MAC Paints

RRP: £12 for 6.5g
no. of shades available: 11

--What does the promo say?--
"A high tech, high performance eye shadow product which goes on creamy and dries to a powdery finish. It is ideal for colour-intensive, texture-rich looks that need to last. Made with concentrated pearl pigments in a cream colour formulation, the "transformative" abilities of M·A·C Paints allow for easy application, blendability, and flexibility of coverage. Its transfer-resistant finish creates a smooth, crease-free, slightly shiny, reflective look to the lid."

--Packaging--
Looks like it's come straight out of an artist's paint-box, exactly imitating the quirky tubes of oil paint, and therefore draws a nice metaphor of one's face being a canvas with which you can do anything. It's a small tube about 2.5 inches long, all black apart from the white MAC logo and the small coloured strip near the opening that matches the colour of the shadow you've chosen. The lid is a simple black T-shaped screw top lid. All very easy to open and close, with little risk of leakage, and all very nice to look at too. It's professional, minimalist and high-quality packaging.

--Application--
Very carefully squeeze a very tiny amount (think the size of a pinhead) onto a brush or onto the tip of your finger. This stuff really is best applied gradually, in layers, in order to achieve the desired effect. It's very easy to add more if you haven't done enough - but it isn't nearly so easy to take away when you've done too much. Be careful also not to apply the shadow too thickly or you may end up creasing it before it's had a chance to dry. However, it's easy to apply despite this and there's no problem achieving your desired look.

--Appearance--
On the eye, the shadow appears just as promised: a strong colour with a slightly reflective finish. The shadow dries fast, but not too fast, so it's easy to blend with other shadows, whether these shadows are also MAC Paints or other shadows. The range of colours offered in the MAC Paints category means that you could probably pick any 2 or 3 and blend them quite happily as the palette offered is quite harmonious. The only oddity is the shade Chartru, which is a sort of pale green, while all of the other MAC Paints are purples, pinks and taupes. You can therefore use the darker shades of purple to create an intense, dramatic look on their own, or blend darker and lighter shades for everyday wear. The colours on offer should also suit any complexion, hair colour, or eye colour - even redheads will be able to get away with the lighter shades.

--Texture/consistency--
A thick, stiff creamy formula that's not gooey, lumpy or runny. An absolute dream to apply.

--Longevity--
As long as you've let it dry properly beforehand there should be absolutely no problems, even without a primer. You can wear this all day (and all night!) with no creases at all. Simply superb.

--Value for money--
At first glance this seems expensive, but given that the colours will suit everyone and that you need to use so little each time, as well as the fact that this eyeshadow is generally faultless, there's nothing to make it not worth the money paid. Full marks.

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara

RRP: £8.99
no. of shades available: 4

--What does the promo say?--
"L'Oreal Telescopic is a magnifying and lengthening mascara with a precision mulit-comb for 60% longer lashes - lashes are magnified and separated without clumping.

Precision multi comb:
# Flexible and expert, the Precision Multi-Comb magnifies the lashes at the base as if they were defined by a subtle trace of eyeliner
# The Multi-Comb stretches the ultra-smooth formula right from the base of your lashes to their tips for 60% more length

Result:
# Magnified lashes with spectacular length!"

--Packaging--
A slim, tapered, elegant-looking tube, in a dress of gold and black. The TELESCOPIC logo is really elegant with flicked tails on the capital letters and the whole thing just looks really together and sophisticated. Nice work.

--Application--
Same as usual.

--Appearance--
There is definitely a visible difference in length with this. However, you'll still have to get your eyelash separator out to stop those lashes from clinging together.

--Texture--
Smooth with no clots, which is what makes it actually quite disappointing that the lashes cling together still.

--Longevity--
Really good for something not even marketed as a long-lasting formula.

--Value for money--
While I like this, I don't like it enough to trade it in for my Avon Daring Curves.

Make Up Forever Star Powder

RRP: 13.80 € (2.8 g)
no. of shades available: 32

--What does the promo say?--
"These loose powders, made of pure, ultra-fine mother-of-pearl particles, give the skin intense sparkle and unparalleled shine. They can be used alone, blended together, applied over other makeup or mixed with makeup of any texture to illuminate your makeup."

