Pixie Lott Magnitone Lucid Facial Cleansing Brush

Remember the time when the Clarisonic was the 'it' exfoliating beauty product to have and the only one of its kind on the market, setting you back a cool few hundred pounds? I have a Clarisonic, as well as a few other oscillating cleansing tools, and despite my avid eagerness at the start I always find them quite a hard step to fit into my already full and thorough cleansing regime. Exfoliation brushes such as the Clarisonic, Philips VisaPure and the recently released Clinique Sonic System all promise to cleanse, brighten and soften the skin in a targeted, deep way that no other form of cleansing could do. You will either love or hate the idea of using such a device but I think used to a moderate level (i.e: not every day!) in the right way, they can have a whole lot of benefits for your skin. I know some people have found the Clarisonics too harsh, abrasive and messy on the skin which is why I was really keen to trial the new Magnitone Lucid Daily Cleansing & Exfoliation Brush which is decidedly lighter, more gentle and softer on the skin giving your complexion a healthy bright glow whilst the soft bristles gently buff away any grime and impurities.

The limited edition Pixie Lott Magnitone Lucid, available from Look Fantastic, (£69.99) is suitable for all skin types and has two cleansing modes - deep clean and sensitive, which is perfect for those people who may have found the original Clarisonic a little too harsh for their skin. The soft bristles pulse at 10,000 oscillations per minute and has a 20 second zonal timer that beeps when it is time to move the brush on from your forehead to your cheeks and then to your nose and chin area. The superior deep clean of this brush promises to purifies the pores, lifts any residue away and reduces the occurrence of blackheads and breakouts. Your skin following the one minute cleanse is then supposed to be clearer and more 'open' to absorb the nutrients and other good things from your moisturiser - thus giving you a softer, clearer complexion over time. The device is ridiculously easy to operate with just the one on/off button and two settings to choose from plus it is completely waterproof so you can take it in your shower or dunk it in your bath without any fears! I love how gentle this brush felt and was happy to use it every day for the allocate one minute without any worries of it being too harsh or rough for me. My skin has felt lovely, fresh and clear recently with a slightly smoother feel and brighter glow. Providing you dedicate a bit of time to using these cleansing brushes within your normal skin routine and keep the use to one minute, two or three times a week, I think they can make a real difference and are a useful standby tool to have if you are having a bad skin day, week or even month. And if pink isn't really your colour then there are a whole host of other sorbet shades available from Boots with currently £20 off - the pistachio green is rather fetching!

What are your thoughts on these type of gadgets?

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Fleur de Force The Glam Guide

2015 will be known as the year that some of the biggest YouTube sensations switched off their cameras (momentarily) and put pen to paper. The end of last year and the start of this year saw the success of Zoe's 'Girl Online' novel continue to surge followed by the release of Tanya Burr's 'Love, Tanya' book. I think it is such an exciting venture for these ladies and a real showcase of how far YouTube, blogging and social media in general has come with Zoe's book being the fastest selling book of 2014 - crazy!

When I first began my blog over five years ago one of the very first online beauty gurus I discovered was Fleur de Force. This lady needs no introduction from myself as I am sure you all know her so when I heard she was bringing out the ultimate beauty manual I was absolutely thrilled for Fleur. The Glam Guide is a complete guide to all things makeup, fashion, hair, health and more. Not only is it a complete coffee table pleaser with the pretty pastel cover and incredible illustrations by Sally Cotterill but it is a wonderful read and I love how it covers so many topics so would really appeal to a range of Fleur's fans from teenagers to those thirty-somethings. Just by flicking through The Glam Guide you get a real personal feel and I adore Fleur's real life snippets and genuine passion and understanding as she touches on her relationship with Mike, achieving life goals, growing her YouTube, keeping fit and most important, finding that perfect pair of jeans! Tips, tricks, beauty secrets and lifestyle discoveries are all here as well as a great food section (I've bookmarked those smoothie recipes) and a few little appearances from our fluffy friend, Piglet the miniature Dachshund.

I felt incredibly proud and happy for Fleur as I began reading her book and I have no doubt it will be another huge success and accolade for her. It is the perfect light read to indulge in on a rainy afternoon snuggled down with plenty of tea and some guilt-free chocolate banana bread (see page 166, it sounds truly amazing!) I'd love to hear from you if you have picked up a copy of Fleur's The Glam Guide. Which section is your favourite?

