REVIEW: Magnesium Oil for Restless Legs

Chatting to a girlfriend recently, we came onto our previous nights sleep, as you do, and I started to harp on about my husbands restless legs - or 'the jitters' as they're known in this house. I'm SURE you know what I'm talking about, that weird spasming that seems to take over your legs the minute you hit the bed. 

Magnesium Oil Spray for Restless Legs

Lovely clued-up lady that she is, she had the answer, in the form of a Magnesium Oil Spray from Holland and Barrett. Restless Leg Syndrome is basically a form of insomnia (though, chicken & egg...) and it has been linked to magnesium deficiency.

I rushed out to buy some and you know what? I kind of think it works. I am a little sceptical that spraying something onto your skin can actually be absorbed that quickly (maybe long-term supplements would be more effective), but it does create a slight tingling sensation, which, if nothing else, distracts you from 'the jitters'.

Hey, it's only £12.59 - I think that's pretty good value for a decent nights sleep. You can buy it HERE

You're welcome.

BRAND REVIEW: H&M Cosmetics

The H&M make-up collection is hardly extensive but I picked up a couple of gems whilst in there recently.

I'm always on the hunt for good quality but inexpensive lip glosses so I can give them to clients. These two are really pretty good and a real bargain.

Nude Lipgloss £1.50 & Bite Me Blondie Lipgloss £2.99

The one on the left is a soft nude/coral and has a very subtle shimmer. It smells sickly sweet, like watermelon, however. Something I personally can't abide in my make-up but maybe there'll be a client who loves it. Who knows. It's such a shame because at £1.50 this could have been a real find.

The one on the right is a bit sickly, but not in the same league as the first thankfully. It's got more of a shimmer to it but is nice and sheer so just a small dab is perfect for a quick lip plump. It's called Bite Me Blondie and cost all of £2.99.

Bronzing Powder £4.99

Finally I had to have one of these fabulous Bronzing Powders. The packaging is great, chunky but light, and the powder base itself is huge - perfect for swirling a lovely big brush into.

But here's the main reason I had to have it. The COLOUR & TEXTURE. It's so hard to buy good bronzers, both on the high-street AND high-end. This is a lovely subtle bronze, perfect for winter, with just a hint of shimmer to stop it becoming flat. The texture is soft, and really fine, so you can build-up colour gradually to create warmth.

It cost £4.99, yeah baby.

www.hm.com

REVIEW: Aveda Outer Peace Blemish Spot Relief

I would be lost without this miraculous little tube in the house. It is the king of zit zappers. Truly.

Being an Aveda product it has lots of lovely natural ingredients like Rose Geranium and Tamanu. But, most importantly, contains Salicylic Acid which acts as a pore-unblocker. It can leave the skin feeling dry so I'm pretty sparing with it and only use it to target the real hum-dingers...

I find a GENTLE squeeze, being super-careful not to break the skin, followed by a dab of Outer Peace, performs miracles overnight and you wake up like it was all just a bad dream.

Not cheap I'm afraid, but what price your SANITY?

Aveda Outer Peace Blemish Spot Relief costs £16.50 and is available online at www.aveda.co.uk

VIDEO: Susie Bubble does Panda Eyes

Yet another incredible Because Beauty Tutorial by Kay Montano. This time starring fashion blogger mega-star SUSIE BUBBLE!

It was a super-fun day - and there are 3 more Susie looks to come, so keep checking the Because London website. A new one gets posted every week!

And if you haven't already, check out Susie's Style Bubble blog.

The look was inspired by the Gucci SS12 show, Kay created this dramatic eye using just one product, the heavenly Shiseido Cream Shimmering Eye Colour in Caviar. So easy to use and crucially, blend.

VIDEO: Diana Ross Because Magazine Beauty Tutorial

Wow - I was lucky enough to assist uber-make-up-artist Kay Montano on the latest Because Magazine Beauty Tutorials.

But take everything you know about online beauty videos and shut them firmly in your vanity case.

These are what beauty tutorials should be; inspirational, fun, glamorous and with just enough how-to to make it achievable. Mainly I love them because they don't patronise and drone on forever.