--Packaging--
A nice little round black pot with a clear see-through lid. The product logo appears in black on the clear window. It all looks very nice; however, it can be difficult to properly close the screw-top lid, meaning that the possibility of wastage is high.

--Application--
Apply with a brush or sponge applicator. Moisten the brush slightly for a tenfold increase in shine and hold.

--Texture--
Quite fine, but no better than most of its high street competitors.

--Appearance--
It looks great on the eye with natural-looking colours that pack a touch of sparkle. Perfect on their own or blended with other colours.

--Longevity--
Even better when applied wet, but doesn't last too badly when applied dry either. Creases slightly, but not so that anyone else would notice.

--Value for money--
A very classy brand for the money paid. However, at a mere 3 euros less, I'd go for Bourjois' Suivez Mon Regard, with its vastly superior packaging and comparable quality.

--Where to buy--
Sephora (US and France), most major French and American department stores.

perfect partners
Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil, €13,10 for 1.2g
Make Up Forever Eye Shadow, 15.90 € (2.5 g)

Maybelline Forever Strong Professional Nail Polish

RRP: £3.99 for 10ml
no. of shades available: 18

--What does the promo say?--
"# Perfect precision curved brush
# Rich colour and high shine
# Enriched with Iron & Calcium"

--Packaging--
Nice slender squarish bottle with a medium-sized black lid. The logo and product information is written on the transparent bottle in white writing. Nothing special going on there, though I do like how the extra layer of glass at the bottom of the bottle creates an effect of the varnish being suspended in the bottle.

--Application--
Pretty standard stuff: unscrew the lid, allow any excess polish to drip back into the bottle, and apply 1 or 2 layers to your nails after prepping them with a base coat.

--Texture/consistency--
Smooth without being runny: in other words, perfect.

--Appearance--
I personally prefer to apply two coats of any nail varnish I use, but with this varnish you could probably get away with just one. The colour I have is a really definite colour, but still suitable for everyday, and fits my overall look and colouring well.

--Longevity--
Not too bad. I'd say it lasts 4-5 days before it starts to chip.

--Ease of removal--
Fine :)

--Value for money--
For the amount you get and the quality of the varnish itself, the price is extremely reasonable and the range of available shades is impressive. Top marks.

e.l.f. Elements Customisable Compact

RRP: £7.50 for one refillable compact + 4 'elements' of your choice
no. of shades available: 10 eye colours, 10 lip colours and 5 face powders

--What does the promo say?--
"Start with your compact. Mix and match your desired colours. e.l.f.’s philosophy is that beauty comes from within and it's our goal to enable every woman to look and feel her personal best through the perfect blend of both the inner and outer person. With that goal in mind, e.l.f. cosmetics was born – a line of simple, luxurious, problem-solution tools that allow you to showcase and believe in your unique, personal beauty. Our cosmetics are designed to improve and accentuate the individual, not hide her away."

--About the brand--
e.l.f. (the three letters standing for 'eyes, lips, face') started in New York in 2004 and has been taking the world by storm ever since. It has just arrived in Britain, and claims to offer high quality cosmetics at low low prices. The brand admits that animal testing does take place in the formulation of its products, but only when no other method is available.

--Packaging--
Your customisable compact is about 8cm x 8cm, taking the form of a white, square, plastic flip-top compact. The e.l.f. logo is written on the lid in silver. You fill the four circles with the colours of your choice, and all compacts come with an eye brush and a lip brush, and their own mirror. The little circles could do with some sort of peel-off adhesive so that the elements would actually stick there and not move about when you're trying to apply them, but they don't fall out, so it's OK. I'm also not so sure that I like the white plastic as it looks a bit chavvy, but this is a fairly superficial comment (for the benefit of any Americans unfamiliar with the chav revolution, I think this probably about covers it).

--Application--
It's pretty simple - use the brushes provided to apply the eye stuff to your eyes and the lip stuff to your lips. You'll need your own brush to apply any face powder you include in your compact though.

--Scent--
None particularly.

--Appearance--
The good news is that the lipgloss doesn't look greasy. This is a good start. The face powder and eyeshadow elements have either a little face silhouette or a little eye silhouette 'embossed' into the solid powder, which is quite cute to look at. Once everything you've chosen is on your face, there's one thing that rather suggests to me that the whole business of choosing your own elements of the compact is idiot-proof: the fact that despite not even trying to match the colours to one another, they all went very nicely together and matched my skin tone. RESULT.

