an amazing gift pack of Philosophy goodness. See below.

Philosophy - The Care Package - Xmas 2012 unsold stock courtesy of TK Maxx

If you can read that price tag, I got it for exactly half price. That means I got six products for the price of two. BARGAIN. I had actually been on the testing panel before for Philosophy, so I knew I liked most of the products in this pack anyway, so it seemed a no brainer to treat myself to it, especially when I saw it contained the magnificent Microdelivery Peel, of which I am currently running low of the free one they sent me whilst on the testing panel. 

Shall I review it for you? Yes I shall.....read on girls.

So what do they say about this guy, and does he live up to their claims???

"a two-step, in-home peel that resurfaces and rejuvenates sun-damaged, hyperpigmented and ageing skin. the kit includes vitamin c/peptide crystals and lactic/salicylic acid activating gel.

features & benefits

• smoothes and resurfaces rough texture
• helps minimise the look of fine lines
• helps brighten and even skin tone"

Not a huge range of babble, which I actually kind of like sometimes. I get sick of the made up jargon and ridiculous claims that some companies make (what the hell is a Pentapetide anyway Olay? EXPLAIN NOW!). I just want to know whats in it, what it'll do and whether it'll make me like my face more. If it's 'it won't burn your skin off' and 'yes you'll like your face more' then i'm in, if it's not a ridiculous price that is. 

So you ask, nay scream, DOES IT DO WHAT IT SAYS?

Well yes it does. After my very first use of this, my skin was clearer, and some smaller blemishes had nigh on disappeared! My skin was smooth, the pores looked a little tighter, my face looked brighter and perkier, and my moisturiser soaked in easily. As an extra bonus my make up glid onto my face easily and settled smoothly, all in all, a really positive experience!

The only thing I would say is don't use it more than it says to, because your face will get sore, as it's obviously a very abrasive product. I mean, you don't need to resurface your face too much, because you've only got one surface, so to speak! I highly recommend this if you suffer from uneven skin tone, or rough skin that you need sloughed off, this'll do the trick!

If you fancy diving in to a put of orangey rough vitamin c to make your face feel lovely, it's for the rather expensive, but worth it, price of £59 direct from Philosphy online. 

Faking it....how do you feel about it?

When I was younger I really didn't realise how lucky I was. I was virtually always a size 8, my skin barely needed coverage, and if I was needing to feel confident I shoved on a bit of eyeliner and mascara and wallop, I felt pretty. However, as the years have gone by, and me now in my thirties, and being, essentially, lazy, with a rather healthy appetite for bad food and booze, and plus not having being blessed aesthetically, facially, or proportion wise (my body is the length of someone of pushing 6ft tall, but I am 5ft 6 and my legs are 27 inches long. IMAGINE?!) I have to rely on props, hence my lust for make up, to make me feel able to present myself to the human race.

One thing though, I have always, always had no interest in, or any idea about faking it. I have been known to cry out in fear and confusion at how Rihanna would have a short red crop one day, and long blonde hair the next. I didn't actually know that many women of colour would get a weave or extensions. I just thought they were REALLY good with straightening irons and conditioning!

Then comes the tans. The deep, golden tans that everyone seemed to be obsessive about having. Where did these tans happen? What was this madness on 'Snog Marry Avoid' (vid below for the uninitiated)  where ladies were rubbing themselves with what looked like childrens washcloths full of brown muck filled me with confusion. How was all this going on and i'd never met, talked about, or seen it in my entire life!?

So, one day I was in brighton, in the blazing sun with no sunscreen and got horrifically burnt. I sent the guy I was with into the local garage to get me some aftersun and I slathered it thickly on my poor burnt legs. What I didn't realise is this wasn't actually aftersun, it was gradual tan in medium/dark (if you're not aware, i'm so pale I'm not sure I register as a colour at all). The next day my calves were a filthy orangey mess, patchy and blotchy, and I realised in horror what had happened. I also realised that it was in the middle of a baking hot summer, and I was expected to be wearing a dress that very evening. I doused more of the stuff on and hoped for the best.....and bizarrely, that evening, whilst in a summer dress and louboutin rip off wedges, I was complimented on how I looked nice with "a bit of colour on me". It did actually help my confidence a little! So, where did this leave me, given my hatred of fakery?

