Recently, I dabbled in the world of internet dating. Honest opinions? I hated it. I didn’t like the profile requirements, the demands that people made about what they were looking for and the blatant judging of books by their covers – even I was guilty of this.

But it got me thinking… we judge everything by its cover don’t we? The food we buy, the food we eat, the people we talk to, the holidays we take, and of course the cosmetics we choose to slather on our skin – if it looks enticing, we’re much more likely to buy them.

I think it was my profile that let me down on the dating website to be honest. I didn’t really take it seriously, and I think my lack of enthusiasm for the whole thing showed a little more than it should have done. But how do you really know if your compatible for someone just by what you read? How do you know if you’re going to be a good match? You just have to try it and see…

And the same is definitely true when it comes to trying out make-up. So here, I’ve set up the Deafinitely Girly Make-up Dating Agency and here’s what happened when I went on two Maybelline dates – one with Falsies Black Drama Mascara, and one with The Eraser Foundation.

So what’s my profile like? Let’s have a look:

As you can see, what I really want it to be happy with my reflection and for it to be easy to take my make-up off at night – so I don’t want mascara that glues itself to my eyelashes or foundation that turns to cement after application.

So, my first date was with Falsies Black Drama Mascara, and at first glance, I thought it had potential.

I liked the colour of the bottle, shape of the brush and its promises of false lash effect lashes with no gaps!

On our first date, I was very impressed. The brush was relatively clog free, it went on easily and it passed the 1-hour blink test that proves it is contact-lens friendly. What’s more, at the end of the night, it came off with ease, and left me to sleep in peace!!!!

But, it did let me down in the evening, as it appeared to flake off, scattering my cheeks with a fine black veil of dust. It wasn’t a great look, especially as I didn’t notice until halfway through dinner with a friend when I popped to the ladies.

I do however believe in second chances though, so I invited it on a second date. But still, it insisted on flaking out on me. And that was that, it was dumped.

Not one to dwell on failures, I moved on to Maybelline Eraser Foundation.

This promised me a concentrated formula enriched with collagen and goji berries, plus SPF 18 sun protection. Further reading revealed that it goes beyond covering, erasing the look of dark circles fine lines and imperfections for ultimate flawless perfection.

A perfect date? Could such a thing exist?

And you know what ladies? It does!

Seriously, I am in love with this foundation.

Having never believed before that I could achieve that ‘flawless’ look, I was quite nervous about trying it. But the applicator makes it so easy, and it’s gentle enough that you can even use if under your eyes if you’re careful.

While I wouldn’t wear this for everyday, it’s perfect for a night out. It gives you a dewy complexion but with the coverage you’d expect from a heavier matte foundation. It goes on with ease and is easy to blend with your fingertips once you’ve applied the basics with the applicator.

We had a great first date, an amazing second and after the third, we were in a serious relationship.

Even better, right now it’s on offer with other Maybelline products for 3 for 2 at Superdrug.com – so if you team it with your other Maybelline products, you really will have a bargain on your hands.

So, internet dating might not work for me, but make-up dating definitely does. And while my man future might be looking quiet, my future with Maybelline Eraser Foundation is looking very positive indeed!

I have a little bathroom.

When I say little, I mean really little. When buying a flat in London, a big bathroom is rarely an essential criteria so when I saw my lovely little flat with it’s big spacious rooms – but with a bathroom you couldn’t swing a hamster in – I decided that it really wasn’t a big deal.

For this reason, I don’t normally buy TRESemmé in the bottle sizes that the lovely Superdrug kindly sent to me. TRESemmé bottles make me feel like I’m in Land of the Giants at the best of times, but trying to get them in my bathroom is a whole other challenge all together.

TRESemmé’s new Naturals range consists of everything you need for good hair days whether or not you’ve had time to wash your hair. So first, it was time to try out the giant bottles – the Naturals Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner and the Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner, all £5.50 each, so I shoehorned myself – with the bottles – into my tiny washroom and set to work.

OK, so initial reactions – not overly impressed. The shampoo is good, but I found the conditioner – in both the Moisture and the Smooth to be clingy. It was so hard to wash out. But on second wash – and being aware of this – it went better, although my shower was 10 minutes longer.

But I’m still not convinced – perhaps it’s not right for my hair type – but I didn’t get that silky smooth feeling I get with TRESemmé Colour Thrive Blonde (my favourite shampoo and conditioner) and I felt the need to smother my hair with leave-in conditioner afterwards.

After a week of using the TRESemmé Naturals Shampoos and Conditioners, my hair looked kind of fuzzy and dull. Not really what I was hoping for. However, that really is just my opinion. And not everyone has the same hair type. So in the interest of fairness, I shoehorned myself – along with the gigantic bottles – out of my bathroom and gave them to London Aunt who has a fabulous bathroom you could swing several cats in.

And her feedback? She loves them all and thinks  they’re great. Perfect.

So there you go! Two sides to every story.

What I can wholeheartedly recommend, however, is the styling products in the Naturals and Instant Refresh range. The Instant Refresh Waterless Foam Shampoo and Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo – both £4.38 – are both fabulous for the lazy lady, and the Naturals Lightweight Mousse, £5.50, left my hair easy to style and actually kept it there.