(Also, as a tech-idiot, I wanted to see if I was able to post the video here, and it couldn't have been easier. If you're viewing in Dynamic Views you'll need to open this post to watch).

Check out Because Magazine at http://becauselondon.com/ and subscribe to Kay's new blog here http://www.kaymontano.com/ . 

WEDDING BELLES: What I Wore & NARS Kyoto Eyeliner

I got married back in December 2006 but can still remember exactly what make-up I used (obsessed - moi?). Quite a lot of it has been discontinued but quite a bit of it still features in my make-up kit.

There was Lancome Photogenic Foundation, By Terry concealer and mascara, MAC creme blusher, L'Oreal Eyeshadow and Armani Lipgloss.

But there's one little gem that I have re-used every week since then (and re-purchased numerous times), and that is my NARS Kyoto Eyeliner....

It's a fabulous khaki with gold flecks. The texture is really soft and easily smudged, so it gives a soft definition that subtly shimmers. I was wearing it today and felt made-up, but cool and not over-done.

It also reminds me of the day whenever I see it. Lovely.

Please nice people at NARS, don't discontinue this baby.

NARS Eyeliner in Kyoto is £16 at Space NK.

BRAND REVIEW (+ WIN!): MyFace Cosmetics

MyFace Cosmetics - the make-up brand you need to know about now....

At a recent high-fashion party in London, there was a meeting of make-up greats. Kay Montano, she of Kate Moss Face covers, Obsession ads, and over 20 years of Vogue editorials and covers, bumped into an old friend, Charlotte Tilbury, the flame-haired make-up artist responsible for many celebrity red-carpet looks, ad campaigns and shows. I could go-on, but suffice to say, you definitely want to know what is in the make-up kits of these women.

The next morning, Kay Montano tweeted the following:

"Charlotte Tilbury last night "wow your skin looks amazing, are you wearing MyMix?" And of course yes, I was. @myfacecosmetics"

Need I say more? Well, ok, I will explain a little further....


MyMix is the foundation from MyFace. It is a dream to work with, light, dewy, creamy, blendable and crucially, incredible staying power. It covers without covering, if you catch my drift. What is is truly amazing about Mymix is the fact it is from a high-street brand and costs just £12.99. This is amazing because it is virtually impossible to find decent foundations at this price.

I generally find that the cheaper the foundation there is always something you are compromising on, whether it's colour (they are often too pink), texture, blendability or lasting power. You really don't need another foundation in your kit once you have MyMix.

It's based on a simple system of Fair, Medium or Medium/Dark. Within each of these there are 3 shades to choose from. I'm a Fair 03, sometimes Medium 01 if I have a tan (increasingly rare these days). The Medium/Dark is the best range for darker skin tones that I have come across. It repeatedly gets responses of 'Wow' from clients and models.

There you have it. It's the WOW foundation.

They also have a fab range of blushers (£9.99), lipsticks (£9.99) and glosses (£7.99 read on for a chance to win one) within the Fair, Med, Med/Dark system. There's a nude, medium and bright shade for each tone.

And one final little love note....to their amazing Bling Tones (£9.99). Little pots of flat glitter that are so easy to use and add instant glamour. Because they are 'flat-packed' they don't drop all over the face. Simply swipe your finger in the pot and press into the lids - building up for a more intense or 'wet' look.

My favourites are Morococo and Spice'y (pictured above and below) for wearability, but there is a whole cornucopia of colours for you to play with.

MyFace is available online in the UK and USA via their own website www.myfacecosmetics.com. You can also buy it on Amazon at www.amazon.co.uk (make sure to search for it using 'myface' all-one-word).

If you want to go and see it in the flesh, then head to your nearest big Boots (check their website for specific stores).

COMPETITION
I have a MyFace Lip Gloss Pop in Medium 234 Hot Stuff and Medium Blusher in Lady Monaco, to give away to one lucky person. Everyone who comments on this post will be automatically entered to win - that's all you have to do! I will draw someone at random next Monday 10th October.

UPDATE: Some are finding it difficult to post comments. If this is the case for you then please just send me a message on twitter to enter.

I'll announce the winner on my Twitter feed so make sure to follow me in the meantime and include your twitter address in your comment! You can find me at @arabellapreston -  http://twitter.com/#!/ArabellaPreston