Well, a bit ashamed, and hiding a bottle of Xen gradual tan in the cupboard whilst pretending that despite the fact I barely go outside in the sun, I had somehow 'caught it'. Well done me!

Circle lens example, courtesy of Dolluxe

And then there's this, the circle lens thing. If you're not aware of this trend, it's been happening for years in Japan, and is basically borne out of a desire for girls to look at child like, or cartoon like as humanly possible, thus enlarging the iris to an unnatural size to create this effect, sometimes with a vivid colour. I bought these last year as I was being a Ganguro Gal for halloween (if i've got the terminology wrong there, don't hate me, i'm not an expert of Japanese street fashion I just have a fascination with it). Anyway, I bought them, and I realised I felt much more confident with these bright big blue eyes, so now, I wear them constantly. It means I wear less make up to feel like a human, and can get away with mascara, foundation, blusher and lipstick, whereas before i'd go stir crazy on massive Alice Glass esque smoky eyes. I realised, another bit of fakery was boosting me....was it such a bad thing?

Alice Glass, looking awesome, always.

And then....my hair, due to the fact I dye it blue and pink, starting falling out an inch from the root. Brilliant. I'd always hated girls that got extensions, considered it vain and cheating. Guess what though, I ended up buying some clip in ones, dying them pink and blue and now I can't do my thing without clipping those bad boys in. Why? Well, again, it makes me feel a bit better about myself. But does that mean i've become everything I once hated? Maybe, but when I was hating the fakery, the poster girls for this stuff was Katie Price and Chantelle Houghton, girls who seem to make money from appealing to a males base instincts and being very very stupid indeed. Am I now a slave to shallow ways?!

Well....no, i'm not, because I realised this. In this world, people ARE very concerned with looks for a myriad of reasons. We are constantly harangued with images of stunning, flawless women, expensive clothes, salubrious lifestyles and being told constantly that we can do stuff to achieve this. I am not fooled by it all, but there are a lot of people out there whose lives are made a lot sunnier by having the LUCK, and nothing else other than luck, of having two parents whose genetic make up being mixed together made them one good looking bastard. Am I bitter? Well, a bit yeah, who wouldn't want to earn millions and be applauded for basically just being born and being able to walk and talk at the same time if commanded to? Certainly seems preferable to working as a cleaner or studying your arse off for years to end up waiting tables. 

Leslie Ash, post botched lip and face filler

But where would I draw the line? Well, my opinions on plastic surgery have in fact softened. Firstly I would LOVE to get my teeth done, as they do make me ashamed to smile as they're yellow due to a childhood medication that was withdrawn, and crooked due to my wisdom teeth. Also, there have been times that I have cried out for liposuction and a nose job. 

Then I remember stories like poor Leslie Ash (pictured above) who had always been a fox, from the first time I saw her in the amazing film Quadrophenia shagging Paul Daniels in an alley, to her being the rather perky,delicious girl next door in 90's sitcom Men Behaving Badly. Actually, nearly all her roles had been based on her youthful good looks. It wasn't unthinkable that this level of pressure had lead her to have her face disfigured, and subsequently mocked and ridiculed by the tabloid press. The whole attitude of the press, even when pitifully disguised in rags like Heat, is vicious when attacking people for getting fat, thin or older. Things that happen to humans, the cruelest being mocking age, which no human can fight, making it feel like a disease. I mean, it's bad enough having to accept we'll all sag to the point that our jowls will move independent of our faces. We don't need constant pictures of Joanna Lumley to remind us how unlucky we are in relation to her....

Katie Price. Shhhhh now Katie, we've all heard, seen, tutted enough.

What was I rambling about? Oh yeah, surgery. I wouldn't do it. I made this decision about six years ago when I had a cyst the size of a human head in my pelvis. I had a six hour operation to remove the thing and the recovery, for a relatively benign operation, took three months of recovery before I could even walk like I hadn't been beaten in the stomach with a baseball bat. It was terrifying seeing the results of trauma that your body goes through when operated on. The idea that people do that for vanity reasons, basically risk death through the million ways you can die through an operation, scares the knickers right off my bottom. No ta, i'll just have to put up with my crippling confidence issues instead, because lets face it, those confidence issues can't actually physically cripple me, which I think i'd prefer less....