--Texture--
Lipgloss nicer than the Too Faced compact I also own - just the right consistency (not too thin or too gloopy) and with a really nice natural-looking amount of colour, making these compacts perfect for creating everyday looks. The face powders and eyeshadows also go on smoothly and cause no irritation.

--Longevity--
Powder = brilliant, it lasts all day. Lipgloss = not amazing. Eyeshadows = better than some more expensive products I've used.

--Value for money--
Given the quality of the products, £7.50 for a full compact is brilliant value, especially for a bespoke product. It makes a really nice gift for anyone and it really is fully customisable: if you or the person you're buying for doesn't like lipgloss, for example, then that's fine as you can just substitute the lipgloss for an extra eyeshadow or face powder. Buy one now :)

Max Factor Miracle Touch

RRP: £11.99 for 11.5g
no. of shades available: 9

--What does the promo say?--
"Max Factor’s newest and most innovative foundation will revolutionise the way you apply your base. With a unique lightweight solid to liquid formula it removes the need for the traditional concealer, foundation and powder combination and instead creates the perfect base in just one easy application. The result is a flawless, fresh and incredibly smooth complexion that glows with radiance."

--Packaging--
Nice and compact and slightly different to similar compact foundations on the market. The main compartment is black, and the 'lid' is clear, showing the foundation clearly. When you open it, you find that the 'lid' is actually the main compartment, meaning that the foundation is stored there and because the lid is clear, you can see exactly how much you have left at any given moment. Good job. The black part opens up to reveal the makeup sponge. The only thing it lacks is a mirror - shame, as there's plenty of room for one and L'Oreal manages to include one with its powder, which comes in an even smaller container. The container is slightly bulky, but not too bad, and the black-and-clear colour scheme is really nice to look at, with all product information written clearly on the lid. The lid unscrews easily and is easy to put back on (and of course the main advantage of this being a compact foundation is that there's no spillage). The black bit clicks open using a simple grab and pull mechanism. On the inside of the black part, there are little raised dots. I still have no idea why. On the whole, a good-looking piece of makeup.

--Application--
Just open the black part, remove the sponge, and then unscrew the lid, rub the sponge gently into the solid foundation and then rub onto your face. You could also use a brush if you don't like the sponge provided. It's definitely true to say that this foundation fulfils the product brief: it feels solid in the packaging, but reacts like a liquid foundation on the face, without all soaking into the sponge before it has a chance to get there. As with any foundation, just be careful that you don't have any tide marks around the eyes, nose, lips and hairline, and check for streaks before doing the rest of your makeup. I find that compact foundations do (for some reason unbeknown to me) seem to streak more easily on application compared to normal liquid foundations, so be careful and check your face well before moving on.

--Texture--
As I said, this definitely does what it says on the tin: solid in the pot, liquid on the face. However, this doesn't mean it turns runny; on the face it feels creamy and yet light.

--Appearance--
Pretty good - it gives a really natural appearance (provided, of course, you've checked for giveaway tide marks beforehand!). However, while you could easily skip powder after applying this, I wouldn't recommend skipping concealer. Sadly, if your skin isn't perfect, no foundation will allow you to do this, and this one is no exception.

--Longevity--
Again, I would say it's no better and no worse than any equivalent foundation on the market. No miracles here. It slides off about as quickly as any other foundation too - don't expect it to last all day.

--Coverage--
It just falls short of the quality given by my usual choice of No7; however, it puts on a pretty good show and I wouldn't say this is its biggest shortcoming. It just didn't really light my fire.

--Value for money--
This is a high quality product that is excellent for travelling - probably the best product I've found in that respect and it'll definitely be coming with me on all my trips. However, it is perhaps a little too light if you have less than perfect skin and thus won't fulfil its claims of covering all imperfections. The number of shades available is commendable and I've found so far that more than one shade suits me. It is just about worth the RRP, but I would still recommend trying to get it on promotion if possible: I got a free concealer with mine that was worth £6.99.

perfect partner
Max Factor Mastertouch Concealer, £6.99

Bourjois Suivez Mon Regard eyeshadow

RRP: £6.50
no. of shades available: 13

--What does the promo say?--
"Shimmering loose powder eye shadow with a built in brush. The unique, no spills pot and ingenious built in brush are the perfect companion for a professional application wherever you are. The clever pot deposits just the right amount of powder on the brush with each application. Explore the multiple facets of the intense, shimmering shades."

