Fake it till you make it!

have an apology to make.
I recently gave the Rimmel Recover anti-fatigue foundation a less than glowing review but you'll never believe it - it actually works!

For the last two mornings, I've been the sleepiest puppy in all of the world. A combination of early mornings, late nights, giggle juice and stressy day job admittedly, but I hate getting up at the best of times so getting up and looking crap comes very high on The List of Things That Piss Me Off (TM).

So imagine my surprise this morning when I decided to take action - hot shower, Bliss Oxygenating mask (bloody love that), serum, moisturiser, BeneTint, High Beam - all fine but my tinted moisturiser was not covering up my blotchy, red, irritated and basically skanky skin. So I gave the recover another shot. And bugger me, I looked human again.

It has even worn quite well thanks to Smashbox primer underneath and L'Oreal True Match powder on the top. Not well enough to avoid me going sparkly silver eyes to distract from red, blotchy badness but it's okay.

This is all good news when you have a surprise meeting thrust upon you and you have sit next to a pretty boy for an hour and half, trying to concentrate on digital publishing opportunities, stay awake, not have your stomach rumble loudly enough for EVERYONE to hear and willing your body to create it's own lipbalm because you know you look like a corpse, while your boss sits laughing at you. Grrrr.

And the Recover foundation is currently on offer in Boots - £4.99 instead of £6.49. Hurrah.

Eye-Eye...

I love wearing eye make up because it's often shiny and sparkly and I'm a complete magpie. Also, if your eyes never have a fat day, they never gets spots (I hope?) and they never look greasy when you get up late and don't have time to wash them...
What I don't love, is taking off my eye make up. The miracle that is Johnson & Johnson PH 5.5 Eye Make-up Remover Pads is ripping through my bank account faster than my comedy adult driving lessons - I know £3.99 is hardly the crown jewels but I go through so many! And I've tried every cheapo version out there. Every single one could feature in the dictionary under the phrase 'false economy'. I'm naming AND SHAMING the following:

Boots Complete Skincare Eye Make-up Remover Pads - like greasy toilet paper. Ew.

Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Eye Make-up Removal Pads - like oily toilet paper.





I'm seeing a pattern.
Boots, I'm a huge fan but if you're going to knock off a fabulouso product - MUST TRY HARDER.
I've never known anything as wonderful as the J&J pads - they don't drag, they're cushiony soft and they take away every little trace. I'm thinking of lobbying to have giant packs made available on the NHS...

Don't forget to enter our lovely competition for many wonderful beauty bits at beautymecca@gmail.com!

Just a reminder...

That you can still win a tonne of BeautyMecca goodness...

Just email me at beautymecca@gmail.com for a chance to acquire some seriously good sh*t. Not that I'm a pusher...

Really though, there's fab BeneFit make-up, Smashbox lipglosses, Stila eye make-up, some Bliss bits and pieces and tonnes of other luverly stuff for your body, bath and all round beauty-making wonderment.

email email email!

3 for 2 Joy at Boots

You all know I'm a mug for crazy, messy Blondie bedhead?

So you won't be shocked to hear that not only do I lurve the good people at the Lee Stafford salon in London, I also love his product range, conveniently located on a shelf in my local Boots.
Handy.

And you also know that I'm a sucker for a promotion, you all know that, right?

So it will be fab news all round that Lee Stafford is currently on 3 for 2 in Boots - hurrah!
I've already stocked up on RU Taking Protection Oily Roots (dry shampoo for lazy ladies) and Messed Up spray wax (a favourite with Mr Beauty Lover too!). On the way home this evening, I shall be indulging in the Soflee Soflee intensive conditioner also because it smells pretty, it pinks up my bathroom shelf and, god forbid, it works.

I rediscovered the range post haircut, having been a big, if a little fickle, fan a back when the range launched. and I'm very happy.

My itchy scalp loves it, my dry hair is shining and not overly weighed down by product. Nothing in the range is massively pricey, you get advantage points from Boots, you get fab hair and everyone's a happy bunny.

I might get the serum spray too - it smells like Angel perfume (only prettier) and it makes me look all shiny and new!

What's in the Bag Cheryl Morgan?

Today's beautista is Cheryl Morgan, marketing lady and all round photogenic minx - honest, my computer is just playing up...

What's your signature make-up product and how does using it affect your mood?
Hmm, it’s tough to pick just one product but it’s possibly lip gloss. The new Clinique plumping one makes me feel more vixen-esque or the pink Philosophy one has a mint scent which makes me feel super fresh!

A beautiful boy is on the approach and you only have time to apply one product - what is it? Maybe a quick swirl of Bourjois blusher to look all coy & flushed & trick them into thinking that I’m sweet & innocent!

Out of every product you've ever had, current or sob, discontinued, what would be your favourite beauty product ever?
I’d have to agree with former ‘What’s in the bag’ respondent Della Pike and say that Benefit Brow Zings are amazing. They make your brows look so much stronger but in a really natural way. I also love YSL eyeliner in shade 7. I was told by one ill-informed YSL assistant that this had been discontinued, leading to mad panic & a horrific binge on minstrels, before finding it in House of Fraser in Bournemouth. The lovely assistant there assured me that it will be available for the foreseeable future as it’s one of their most popular lines. Lastly (yes I know you’re supposed to pick one!) I love Stila shimmer in shade 9. It helps me create the illusion of cheekbones when I have a face resembling a baked bean.