So how do you feel about these things? Do you prefer to work with what chance gave you, or do you go to the level of enhancement that means a one night stand could be an extremely awkward situation the next morning, involving lots of reclipping, and mucky fake tan stained sheets? Do you care? Should I stop rambling now?

Probably.

Thanks for reading. X

REVIEW - Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara

Wow Maybelline, thats quite the mouthful of a name you've got going on there. Could it perhaps be because you make SO MANY mascaras now that you've started to have a bit of a laugh when naming yet another. For years I would hear the urban myth of the Maybelline 'pink and green' mascara before the brand hit these shores, and yeah, it's pretty good, but not the most perfect thing I ever used by any stretch. This was the early to mid nineties though....so, you do expect some innovation obviously.

Rambling.

Anyway, so, I have a ton of mascaras, a ridiculous amount. What with my lashes being straight, stumpy, and non existent without a good lashing of mascara. I have tried growth serums and got nowhere, so I have to rely on the good old fashioned method of about twenty coats of mascara. I have three favourite macaras, one being the previously reviewed DJV Beautinizer Volumising Mascara, the second being Diorshow Black Out and the third is the trusty YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils Mascara. I thought I had my arsenal sorted, but surprisingly, Maybelline have finally got me with a damn good mascara. Who'd a thunk it!?

Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara

So I gave this a go, and you can see the results below after two coats. Yeah, it's not totally clump free, but it separates lashes in a dolly eyed bambi esque way that I love, right from the root up, and it curls my stubborn lashes too, which is something that only happens when I use a very thick formula like YSL. 

My eye. At some point this week. 

So as you can see, it's pretty effective. It also doesn't smudge, but comes off pretty easily with make up remover at the end of the day. I highly recommend this mascara to anyone who wants curled, defined lashes with speed and ease! 

If you want to invest, this is available from boots for the bargain price of £5.99

REVIEW - L'oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil

Oil. It's something that, over the past four years, I have become a big fan of, except, of course, when it's being purged out of my pores and ruining my make up whilst giving me spots. I used to only ever reach for 'oil free' everything, but a friend of mine had a mate at Shu Uemura and gave me a massive bottle of their famous cleansing oil, and ever since, i've been a big fan of the whole oil cleansing method.

As with all things, a few years later, the oil cleansing thing has trickled down into the high street stores, and accessible brands have started bringing out their own versions. L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil is the first drugstore brand I have tried and after having used it for about three weeks I think I can give a fair review.

It's pretty good! After a night of full make up, i'll stumble in and want something simple, quick and effective to use. I squirt this into my palm, massage it over my face and wash off with a warm flannel. The oil transforms into a milky substance and washes away with little trouble.

However, it's effectiveness isn't quite so amazing as what I have been used to with Shu Uemura, who, for their price tag of £59 for what is basically, something to wash your face with, you expect amazing results. L'Oreal's much more affordable price tag of £7.00 tells you it's not going to perform in quite the same way, but it IS effective, but not quite SO effective on mascara, which I have to try twice to remove with this cleanser. All other facial make up does melt off very quickly with this though.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to try a cleansing oil on a limited budget for sure! It is also on offer in Superdrug at the moment for the bargain price of £3.98. GO SNAP IT UP! 

REVIEW - Fixing Spray - The Good, The Irritating, and The Waste of Effing Money....pt 2 Make Up Sealers

So....following on from PART ONE, here is my follow up, this time dealing with the more 'aggressive' form of sticking your make up to your oily, sweaty, desperate to stay pretty chops. Bear in mind I am indeed, referring to my own shortcomings. I'm sure you're all much more blessed than I am in the facial behaviour department. However, if you suffer like I do, wanting to get to the end of a day, or night, without looking like a patchy hellpig, read on!

In part one, I dealt with the widely available water based fixing sprays, which are a combination of water and acrylics generally, will provide you with entire fixing power to be able to have a sweat throughout the night, and will repel moisture, depending on the formulation. However, they won't make your face bulletproof. In this post I will be dealing with the alcohol and acrylic based sealers, which create a durable film over your make up, keeping products colour true and mostly smudge proof.  In the old days, girls would use hair spray over their faces to keep their eye make up from sweating off. These sprays are basically a more refined version of this hairspray trick, and far less drying. For the record, I do NOT recommend spraying a can of Elnett on your face. It will not feel nice or do your skin any favours.