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My New Mulberry

When it comes to big purchases I am not usually one to act on impulse. I like to think I am very considered and sensible and will contemplate a big splurge for weeks, months on end - seeking some sort of inner justification before handing over my credit card. However last Sunday, whilst idling shopping with Rob for some basics, I was drawn towards the Mulberry store (as we all are!) and left with this beautiful new bag - the small bayswater double zip tote. To my defence (and hear me out here...), I desperately needed a bag I could sling over my shoulder and just go rather than cradling it in the crook of my arm which is never that practical. I also had come to the realisation that I didn't actually own a simple, black bag - something classic, smart and timeless that I could use for work, travelling and evening events.

When I saw the small bayswater sitting neatly in the store there was no question that it ticked all the boxes and I loved its elegant structure and the rose gold hardware. It is so practical and just the right size to house all the essentials, my phone, purse, filofax, a dozen or so lipsticks, but doesn't feel too bulky or cumbersome. The zipped compartments are great for keeping everything safe and secure and I love the fact you have to option of using the shoulder strap when mooching around town all day or tucking it away and simply keeping it smart and simple as a tote for the night time. I always worry that an impulse purchase will lead to a wave of doubt and reconsideration the next day but I can safely say that there are no regrets here and it has settled in well next to my Willow Tote!

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Benefit Watt's Up! Soft Focus Face Highlighter

Today I am touching on a bit of an oldie but a goldie from Benefit Cosmetics - their Watt's Up! soft focus highlighter for the face which is a product I used time and time again a few years ago and have recently re-added it to my highlighting collection. As always the packaging is spot on with a twist-up cream stick on one end and a soft, sponge blender on the other to give your high points a soft, luminous sheen.

The Watt's Up! Highlighter from Benefit Cosmetics (£24.50) is the perfect glow-giver if you are a fan of cream highlighting products as opposed to liquids or powders. I have never been a massive fan of liquid highlighters that much and much prefer a cream or powder (or even better a cream to powder) formula which is exactly what Watt's Up! is all about. The delicate golden-champagne hue is pearly and luminous but doesn't have any chunky glitter in it so you only get the most prettiest of gleams to your cheeks, brow bone or down the bridge of your nose. The texture is really smooth and easy to blend and simply smoothes onto your skin straight from the stick. You then have the option to blend the colour out with your fingertips or use the soft sponge blender - I personally prefer using my fingers but both work well. The colour and finish reminds me quite a lot of Illamasqua's Gleam in Aurora (featured here) so you can see what it looks like on my cheeks, applied over foundation and just before a dusting of blush. The consistency is creamy so doesn't pull at your skin as you apply and beautifully melts into your skin as you softly blend it in. The only one downside is that it doesn't last that well throughout the day and sometimes needs a little retouching if I'm heading out straight after work. Therefore I like to keep this highlighter purely for evenings out when I know it will last well for a few hours as I just love the instant radiance and warmth it gives to my complexion.

Are you a fan of a cream stick highlighters? Have you tried Watt's Up?

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Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

My relationship with Benefit mascaras has always been a bit hit and miss. Whilst everyone was piling on the volume with their original Bad Gal Lash I was finding it a bit too clumsy and chunky for my liking. But then they quickly redeemed themselves with the successful launch of They're Real! Mascara which really ticked all the boxes when it came to volume, length and fluttery lashes in an instant. With a rocky Benefit mascara experience so far I was more than keen to test out their very latest release - the Roller Lash Mascara to see where how it would fare and if it really could top the splendidness of They're Real! and give us a reason to splurge our pennies on another must-have mascara?

