For a few months now, I’ve been getting a lot of comments that basically say, ‘Hi, I’ve just started a new blog – check it out’ and then there is a link through to their blog. I find these incredibly annoying when the commenter can’t actually even be bothered to make the merest effort at commenting on the actual post, or it’s dressed with the barest minimum, such as ‘fab post’ etc. I just end up feeling, ‘why should I’? But, it is very difficult for new bloggers to find a place in what is becoming a crowded marketplace – what can they do to promote their blogs?

I will always publish comments that have a link to a new blog, provided that the comments are relevant to the post because the way of beauty bloggers has always been to be supportive of others. How do other bloggers deal with newbie self-promotion? I’d love to know so that we can provide a better guide on how they can get started and join in.

I love a black eye liner – the blacker the better. A few years ago, we wouldn’t even be discussing shades of black – black was just black, but now with better formulations and more intense pigments, black comes in many variants.

Magic Ink is truly the blackest of inky blacks – it creates a sleek, bold line on the lids and does not shift ALL night! I love the texture and applicator that makes it easy to deliver a straight line right up by the roots of the upper lashes….what’s not to like about this? It ticks all the eyeliner boxes and then some.

It’s £14.50 from 6th November.

When it comes to anything vaguely technical I am the first to admit that I’m useless. So, I knew the Luminess Airbrushing system was going to present some challenges, but in reality, far fewer than I was expecting. So, firstly, what does it do? What Luminess promises is to make you look 10 years younger – ahem – by diminishing blemishes, wrinkles, fine lines, large pores, discolouration, patchy skin, acne, texture issues, dark circles and redness. Yeah, right. Let’s just say that there is nothing about Luminess that can diminish acne or wrinkles, and I can’t say that it took 10 years off me, but the rest is actually quite acurate. The system – once you get the hang of it – does give a ‘flawless’ look.

Luminess is actually much easier to use than I was anticipating; basically, held in the same way that you would hold a pen, the wand delivers a super-fine spray of foundation (so fine that you don’t need to worry about your eyebrows disappearing and I didn’t notice any in my hair – but my ear-rings did need a bit of wipe afterwards). If one spray isn’t enough then you apply another. By choosing a foundation formula that is a perfect or a very close match, which is essential, it makes it quite difficult to tell how well the first application has gone because the effect is seamless. So, you can end up adding more than you actually need without realising. My first attempt was horrendous – I applied three sprays and then realised that I had managed to turn myself into a wax-work. And, did even worse with the blush – the colour doesn’t seem to appear fully until the spray has dried on the face, so I was extremely pink! But, after taking all of it off and starting again with a much lighter hand, the effects were amazing second time round.

Using the airbrush system for blusher is probably the best effect. It really does blend so beautifully and looks as though it has been professionally applied – I would definitely use the system for blush applications in the future. There is also a liquid ‘glow’, and that again is very pretty – providing the formulas are compatible I would be tempted to use my regular foundation, spray the blush and then add a spray of the Luminess glow formula to brighten things up.

I would say, though, that if you have a lot a facial hair – even the very fine and downy kind, the foundation does catch it and that is a definite minus to this system. I’d also say the foundation made my skin feel quite tight and had zero effect on fine lines – but at the same time, didn’t exacerbate them like some foundations and concealers can. I’m also not sure it is suitable for very dry skin; bearing in mind that my skin is well moisturised at the moment, and still feels taut under the formulations, I think it could well make things worse.

So, to summarise, Luminess isn’t nearly as difficult as it looks – I got a very good result second time around so you do need to allow for a few practice runs. Once you get it right, you truly do get an immaculate finish – far better than finger or sponge applications, and a completely seamless blush effect that is beautiful. Luminess suggest applying your blush first and foundation over the top for an even more perfected look. The base does cover any ‘flaws’ or uneven skin, and once it’s on your skin, doesn’t transfer at all. There are far more pluses than minuses with the system, and if you are a flawless foundation fanatic, then you’ll LOVE it!

It is also possible to ‘contour’ (I didn’t even go there; I know my limits) and apply eye colours as well, which would be interesting – I’ve seen that done in demo and it looks incredible. There is also a bronzer, which if used sparingly would be a brilliant alternative to self-tan and probably a lot more flattering too. It’s an investment at around about £180 (with formula starter kit) and you can find it online or at Selfridges.

Thank you very much to Henrietta for testing out this new hair duo targeted to those with afro, ethnic or coarse hair.

The Philip Kingsley Moisture Extreme shampoo and conditioner duo was made specifically for all types of ethnic and very coarse hair such as afro hair which needs a lot more moisture than usual due to the texture of the hair. Philip Kingsley is a Trichological expert with 55 years experience and have now developed the Moisture Extreme duo based on this expertise. “Ethnic hair types in particular often lack stretchability due to the low moisture content, which to a great extent controls elasticity (dried out hair for example will break more easily). Moisture Extreme was developed to force moisture into the hair shaft to reduce breakage and protect against friction.”

Moisture Extreme Shampoo, £14 - The formula is contains a gentle detergent derived from cocoa butter.

Moisture Extreme Conditioner, £17 – Contains a blend of moisturising ingredients consisting of 4 natural oils Almond, Wheatgerm, Avocado and Babassu which work together to condition the air from the cortex to the
outer layer.

My first thoughts before using the shampoo and conditioner was that there was a lot less product than I am used to for afro hair products however, I did find that once I applied the shampoo to my hair I didn’t need as much. It took me three washes to completely get my hair squeaky clean and I only used small amounts of the shampoo for each wash. I found that my hair felt instantly soft whilst washing and the shampoo had a good lather to it making it easier to wash. After washing I then applied the conditioner quite liberally to my hair making sure every strand got covered and kept it on for approximately 20 minutes for a deep condition. As soon as I rinsed off the conditioner I could immediately feel the difference in my hair, it was a lot softer than it has ever been since I’ve had my hair in its natural state in over a year. I found the blow drying process also a lot easier than normal due to my hair being very soft. I was even told by both my mother and sister that my hair looked and felt very soft.

I can definitely say that since I have stopped processing my hair and now have it in its natural afro state my hair has become a lot drier and I am finding it very difficult to wash and dry. However, with the Moisture Extreme duo I feel that I have found appropriate products to help make my hair more nourished, softer and less dry. I will definitely be using this duo from now on as part of my washing regime and I would also like to try the highly famed Elasticizer Extreme which is a pre-shampoo treatment for ethnic hair.

My only negative about the range is that I would have liked to have had a little more product considering the price.