Model in a Bottle - Original Formula

Model in a Bottle is something I discovered when watching some QVC style infomercials and this lovely lady called Jill Stephens was talking about this product that she had invented in honour of her mother, to seal make up all day with zero need for touch ups for an entire day. Being an addict of all things long wearing, I decided to purchase some. So, what does the write up say?......

"Its a one-of-a-kind matte finish setting spray. Model in a Bottle® will hold foundation and eye make-up in place throughout the day and into the night. This product is resistance to smudging, tears, humidity and water.

Dries with a translucent matte finish
Absorbs excess oil
Doesn't clogs pores
Never interferes with or reduces effectiveness of SPF
Is fast drying, never sticky
Adds moisture with aloe vera extract
Is not tested on animals
Contains over 300 sprays per bottle"

So, those are some pretty good claims, and technically, it should last you nearly a year with 300 sprays. So what did I make of it?

Well, it does work, but it's not quite as bulletproof as it claims. Yes it sticks eye make up down like GLUE, and that stuff isn't coming off until you get some proper cleanser and water on them. It is water resistant, so you can splash your face with H20 and your make up also doesn't budge, even if you rub, but it doesn't control oil as well as it claims, and once the oil breaks through, the products protective film starts to break down in those areas.

The other problem is dryness. It's got a rather high alcohol content and anyone with dry skin knows that applying alcohol in products to their parched skin renders it painfully itchy and dry as a bone. This claims to contain moisturising properties but seeing as my skin is oily and this made me dry, AND oily, it's probably not a product is a friend to many. It also does make me very very MATTE. If you're doing a mod look, fine, but most modern techniques involve a desire for a lustrous dewy sheen, at least in the cheekbone area. Also if, like me, you suffer from crepey skin around your eye area, this can suffer and become intense dry and sore from this spray.

So in conclusion, it's a good product to use for the odd occasion, for example, a wedding, or a shopping trip when you don't want any transfer when you're trying on all the clothes in the world and pulling them over your head constantly. However, daily use doesn't translate into happy facial skin, as I found out. It also has a habit of squirting aggressively at your face in a single stream after using it a few times, as the nozzles gets clogged, which can be quite the nasty surprise.

If you do want to investigate this product and/or purchase it, please visit their official website HERE or purchase it at the wonderful Love Make Up for the vaguely reasonable price of £16.99.

Diego Dalla Palma Make Up Fixer

I first heard about this iconic brand a few years ago when make up blogs around the country were picking their jaws up off the floor regarding their short lived collaboration with Tesco in 2011, given the fact that no other uk store had ever stocked the brand previously. I decided to research them, and it turned out that the make up artist, Diego himself, was a bit of a cult figure amongst make up artists, and had been tagged  " The prophet of make-up made ​​in Italy " in the New York Times. 

Anyway, during my research I saw this make up sealing spray mentioned again and again by make up artists as an essential part of their kit. I recently happened upon it whilst visiting my mother in the North, so snapped it up and excitedly spritzed it over my face as soon as I could. First though, lets see what it claims to do....

"Fixing spray for make-up. The formula guarantees perfect make-up for hours on end. 

Sprayed on the face, in a second it fixes make-up for the whole day. 

It creates a fine film without drying the skin."


Well, they certainly couldn't be accused of going overboard on the write up claims. Succinct!

So, my findings on this were as follows. It doesn't mattify, but it does seal, so a big thumbs up on that. It is in a spray can that easily spritzes your face, and it does sting a little, but it's going to, it's full of alcohol, just make sure you keep your eyes closed! There are two ways for this to be used during your application. Before make up to control sweat and oil production, and as a barrier to the products you'll lay over it. Then after the make up to seal it in. If you do this, your make up is basically bulletproof, and not flat as with the other spray, which is a relief. However, after using it a few days in a row I did break out in a bumpy red spray of spots, so again, I don't think this is great for skin.

If you would like to snap this up, you can do so in selected Tesco's, Debenhams and Marks and Spencers, and online, as well as direct from the manufacturers website HERE or Look Fantastic for £15.00.