Labelled as a super-curling and lift mascara, Roller Lash mascara* (£19.50) from Benefit Cosmetics is a roller for your lashes! It has a patent "hook 'n' roll" brush which is slightly curved and grabs, separates, lifts and curls the lashes giving you a wide-eyed, eye-opening result. The formula contains Provitamin B5 and Serin which conditions the lashes as well as promising to hold your curl for up to 12 hours. So is it really time to say bye bye to those lash curlers? Well those magic little hooks on that innovative new brush really do work wonders at grabbing each lash and pulling them upwards as you apply the mascara and the fine, comb-like wand makes sure that lashes are also separated and fanned out. This mascara has been specifically created for those girls who may have quite short or straight lashes or smaller eyes, those girls that struggle with big, chunky brushes that don't really capture the individual lashes and leave you with a smudgy mess. And it really does the job. I always prefer the plastic-y wands and I love that this one is delicate and fine enough to also do your bottom lashes without it too awkward or clumpy. It is also perfect shaped to nestle into the roots of your lashes ready for you to wiggle and jiggle the mascara up and through your lashes as you apply. All in all, the Roller Lash gets a thumbs up from me - it gives you all the length and same volume you would expect from They're Real! with the added bonus of such a pretty curl to finish with.

I'm hooked!

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Bobbi Brown Brightening Bricks

Top photo: Coral & Pastel Pink. Botton photo: Cranberry & Pastel Peach 

If you want a great colour payoff with an ample amount of shimmer and sheen then the classic, and ever popular, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks are going to be your best friend. However if you are keener on a more subtle finish with a mere flush of colour and pretty luminosity then these new Brightening Bricks are just up your (makeup) street and are begging for a swatch next time you are walking past a counter!

This new range of Bobbi Brown Brightening Bricks (£34) are a multitasking must-have to give you the benefit of three products in one with just a couple of sweeps - the warmth of a bronzer, the pure colour of a blush and the luminosity of a highlighter. These mosaic-inspired palettes are formulated using a unique method of pouring the creamy, pearlescent paste into the pan, pressed while wet and then allowed to air-dry to create a softer, moisture-rich powder with a long lasting colour. You can really feel how oddly creamy these powders are and this means they glide onto your cheeks effortlessly without drying the skin or settling into fine lines. The main beauty of these bricks is the brightening effect it gives you thanks to their blend of mulberry and grape extracts which instantly illuminates the complexion with a sheer dose of pearl-infused radiance. There are six different colour combinations in the collection with a varying amount of shimmer, warmth and colour to enhance and lift everyone's individual complexion and skin tone meaning skin is left looking fresh, natural and glowing after a gentle dusting.

So are you a slave to your Shimmer Brick or do you fancy something more subtle with these new Brightening Bricks?

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Have a Lush Valentine's Day

If you are looking for something special to treat yourself to or lavish your lover with this Valentine's Day, then LUSH is your one-stop shop for fun, bath time bits. I adore a quick lunchtime visit to my local LUSH store and always look forward to the launch of their limited edition, seasonal collections every year with the V-Day releases being the highlight for me.

This year the LUSH Valentine's Day Collection* will have you lovestruck with their selection of sweet treats including The Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar, The Kiss Lip Scrub, Prince Charming Shower Gel and Cupid's Love Soap for an indulgent night in (bath tub partner optional!) The Unicorn Horn  Bubble Bar (£3.25) transforms you bath water to a magical experience of rainbow bubbles and lustre with the relaxing scent of lavender filling the air. For Hollywood kisses, The Kiss Lip Scrub (£5.50) is certainly very pretty (but maybe less practical) and is a perfectly pink lip scrub made up of caster sugar and essential oils topped with edible red hearts and yes, hundreds and thousands! It is a fun treat to kiss goodbye to chapped, dry lips. The search for your Prince Charming is over with LUSH's beautifully fruity shower gel that will sweep you off your feet with a waft of grapefruit, sandalwood and geranium oils. The skin-loving formula of organic pomegranate juice and almond oil gives the skin a refreshing, brightening effect whilst hydrating and soothing any dry areas. Finally Cupid's Love Soap (£8.50) will make your heart skip a beat with its unique, uplifting blend of bergamot and rosewood. It is also richly scented with fresh figs, passion fruit juice and soya yoghurt which set to work to nourish and soften the skin. Absolutely heavenly!

Whether you are celebrating this Valentine's Day with bubbles with your boyfriend or bubbles in your bath tub, I would definitely recommend swinging by your local LUSH to indulge in some V Day treats. They also have some lovely gift sets too, all boxed up and completed with a velvet ribbon, so make sure you give your partner a little nudge if you do pop in!

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