So from now on, I shall be combining the Naturals and Fresh Start styling products with my usual TRESemmé Colour Thrive Blonde shampoo and conditioner. I reckon they’ll be a match made in heaven and ensure 2011 is a good hair year!

OK, so I know that there’s a wider message to Christmas than just consumerism, and I do that as well, but let’s just say, if you’re going to give presents, you may as well do it properly. Not just some hastily wrapped socks, last-minute bought chocolates or something you got last year but didn’t want.

And honestly, for the women on my Christmas shopping list, Superdrug really is a great place to get everything I need. It’s a one-stop shop of pampering goodness, amazing accessories and things you never you needed but that somehow are a great addition to life now they are here.

So let’s look at what’s on offer this Christmas… and what I think of it!

Thai Spa Weekender Bag Collection

First up, and this one’s a bit of a scene stealer, is the Thai Spa Weekender Bag Collection, £9.99. The bag is enough to get me ‘Ooh-ing and aah-ing’ – an ideal size for all those travel minis, even with the three included. And what is included? Well there’s the fragrant smelling Lotus Flower & Orchid Calming Salt Soak – just the thing for the sometimes stressful festive period; the Heavenly Foam Bath, which is honestly heavenly and leaves you skin smelling gorgeous, and finally the Replenishing Body Lotion, which has you smelling lushious even when you haven’t had a bath. The perfect finishing touch is the cute mini bath poof thingy – never have I seen one so small before.

So that’s my first Christmas gift to myself sorted…

What’s next?

Leafy & Lovely Fresh Garden Scented Body Treats basket

Next up is another perfectly packaged gift – the Leafy & Lovely Fresh Garden Scented Body Treats basket, now £4.99 reduced from £6.99. In it is a Reviving Body Wash – ideal for perking up on Boxing Day after all the indulgence; a Soothing Body Lotion – for when the battle for the TV remote gets too much; and a tub of Relaxing Body Soak – one for the New Year after the shock of going back to work sets in. Finally included is a soft white flannel, and of course the basket is ideal for storing it all in neatly on your bathroom shelf.

So that’s my second Christmas gift to myself sorted…

Next?

Gorgeous goodies from the Flutter range

Well the Flutter range has a great selection of gifts and accessories just calling out to you from the Superdrug ailes. My particular fave is the Mini Manicure Case, £3.99, featuring everything you need to get those nails looking gorgeous whether you’re at home or away. Then there’s the matching Nail File Trio, available in store, which is ideal for popping in your handbag for keeping your nails in check at Christmas and New Year parties. And finally, there’s the adorable Butterfly Bag Charm, £3.99 – gorgeous and frivolous and exactly what a present should be.

So, that’s my third, fourth and fifth Christmas gifts to myself sorted.

And finally?

Colourworks Compact

Well, there’s the Colourworks range – and I particularly like the Gem Heart Compact Mirror, £3.99. Snazzy in black, but available in three other jewel colours, it’s ideal for the smallest bag, the wildest party and even plucking your eyebrows at home. A multi-tasking present if ever I saw one, and a perfect sixth Christmas present for myself!

What a wonderful, wonderful Christmas I will be having! Teehee!

Ooh, and if you do decide to do all your Christmas shopping at Superdrug, don’t forget that it’s three for the price of two. So that’s two gifts for the peeps on your Christmas list, and a free one for you!

It’s a win/win situation really, isn’t it?

Happy Christmas everyone!

Love DG

xx

One of my main wishes when it comes to perfecting my party look is that I can have beautiful nails all night, and the next day, when taking nail polish off is the last thing on my mind.

I also want something that goes on easily the night before, dries quickly, so I don’t smudge it in my sleep, and survives my morning shower.

That’s quite a wish list and if a nail polish doesn’t meet my expectations? Well that’s it for me, I will never use it again.

So when a bag of MeMeMe Long Lasting Gloss nail polishes arrived addressed to Deafinitely Girly, I was nervous and excited to get started with them.

The shades Superdrug has treated me too are great – an ideal mix of day to night colours with a zingy pink thrown in for good measure.

I immediately tried the dark purple shade, called Indulgent and was impressed by the wide brush. The shape means you can apply polish to the entire nail with one brush stroke. It goes on evenly and there’s no streaking. I also liked that you could actually get away with one coat only, while two coats gave a high gloss finish.

This was the shade I decided to wear to my work Christmas party. It took place at the end of the working day, which meant I had to make sure that it lasted from the night before to the morning after.

And, apart from one small chip on the tip of my left index finger nail, I’m pleased to report this polish lasted two days before I needed to remove it. And then? Even better news, it came off really easily – a rarity with dark coloured nail polishes – and I only needed to use one cotton wool pad.

So what of the other colours? Well, my favourite has to be a shade called Demure, which is a sort of mink colour and actually makes my hands look sophisticated.

I am wearing this today, and I have a date, so hopefully the gorgeous guy I am meeting will think I am demure, too!

Well, I won’t tell him if you don’t!