I hope this has been of some informative use to you. I am in the process of trying to get my hands on Mehron and a couple of other setting sprays used in theatrical settings to review for you. As always, i'm out there, oily and sweaty, just for the greater good of you lot....

Give and Make Up - Get involved.

Kathy Burke in Nil By Mouth, 1997

One of my most favourite films of all time is Nil By Mouth. It's a brutal, disturbing depiction of the life endured by Gary Oldman on a south east london council estate. There is frank, clinical and chilling scenes of domestic violence endured repeatedly by Valerie (Kathy Burke) at the hands of husband Ray (Ray Winstone), which eventually results in him kicking her so badly she loses their unborn child. The degradation and humiliation this woman repeatedly experiences is accepted, and almost expected amongst their peers. 

Domestic violence, and the much needed assistance to escape from it is something I hold close to my heart. Due to my near anonymity on this blog, I feel I can share, and perhaps inspire some people into action.

My Story....

I won't go into much detail, but I will say that this isn't something that affects my life now and is very much in the past for me. I am not someone who likes to focus on the bad things that have happened and I don't consider myself a 'survivor', because to do that would be to remind myself of the events a lot, and although I don't want to detract from those who do feel happy about publicly, and helpfully, discussing their own experiences, I only will mention this if it's necessary. Fortunately no one out there knows me so it's okay for me to share here! Yay for le internet!

I, as I said, won't go into details too much, but I found myself trapped in a terrifyingly violent relationship with a man when I was a teenager. He'd moved in, and he would regularly beat me, spit in my face, and threaten to end my life for a period of a year. I would try and leave, despite it being my own home that I paid the entire rent for, but if I attempted to pack a bag or go anywhere I wasn't permitted to, I would have to endure violence that was progressively getting worse each time. I went flat hunting and arranged to escape during the night with a friend who arranged to pick me up with my cats, who I refused to leave, and let me stay for a few days until I could deal with the complications of moving in to another place. All my phonecalls, and actions were monitored, so it made things pretty difficult. I had my arrangements in place though, but unfortunately things didn't go to plan.

One night my cats had no food, and I spent five minutes to pop down the local shops and pick up some.  When I returned to the flat he insisted i'd been gone hours, as he, again, was out of his mind on drugs and drink and went into a rage that resulted in a beating so brutal I was certain that I would be killed that night. I somehow escaped, and was left with no clothes, money, food or resources. I had no phone, but I did have a car. I drove to a male friends house, who turned out to be drunk and incredbly unhelpful despite my obvious desperation. I drove for help from the police, and went to three different stations before I found anyone to report it to. When I did, the male officer treated me disgustingly due to an earlier call I had made to them regarding my boyfriend telling me he'd taken an overdose as I was escaping, telling me that when they'd arrived he was fine, thus i'd wasted police time DESPITE my face having teeth marks from being bitten, a swollen eye, scratches and strangle marks round my neck that were really obvious to the naked eye.

I made a statement, and was left to sit alone, with nowhere to go, in my car until morning came. I had no money to contact friends and my family, who aren't the most supportive, told me I brought it on myself by living with a man without being married. I had no rights over my own property, despite him not paying rent or being a tenant, so I had to risk being beaten again when I went there with my friends to pick up my cats, which fortunately I could do. I then had to drive around the country living off favours from friends, going from place to place, until eventually he cleared out of the property from choice.

I had no protection, no money, no support, no options. It took the police an entire year to arrest this man despite him being at a local address that I gave to them, and him sending friends to my house to threaten, barter with, and intimidate me into dropping the charges against him. He was found guilty in court, but was not imprisoned and was given community service and a fine, of which I saw five pounds, which I didn't cash in, as frankly, it felt insulting.

So what is the point in all this barrage of personal information doing on a mere make up blog?

Well, this happened in the mid nineties, where there were very few facilities and options for victims of domestic violence. Mobiles weren't really an option for those on limited income, there weren't many who had access to the internet. Resources were few and far between, and it's resources that woman, and men (as the recent storyline depicted between Tyrone and girlfriend Kirsty in coronation street showed, it's not just women that are victims of domestic abuse).