So the bag…
In my handbag is a green Clinique make up bag which was part of one of their amazing Bonus Time offers (I’m a Marketer's dream as I always purchase 2 items to get the free gift whether I need said items or not!). At home is a white basket type holder with silver handle which contains all my wonderful make up.

Foundation: At present I’m using Bobbi Brown oil free but I have to say that I’m not particularly loyal & am still flirting with other brands in search of something which doesn’t turn me into an oil slick by mid-day but also doesn’t make me skin super tight & patchy. Roll on summer when I can revert back to Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser, one word – lovely. Also on the recommendation of Beauty Lover I purchased Smashbox primer & am already a big fan.

Concealer: Rimmel Hide the Blemish

Under-Eye Concealer: Touch Eclat although as someone who suffers from the worst undereye circles in the world if I’m particularly hungover or tired even this doesn’t help. I’m currently using Avon dual eye cream/gel (the one on the adverts) which I think is helping a bit. Anyone who’s got a recommendation on good undereye concealers, I’m all ears.

Blusher: I’m a Bourjois convert following Daniel Sandler’s admission that he uses it on Kate Moss. However, the damn lid always breaks off & turns everything else pink so I’m looking to find a similar version with reinforced packaging.

Eyeshadow: Mixture of Bobbi Brown (thank you to my friends who bought me the most gorgeous neutral palette for my bday last year) & Clinique. I’ve got Urban Decay for funky evening eyes as well.

Eyelash Curlers: Mine are from Tweezerman and are pretty good but not a daily essential

Eyeliners: As mentioned before I love the YSL one. I also love a Clinique gel one which again came as part of a Bonus Time. It blends really well & can work in the daytime or built up for evening.

Lips: I’m a gloss girl – mainly Clinique (are you spotting a theme!) or Philosophy

Perfume: I’ve got three on the go: Philosophy Amazing Grace for daytime, Clarins Amour Toujours for summer & Cacheral Amor, Amor for evening. Also partial to a bit of Donna Karen Cashmere Mist as well.

Oooh, so many pretty things.
And who doesn't love Bonus Time?!

Happy Mother's Day!

Just a quickie today because I'm roadtrippin' up to my ma's to do the mother's day thing.
I love road trips.

What I also love is that my mum and both my grandmothers' have pretty good skin - you know it's hereditary, right? Love those genes. Not looking forward to the endless comedy illnesses I've got to look forward to in my sixties but hey. Swings and roundabouts.

Luckily, all my family is either pale as a pale thing (not a pale as Mary-Kate Olsen though) or olive skinned so sun damage is something I've always been aware of. Plus my maternal grandmother was a ginge in her day, so we're all about moisturising and SPF 25 in the Beauty Lover family. Can't recommend it enough.

If you haven't done the flowers and chocolates yet, can I recommend you head down to Boots and buy loads of mini travel-sized toiletries, put them in a pretty bag and present to Maman. I don't know about yours, but my mum is convinced she has to spend a billion hours looking after others and nada on herself. Even the cat gets more props. Treat sized products are a nice reminder of all the little treats she should be making time for.

Aww, we're so sweet you should dip our fingers in your tea...

Cheap Thrills For You!

Okay, a couple of things today...

Firstly, and I'm going to be completely up front about this, I need to be whoring this blog around a little bit more. I love writing it and fingers crossed, you're all enjoying reading it but I need more readers, more! And they will become my minions and together we will take over the... Sorry, carried away there.

Anyway, it works out pretty well for you. I have a big bumper bag of beauty swag that I'm prepared to part with to one lucky reader. There's a few things I bought in the US, some BeneFit pieces, Stila Smudgepot and Smashbox goodies in there as well as lots of other bits and pieces that have found their way to BeautyMecca.

How can you win this treasure trove of wonderous items I hear you ask? Easy. All you have to do is email me at beautymecca@gmail.com with your name and address, how you heard about the site and the answers to three simple questions:

What is your favourite beauty brand?
What is your favourite beauty product of all time?
What do you like/dislike about BeautyMecca?

Anyone that says they don't like me is instantly disqualified.
The funniest subject header will also receive a special treat.
I don't know what that is yet but it will BE FABULOUS.

All emails will be popped into a hat (not a literal one, I don't do hats) and a name will be drawn at random. You can increase your chances of winning by copying in all the friends you think would love/like/hate/rather chew their own ears out than read BeautyMecca into your email - for every name in the CC box, I'll add your name into the 'hat' again.

And just to remind you why you love BeautyMecca, here's a friendly word of advice to my favourite billionaire twin, Mary-Kate Olsen.



In this picture, you and Ashley look gorgeous.
MK is the Brunette.

In this picture (and this is said with love...)
MK is the white blonde FYI in case you couldn't tell.. Ashley is the one looking piiiiissed off.

You look like this.

Everyone who knows me, knows I love the Olsens.
I will not allow you to go the way of the Britney, I will NOT.

Who's with me on the intervention?