Celebrity 'steppers' go crazy during Fairtrade Fortnight

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Viral video by ebuzzing

It can be hard at times to truly stick to the Fairtrade philosophy all the time; no matter how smug you feel when you buy something off People Tree, there's always going to be that time when you can't resist that bargain lipstick from Maybelline. Celebrities are going to even greater lengths this Fairtrade Fortnight (27 February to 11 March 2012) to raise awareness, with luminaries including Louisa Lytton, Alistair McGowan and Simon Webb all starring in Youtube videos to encourage others to take steps to go Fairtrade.

Through the ‘Take A Step for Fairtrade’ campaign, the Fairtrade Foundation wants to see more individuals and businesses buying and selling Fairtrade products in the UK, The public are being asked to think about what they can do every day, every week or every month throughout 2012 and take a step to make a difference to the lives of farmers in the developing world who produce the products they buy.

With Fairtrade every step counts. In celebration of International Women's Day (March 8th), for example, L'Occitane have released a fund-raising, Fairtrade soap as part of a development partnership with a factory in Burkina Faso. The factory has been run entirely by women since 2010 and supports their emancipation - and for just $8 (or £5, or €4.50, depending on where you live!) the shea butter soap can help you feel good, smell good, and help others at the same time.

The more people that support Fairtrade, the more farmers and workers will be able to improve their lives through the better terms of trade it offers. And there's really no excuse on the beauty front: you can buy Fairtrade makeup from sites such as Big Green Smile, Fairtrade clothes from high street retailers such as Oxfam, and Fairtrade jewellery and accessories from sites such as Traidcraft. We all talk the talk, but how many of us actually walk the walk? I know I don't always.

The Fairtrade Foundation encourages everyone to start their journey at www.fairtrade.org.uk/step, and to check out the rest of the mini-series on the Fairtrade YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/Fairtradefoundation. You won't regret it!

Dainty Doll Hot Pour Concealer

RRP: £14.30

# of shades available: 3

--What does the promo say?--

"Some things are best kept secret, so mask imperfections while helping them heal with this Dainty Doll Concealer Hot Pour. Very Light. This creamy concealer is enriched with skin loving ingredients that camouflage flaws while protecting your skin."

--Packaging--

Sophisticated, glamorous and artsy. The drawing of the Nicola Roberts-a-like on the box is vivid, albeit perhaps a little unrealistic in what it encourages women to aspire to, and the compact comes with its own mirror. The box is enormous compared to the size of the compact though, so be prepared for a slight disappointment when you open it.

--Application--
The worst ever of any concealer I have tried. It is impossible to apply with your fingers, unlike more traditional foundation, and while decent coverage is achievable, it takes much longer than with other concealers - you need a proper concealer brush to do it, and even then it lengthens the routine of putting on your face by significant proportions.

--Scent--

Some reviewers say it smells of cocoa butter; I personally couldn't detect this, but as it does contain shea butter, maybe my nose is just defective.

--Texture and consistency--

A bit too cakey for my liking and not always easy to blend. Be prepared to work hard when applying it!

--Appearance--

I was amazed to find that the lightest shade (001) wasn't right for my skin tone, being too light. This meant I had to work a lot harder with foundation and powder to obtain something resembling a natural look. You definitely couldn't go out wearing this concealer on its own as the overall look of the thing is just far too patchy.

--Longevity--

Lasts quite well once on (it is water-resistant, though, as I found out when I tried to mix it with water to make it easier to apply with my fingers, so I suppose this should be expected), but is it enough to compensate for the frustration and time it takes in applying it?

--Value for money--

While I might be willing to try this in another shade, this is officially the world's crappiest product in terms of the fact that applying it is just so damn time-consuming! I just don't have that kind of time on my hands - and in the end this, coupled with the fact of the shade being the wrong colour for me, I threw out the thing before it was empty (NB I practically never do this). For this price, Benefit's Boi-ing concealer is better for blendability and speedy application while competing well on durability. Dainty Doll is also overpriced for the brand name: as well as Benefit concealers also coming up in this price bracket, you can also spend your £14 on concealers by Elizabeth Arden, BareMinerals, Smashbox, Clinique, Shiseido and BareEscentuals - indicating that pricing Dainty Doll with them is way off. My advice? Unless you really cannot find a shade *anywhere* else to suit you, choose something else.

perfect partners

Loose Mineral Powder Foundation, £15

Wonderbalm, £16

Mascara and Eyeliner Duo, £14