Scene from Coronation Street, ITV, 2013

Fortunately, today, there are many more options, one of which is the charity REFUGE who provide an incredible range of support for women and men, who, like me, and thousands of others, had to flee with no money, clothes, and even more worryingly, no support if they have children with them. These facts mean that many women stay trapped in relationships of constant control and abuse, fearing for, and sometimes losing, their lives. They provide helplines, refuges, advocacy and support for children, not only in the uk but across the world. Sadly though, in these cash strapped times, it's not always easy to make a donation. 

This is where the make up connection comes in. Refuge is supported by an AMAZING organisation called GIVE AND MAKE UP, which is a non profit organisation that asks for donations of essentials for women and children who desperately need them. They accept lightly used as well as new products, so anything you'd be happy to give to a friend, you can donate, although there are rules regarding products with wands, just for hygiene reasons. 

If you would like to donate, which I certainly shall be, you can drop, or send your products to any of THESE PLACES .

REVIEW - Fixing Spray - The Good, The Irritating, The Pointless and The Waste of Effing Money.....Pt 1

Hello there,

So as I have mentioned before in this post that I own a MYRIAD of make up fixing sprays. I probably don't need to go over the reasons I need my make up to last, as I do reiterate it constantly, but the fact is, I don't like my skin, I go bright red the second I get hot, I have photos taken all the time, I get VERY oily very easily and I am very pale. Therefore my choices in foundations are few and far between, as I need so many variable options constantly in different conditions, AND for it to actually, y'know, be the colour of my skin, that generally I have to make a non appropriate formula stick via other means. These means tend to be fixing sprays. So here's my first instalment of the run down. I'm hoping you find this helpful and comprehensive.

MUA PRO - Make Up Base Fixing Mist

I have already given this fixing spray a full review here, but to reiterate a few points. I actually use this spray every single day. Not as a fixing spray as such, but to give luminosity to my base after I have done foundation, concealer, and then powdered with a powder puff rolling application, which will leave my base looking rather flat and matte. I spritz this over my face, allow it to dry, and it give me back that glow I need. I then apply my colour, and spray with another fixing spray to finish. I high recommend this easily available spray, and if would probably suffice to fix your make up if you had dry skin. 

Available from Superdrug and direct from MUA for £5.00  

Urban Decay All Nighter Make Up Setting Spray

Out of all the setting sprays I have used, I would say this guy is the one I go back to again and again. He's not the ultimate best ever, but he's darn close. Produced for Urban Decay by the kings of effective setting sprays, Skindinavia, and now is much nicer packaging (seriously Urban Decay, what were you THINKING), this is an easily accessible to purchase, and certainly more affordable than Skindinavia, setting spray.

But what is the blurb about this chap I hear you cry! See below

"All Nighter keeps your makeup looking gorgeously just-applied for up to 16 hours - without melting, cracking, fading or settling into fine lines. Developed in an exclusive partnership with SKINDINAVIA, our groundbreaking, clinically tested formula is suitable for all skin types and features patented Temperature Control Technology. Yep, this baby actually lowers the temperature of your makeup to keep foundation, eyeshadow, blush and concealer in place even in hot and humid or cold and windy conditions. The result? Smoother-looking skin and vibrant makeup that lasts all day (or all night)."

And does it deliver? Well, pretty much yes.

I think you have to be realistic. If I applied a bog standard foundation, without oil control, and no powder, I wouldn't expect this to work miracles and keep my skin from expunging sweat and oil combined to dislodge my meticulously applied face. If you have normal skin, I think this COULD keep it all in place without an amazing amount of prep though. It DOES work. 

However, for skin such as mine, I will prime, then use a long lasting foundation such as Smashbox Studio Skin 15hr, set with powder, and then spray liberally, and it'll stick through a pretty hardcore night. I went to see John Maus play about six months ago at a sold out gig and it was insanely hot, and I danced until sweat was running in my eyes. I went to the toilet expecting a mess and amazingly, I looked exactly the same. The only time I'd expect that was if I was wearing the dreaded Estee Lauder Double Wear, thus looking not only the same, but like I had corpse paint on too, which isn't my favourite look. 

So I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone. If you would like to buy it, it's either £9 for a travel size, or £19.50 in Debenhams for a full size.

And carrying on in the theme of Urban Decay....

Urban Decay Deslick Oil Control Make Up Setting Spray

This is another offering from Urban Decay, but this time focusing of daytime make up staying power for those of the oily persuasion. Lets see what the manufacturers say....

