Pretty Geeky

Hey everyone,

Hope everyone has had a great Monday! I just thought I'd write a quick blog post about the InStyle 100 best beauty buys 2009.  I don't buy that many magazines but I always try to get this addition each year.  Its a really useful addition for all your beauty needs as all the products have been tried, tested and voted for by 165 of the UK's top make - up artists, hairdressers, skincare gurus and nail technicians.

So, I thought as an average Joanne consumer I thought I might run down the things which I've tried.  I also have some questions so hopefully some of you might be able to help out!

Basically for each one I'm giving a little comment as to whether I think they are worth buying. I hope you enjoy!

Best night crean Issima Midnight Secret, £51, Guerlain

I know lots of people love this.  I bought this years ago at a duty free and it did nothing exciting or special and it was extremely expensive.

Best moisturiser with an SPF DayWear Plus Multi Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme SPF15, £21.50, Estee Lauder

I've tried a little sample of this and it is really nice.  I don't think its special enough to spend £21.50 on though.

Best serum Advanced Night Repair Protective recovery Complex, £34, Estee Lauder

I've had a big sample of this and it was very good.  You put it on at night and your skin feels lovely and soft in the morning.  I couldn't justify spending £34 on it though.

Best cleansing wipes Cleansing Facial Wipes £2.99, Simple

To be completly honest, I think a wipe is a wipe!  I've tried these as well as the Olay ones and both did the job.

Best eye make - up remover Bi Facial Non Oily Instant Cleanser, £18, Lancome

I've talked about this before and it's great.  It does seem an awful lot to spend on a make up remover though.  Watch out at Christmas time as you can sometimes get in in a set with mascara and eyeliner for about £24 which is much better value.  I managed to get a half price one in Boots in the sales which was quite lucky! 

Best facial exfoliator - Daily Microfoliant, £31, Dermalogica

This stuff is great and is gentle enough to use everyday. It is expensive but it lasts a very long time.  Click the link to get it from Jersey Beauty with a VAT discount and free p&p.

Best eye de-puffer Nutritionist Caffeine Eye Roll - On, £9.99, Garnier

I need something like this!  Has anyone tried it?  Please can you let me know if it will help get rid of my dark circles?

Best spot treatment Overnight Clearing Gel, £34, Dermalogica

Like most spot creams, this does work but it does so by completely drying out the skin.  Chances are, the skin then starts reproducing oil to combat the dryness which causes another spot.  A good emergency treatment but not a great long term solution.

Best under - eye concealer Touche Eclat, £22.50, Eyelash curler

We all know about this but look at the price!  Please let me know your suggestions for great alternatives.

Best eyelash curler Eyelash curler, £25 Shu Uemura

No need to buy any other curlers.  Yes they are pricey but if you look afer them well they will last a lifetime.

Best inexpensive mascara Masterpiece, £7.95, Max Factor

I love this and I love the price!  What more can I say?

Best powder eyeshadow Eye shadow, £10, MAC

Of course nothing can beat these little pots.  They are very highly pigmented so the colour you see is the colour you get on.  They also have every colour you could every need or want.  Just be careful that you've seen the colour in real life before ordering online as lots of people have commented that the swatches on the website aren't very accurate.

Best long - lasting lipstick Lipfinity, £9.99, Max Factor

I wasn't overly amazed by this.  I'd say it was average.  If there was an ever lasting lipstick surely we'd all be using it?

Best tweezers Slant Tweezer, £16, Tweezerman

You can just pick these up at Boots.  A decent set of tweezers like these makes all the difference, I couldn't believe I'd survived without them when I got them.

Best blusher Blush in Orgasm, £18.50, Nars

If the name doesn't make you blush, the blusher certainly will give you fresh flushed cheeks.  It's a handy size and has a mirror which is very handy for  travelling.

Best inexpensive brush line Ruby & Millie, from £5

I only have one of their brushes, a concealer and come to think of it, it has lasted years!  The handle is long which I really like.

Best body exfoliator Smoothing Body Scrub For a New Skin, £23.50, Clarins

I am pretty much allergic to all body products, apart from this.  It's fantastic and leaves your skin feeling really soft and healthy.

Best inexpensive body moisturiser Rich Care Body Moisturiser, £4.45, Nivea

You can't go wrong with this!  Good old Nivea, always does the job!

Best self-tan for face Liquid Bronze Self Tanning, £15.50, Clarins

This smells beautiful, is easy to apply and looks very natural.  Unfortunately it didn't work out for my skin but the good thing with Clarins is that you can normally return it if you have an allergic reaction.

Best moisturiser with Self - Tan Holiday Skin Body lotion, £4.99, Johnson's

As we all know, these are great.  I also like the Dove version too so I normally go for whatever's on offer in Boots.

Best nail polish range Nail Lacquer, £9.95 OPI

I've tried 'I'm really not a waitress' which was a lovely colour.  I'd say they have a very good range of colours but they aren't anything special in terms of not chipping or lasting.  The Rimmel 60 seconds ones are actually very good and a lot cheaper.

Best inexpensive cream Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, £3.99, Neutrogena

Great stuff but a little too thick and heavy for use in the day.  I adore Clarins hand cream as an all time favourite.

Best deep conditioning mask masquintense, £25, Kerastase

I did try this out once when my hair was really damaged.  It is fantastic!  Is there anything on the market that's as good?  Please let me know as, for me, it's really too expensive to have all the time.

Best flat iron IV Styler, £119, Ghd

How did our mothers survive without these?  Need I say anymore?

Best hairspray Elnett Satin, from £1.99 L'Oreal Paris

Cheap and cheerful and does the job.  Not the best smell in the world, I might be inclined to go for something like Lee Stafford or TRESemme as I really like my hair products to smell good!

Best de- frizzer Frizz-Ease Hair Serum Original Formulas, £5.99 John Frieda

This stuff is fantastic but my saviour this year has to be John Frieda's Weather proofing Protection Climat Style Sealant Creme, to survive winter on the Isle of Man you need something good and this stuff is great!

Well that's all from me.  Please leave a comment about your experience with anyof the products from the Instyle 100 best beauty buys 2009, I'd love to hear what you think!

Goodnight!

LottieB x