--Packaging--
Really neat and clever, and of course great for travelling. It can't be any more than 5cm tall (half of which is taken up with the eyeshadow powder) and the top half shows the clear brush handle through the transparent lid (all plastic). The bottom half shows the shadow and there's a paper strip running round the halfway point in the same colour, with the Bourjois and Suivez Mon Regard logo in white. Sadly there are no refills available for this product, so the whole thing has to be thrown away when you're done. Shame, as the brush isn't a bad quality one at all - good for blending as well as the initial putting on of the eyeshadow.

--Application--
Very easy. Unscrew the top plastic lid, and pull out the little brush. When you pull it out of the main pot, there should already be a sufficient amount of shadow on the bristles. Spread the powder onto your eyelid and dip the brush into the pot for more as necessary. When you're finished, put the brush back into the pot and replace the lid.

--Texture--
It could be finer, to be honest: even though the shadow blends well, the powder particles seem quite big. Saying this, though, I experienced no irritation while using this product.

--Appearance--
Really nice and shimmery with a strong (but not too strong) colour. However, I'd recommend finishing off your look with a slightly darker shadow and/or a liner as I feel the shadow lacks something on its own.

--Longevity--
Not great, even with a primer. Just really very average.

--Value for money--
It's fine for what you get, and one pot certainly lasts a long time, but I wouldn't want to pay any more than the RRP for it.

perfect partners
Bourjois Coup de Theatre Mascara, £8.95
Bourjois Khol&Contour Eyeliner Pencil, £4.25

Be...A Woman

RRP: $28.95 (hardcover)

--What does the promo say?--
"Be...a Woman addresses the question that has been asked for centuries but has never before been more controversial: What defines a woman's beauty? Two women, who have made their livelihoods in the beauty business, provide the most insightful and honest answer: the radiant inner light of a woman in a state of being rather than trying to be.
Breathtaking images of real women combined with inspirational observations about women's inner beauty help the reader make a deeper connection to the power of their own authentic self. This compelling compilation profiles the universal themes of empowerment, resilience, courage, acceptance and the true beauty of womanhood, in all its stages of evolution, through extraordinary, moving portraits.
The Western woman's revolution of today is about returning to our core, quietly without noise. It is about finding balance with nature and consciousness and feeling good in our skin. It is about rediscovering the essence of our inner beauty and honoring it in ourselves and in the delicate connectedness of women around us. Be...a Woman is a spirited collection that will breathe life into its reader's soul. A treasure, Be...a Woman is for every daughter, mother, sister, grandmother, girlfriend, coworker and neighbor, for every woman, young and old."