"This highly effective setting spray mists weightlessly onto the face to control oil, deflect surface shine and keep the skin looking beautifully matte throughout the day. De Slick Oil Control Make Up Setting Spray is formulated with high-tech ingredients that help keep foundation, eye shadow and blush from smudging, sliding or fading, minimising the need for touch ups. With no unpleasant stickiness or tightness on the skin, this unique makeup must-have leaves makeup looking vibrant all day with a chic, matte complexion."

And again, it does what it says on the bottle. Or box, or website, whatever. I personally use this in combination with other sprays depending on how dehydrated, so therefore oily, my skin is. I will spray it on a moisturised face, prime, give a tiny spritz around the t zone and then apply my make up. Finishing with All Nighter or another similar spray. 

I would recommend this of oily or combination girls. It won't help too much with a sweaty day, but it does keep you matte and stop oil breaking through, which is pretty invaluable if you favour a matte finish. 

You can purchase this, from Debenhams from the same link above, or from BeautyBay.com for £19.50

Collection (2000) Fix Me Up Long Lasting Make Up Fixer

Jumping on the make up fixing spray bandwagon are the budget line Collection, or Collection 2000 as they'll always be known to me, for I am older than the sun, and as a kid was living on the kind of money that meant that Rimmel was considered an affluent purchase. 

Anyways, this is what they say about it - 

"From the minute you’re made-up to the moment you dress down, you can remain the marvel of freshly applied foundation.

Duration is guaranteed from dusk ‘til dawn, without a worry of washing off, fading down or patching up.Any glam-girl-on-the-go knows how tedious touching-up and re-applying make-up can be, but now this non-stick, weightless make-up setter offers any budding beauty a ‘barely there’ sheen for the ultimate in luminous finishes.

No matter how stressful your day, this beauty BFF will be on-side to stay-away any un-wanted imperfections, giving a long-lasting flawless finish."

Well, it's promises a lot. Does it deliver?

Erm....well, it depends on what you're expecting for £5.99. If i'm honest, probably more than this delivers. The aforementioned MUA Pro Make Up Base Fixing Mist is cheaper, and it does a much better job. Also it's not scented by cheap bubble bath, which is fine for bubble bath but for for something you're going to spray directly on your face, which will retain its stink for a good long while. 

Aside from the smell, which isn't a concern of every girl, given the stinking lip balm so much slather on with their dirty paws constantly, does it actually prolong your slap? Well, perhaps a bit, i'd say maybe two hours at the very most, under very asinine conditions. I wouldn't go partying or out on a hot day and expect this to stop make up meltdown. It simply isn't built to do so. Saying that it's a lot more effective than a make up 'refresher' which you'll find tend to be sold as fixers a lot of the time (i'll cover this in my next post). If you're stropped and have a penchant for products that deem it okay to use the font Comic Sans with a pink and black colourway, thats your prerogative. Personally I think you'd be better off spending your money on the cheaper MUA offering....

However, if you are tempted, the product is £5.99 from Boots and Superdrug

Lastly, for todays post, but certainly not least, the opposite in fact - 

Skindinavia Make Up Finishing Spray - The Original 16hr

And now the daddy of all the make up finishing sprays. The don in fact. This product is something I cannot recommend enough. This is the company that has given Urban Decay a less refined, so a generic, if you like, version of this spray.

This is what they have to say about it - 

"Skindinävia's patented technology forms a lightweight, breathable web on top of your makeup that slowly releases over 16 hours. The timed-release evaporation retains moisture longer while also drawing heat away from the skin as it slowly evaporates throughout the day. The results are fresh, cool makeup for up to 16 hours."

And it works. My goodness it works! This is one of three variations, dealing with oil, and ultra bulletproof bridal finishing respectively. Any make up artist worth their salt that do bridal make up will have this nestling in their kit, ready to get you through the sweat, tears and joy of a wedding day. 

I have only bought this product once, and I absolutely LOVED it, but it's pricey for the amount you get, and not readily available in the uk. If you do what to invest in it, and it IS worth it, you can get it for £13.95 from the wonderful Cocktail Cosmetics

And that concludes todays fixing spray sermon. I shall be back with another instalment soon regarding the more chemically industrial type alcohol sprays. Until then!