Giorgio Armani - Cheek Fabric

Giorgio Armani's newly released 'Cheek Fabric', for me, is like no other blusher.

Once you have gotten over the price (an eye-watering £34), it really is a gorgeous product.

The powder is finely milled so its ultra soft. I've gone for the shade 'Skin', which funnily enough, is really like the shade your cheeks go when you blush or have been out in the fresh air, so natural and flattering. Great for when you want to look like you, but a bit better. 'Skin' also has a hint of delicate shimmer, so subtly gives your cheeks an extra glow. Which is why I've got it in preparation for my wedding make-up bag. I wouldn't say its worth £34, because spending that amount on any make-up is hard to justify, but it is rather special. And for me, having it for such a special occasion is worth it. Plus if you time it right when John Lewis and House of Fraser have 10% off beauty you can get it for a little bit cheaper!

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The Perfect Blow Dry

Having long straight hair, I find it quite hard to get a long-lasting volume. I've gone through countless products in the hope for a boucing head of hear, but I've now come across two that may not give sky high volume, but defintely give me hair that extra bit of oompf that it so desparately needs.

First up is Oribe's 'Maxismista Thickening Spray', and for me, it definitely does thicken my hair. It gives it that salon shine and texture, and doesn't make your hair feel greasy no matter how much you spray on. At £25 it itsn't cheap, but it does smell lovely, and if like me, you only make the effort to blow dry your hair properly once a week, its probably going to last a while. I've had mine for coming up for one year, and I'm not even half way.

My latest addition to my collection, is Kerastase's range 'Form Fatale', and it is their 'Styling 'Forme'. This comes as a cream in a tube, and the directions say to use a small amount. I followed this advice and used a large pea sized blob for the first time I used it. This turned out to have fairly no impact whatsoever, nothing more than just a serum effect. However the next time I decided to squeeze a bit more out, maybe three times as much, and this time I really could feel the product working. You have to make sure its evenly spread through the hair (I do this with a comb). I find this really good to use when I'm wanting to curl my hair with a curling tong afterwards, it seems to take hold alot easier. Both products are very similar in how they make your hair feel - salon sleek and fresh, it doesn't add to the grease-factor which I think is a great help! This retails at around £15, so cheaper, but I think I'm going to get through it a bit quicker from having to use so much product each time. So girls with shorter hair, this might be the product for you.

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Is Brown the new Black?

As we're starting to get into the summer months, I think its nice to change from the usual routine black eyeliner, to a softer look using a brown eyeline. This one from No7, is great because its got its own smudging tip, for softening a harsh line and creating a fresh natural look. Great for when you don't have long to put your make-up on, on when you're going to be spending the day in the sunhine and want a little bit of definition but nothing too heavy.

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Lovely Lipgloss

A girl can never have too many lip glosses, and here is another one I would definitely recommend to add to your collection!

Maybelline's Color Sensational Shine Gloss is everything you could wish for from a drug-store lip-gloss; a great range of shades, fairly long lasting, acceptable fragrance and not too sticky!

I went for 'Cashmere Rose', which is a great every day shade, and also looks really good if you want to add an extra kick to a pink lipstick.

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Felt-tip Liner

I've always loved liquid liner and gel-liner, but its taken me a long time to buy into the 'felt-tip' liner scene.

Within the space of about a month, I know own two. One black, one blue, both by Eyeko. If you're looking for fast, accurate eye-liner application, I would definitely recommend these. They are incredibly long lasting, and once you get the knack of them, very easy to apply. One thing I would say though, if you are right handed like me - for some reaso, I find the application on the right eye a lot harder! Something to do with the angle of the pen, but I can work round it.

And if you're looking for something with a bit of pop, especially for spring/summer, I would definitely recommend the blue, paired with natural eyeshadow and pink lip gloss. Its not overtly blue, and is a great alternative to black.

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Simple Toner

I don't think the brand 'Simple' gets enough credit for being affordable, gentle skin-care. I have used their products for years, as I find that heavily perfumed products can give me an allergic reaction, and Simple is so gentle and mild on the skin. I use their Light moisturiser and Cleanser regularly, but today, the Toner is getting the honourable mention.

After I've removed my makeup and washed my face, I dampen a cotton wool pad with the Simple Toner and wipe it all over my face. Its gives the perfect finishing touch to your evening routine - knowing that I've got every last scrap of make-up off my face and leaves it feeling incredibly clean and not at all tight. I know there are a lot of expensive toners out there, but I really can't fault this. And at around £3 bottle (which is regularly on offer), its a complete bargain!

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Face/Eyes/Lips Compact

Nars have quite a few cult products, so when they combined their famous bronzer, blusher and lipgloss in one handy sized compact, along with three eyeshadows in very useful shades, I couldn't resist! The mirror inside is pretty decent too.

Nars 'Crime of Passion' Palette

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