--My review--
This is real coffee-table stuff. Starting with the superficialities first, it is a really good-looking thing, made and finished to a high standard, printed on good quality paper and furnished with stunning calligraphy and photographs.
In her letter to me, Kim Macgregor explains the purpose of the book: "a mission to empower young girls and women to reduce judgment in themselves and other women , to recognise true beauty and activate their potential to inspire change in the world". Sounds impossible, perhaps - but changing anything really does involve starting with change in yourself. So that part at least is accurate, and the whole summary really does set out some of what I try and do in this blog.
As a poet myself it was difficult if not impossible for me to review this book from a purely emotional perspective. Still, I can but try, and hopefully I manage to review this from both an emotional and a literary standpoint.
Each two-page spread has a photograph of a woman accompanied by a poem to reflect the woman's life, experiences or the expression on her face. Some of the poems are short enough to be haiku-like; others are longer. However, none of the poems extend longer than the two pages, and the vast majority are shorter, so even the most attention-span-challenged person should have no trouble with this.
I am a huge fan of beautiful photography, and Arline Malakian does not disappoint. The portraits of the women are of supreme quality, and although taken in Victorian-style sepia, they unfailingly reflect the strong modernity of the women depicted. Women from all ages, races and walks of life are depicted, making the book a highly visual and sensory experience.
However, I found the accompanying text far more difficult to get to grips with. As someone who attempts to write poetry themselves, ellipses (these things - ...) annoy me hugely as I think writers grossly overestimate the dramatic impact that they have. Less really is more and I prefer to avoid them at all costs. Writing is better if it is understated and ellipses tend to overdramatise and thus remove some of the intended sincerity, which is a great shame. I also felt that some of the writing was hackneyed and cliched in its message - while cliches are often rooted in truth, they are still that: cliches. Saying this, though, I did enjoy some of the poems: mainly the first three, plus the poem "Yourself" (mainly because I think the last line of "Yourself" is a flash of sheer genius that is sadly rarely seen in the rest of the book). If the quality of "Yourself" was reflected in all of the other poems, I have a feeling I would have enjoyed this book far more. On a personal level, the tone very much reminded me of a series I used to read years ago, the highly successful Chicken Soup for the Soul series. While the success of this series means that there is a clearly a vast and diverse market who will probably also be attracted to Be..A Woman, it is not something that I am personally attracted to any longer.
I was also slightly disappointed by the "journal entries" at the end of the book, as I was hoping for insights from the photographed women themselves, and their take on the project - not yet more overemotional outpourings from the authors. Having the women who were actually photographed write a little something for the end of the book would have, in my view, endowed this publication with a wider sense of perspective.
However, saying all this, I can see how others would gain plenty from this book in terms of strength, identity and self-confidence. While the style of the writing really isn't "me", I would defy any woman to read this book and gain absolutely nothing from it - even if, like me, your main focus of appreciation is on the photographs.

Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Puree

RRP: £9 for 250ml

--What does the promo say?--
"A lightweight moisturiser that softens, smoothes and hydrates the skin. Leaves skin delicately scented with the decadent Japanese cherry blossom fragrance."

--Packaging--
Pump-action pink bottle with a black pump, decorated with beautiful pink blossom illustrations and with the product information written in white. The only thing I could think of for improvement would be to make the pinkness of the bottle translucent rather than solid so that you could see how much was left. All very nice to look at :) Having tested this product on a sample basis, I can't comment on how easy it is to use, but there's only so difficult a pump-action bottle can be ;)

--Application--
Simple really - pump out the amount desired and rub into places on your body where people will be able to smell it: arms, decolletage etc. Note that this is not a facial moisturiser, so don't get too carried away (this is a disclaimer so that people don't whinge at me for indirectly ruining their previously perfect complexions, mmkay?).

--Texture/consistency--
Not stiff like the body butters that the Body Shop is famous for; rather, the 'body puree' is more watery, but still of a good consistency that absorbs nicely and doesn't run off your fingers while you're still trying to rub it in. Good if you are after something more delicate and everyday than the intensive rescue of the body butters.

--Appearance--
A pink, translucent, slightly runny cream/gel type substance. No residue is left on the skin.

--Scent--
Just gorgeous: deep, fruity and yet still musky, sophisticated and light. I smelt it walking past the Brighton branch of Body Shop and just had to go in because my first thought was 'my God, what IS that?' [Thanks to the staff in the Brighton branch, by the way, you were so lovely and helpful :) ] On the skin it smells just as intense and distinctive without being overpowering.

--Longevity--
You will only need to apply this once to make it last all day. It is an absolute joy to smell this on your skin right up until you go to bed.

--Value for money--
I was somewhat doubtful as I couldn't seem to justify spending £9 on a bottle of that size, which is why I got a sample. However, I would definitely go back and buy it now. A lot of brands have jumped on the Japanese plants bandwagon recently (Avon and SKII come to mind, though SKII is if you like the 'original' brand to cotton on to this) and I think the Body Shop is very wise to follow. I don't suffer with dry skin myself, but this product is lovely even if you don't: already my skin feels smoother after just one application. Because the gel is so thin, it spreads very well, so you don't need to use much on an application-by-application basis. A bottle would therefore last quite a long time and the fact that the smell lasts so long too makes a bottle of this a worthy investment - especially given its limited edition status along with all its other Japanese Cherry Blossom cousins.

perfect partners
Japanese Cherry Blossom Reed Diffuser, £12 for 80ml
Japanese Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette, £14 for 50ml
Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Butter, £14 for 200ml
Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel, £8 for 250ml