DG x

PS. I’m sure you’ve all met Helen, the new blogger here - her amazing post on Radiance did have me giggling – she always looks radiant, even after running around after her three fabulous children. She’s one of my best friends don’t you know, so look out for her on my day blog at Deafinitelygirly.com.

I don’t know about you, but I look rubbish at the gym… or in fact whenever I do exercise. But inspired by my glamorous instructor, I decided to see if I could look glamorous during a workout at the gym.

And so, I decided to put Lipcote to the test and challenge it to keep me looking glamorous through my favourite fitness class of the week: Zumba!

So, let’s see how I got on…

Oop and sorry, there are no photos of me, as I’m sure you’ll remember from my last make-up looks post HERE, that being an anonymous blogger, the photographic me doesn’t have a body, which is not very useful when it comes to going to the gym!

So, braving the very red Velvet Touch GOSH lipstick in Hot’N Sweet, currently £5.29, that the peeps at Superdrug sent me, plus the lip liner in Auburn Twist, £5, I set to work perfecting my look.

First I followed Lipcote’s 7 simple steps to create the perfect pout. I exfoiliated my lips with a dry soft toothbrush, rubbed on a little lip balm, applied my lip liner, which was a doddle once I’d steadied my hand, and brushed the lip stick over my lips using a lip brush – it went on smoothly, too.

I then pouted, daaaarhhhling, blotted and added some more lipstick for good measure.

Oh, boy!

The finishing touch was of course the Lipcote – a product, which hasn’t graced my lips since my teens. So it was with something of a nostalgic sigh that I tore open the packaging and greeted my old friend.

So was it like I remembered? Well, it went on easily, didn’t taste too bad but oh my, does it tingle! So much so, that I started to pout – that’s gotta be a good thing, no?

And so, gym kit on, hair up, lips er… red – I was ready to go.

On emerging from the changing room, Gym Buddy did a double take at my new look and burst out laughing – apparently I wasn’t glamorous, I was humorous.

But in the name of research, I was determined to see how Lipcote fared being put through the sweaty, face-wiping paces of a Zumba class!

Ten minutes in, I gulped some water – trace of lipstick around rim of bottle?

Minimal

Twenty minutes in, I grabbed a tissue and wiped down my face, trying hard to avoid my lips – trace of lipstick on tissue?

Minimal

Forty minutes in, and nearing the cool down, I plucked up the courage to check myself out in the mirror, and sure enough me and my bright red lips stared back. They were still there!

And did I look glamorous?

Well no! My hair had gone frizzy, my mascara had run, my foundation had streaked from the sweat and I was BRIGHT RED! But at least my face matched my lips, which has gotta be something right?

And so, to conclude? Nothing will make me look glamorous down the gym. Glamorous down the pub however? Well, Lipcote has just become my new best friend! And, according to Lipcote.com, you can burn 26 calories in just a one-minute kiss – and if that’s not a good enough excuse to ditch the gym, I don’t know what is!

• Lipcote costs just £2.99 from Superdrug.com, so what are you waiting for!

Everyone’s heard of Superdrug, right?

It’s certainly been a staple part of my shopping experience since I was in my teens – from Collection 2000 and Exclamation body spray in year 9 to miniature perfumes and Oxy cleanser in year 10.

So here’s the thing, what about the people who are too young to have really heard about Superdrug yet? What if I could get to them, before say, Boots did?

Then I would be creating a loyal breed of consumers, just ready and waiting to shop ’til they dropped…

And so that’s what I decided to do.

RAISING MONEY

Calling on four of the fabbest girls I know – the ‘Fab Four’ – I invited them, and a host of other people, to a Superdrugloves.com Blog Benefit Sale in aid of UNICEF’s Pakistan flood relief fund. 

I’ve been trying to think up a way to raise money for Pakistan since the flooding happened and UNICEF’s appeal really struck a chord with me as it looks after children, who often cannot look after themselves. I thought if we could make the even the tiniest difference, then that had to be better than nothing, right?

And now, about the girls – all gorgeous, and all beginners with the concept of make-up, facemasks and other such girly things. And quite rightly so, because they’re all under 12.

However, there’s nothing to say that in applying make-up they have to end up looking like baby beauty queens. I wanted them to explore, have fun, spray things, spritz things, paint things and
enjoy themselves so that when they are finally old enough to think about make-up and beauty stuff seriously, they’ll think of Superdrug.

So, let’s get to it shall we.

THE SALE

Included in the sale were all the fabulous goodies sent to me in my last brown paper package tied up with string, minus the shampoos and conditioners from the Scandalous range because, honestly, I was desperate to try them out myself – a review of which will feature later this week.

Also included in the sale, was a collection of things from Superdrug that I had stored carefully after the initial testing, plus a few little bits and bobs I’d bought for the occasion.

And, just so I could keep track of everything, and also find out a little bit about my consumers, everyone had to fill in a questionnaire relating to Superdrug and the sale.

LONDON COUSIN 1

First up, was London Cousin 1. She’s 10 and on the Superdrug Blog Benefit Questionnaire listed her staple beauty brands as TRESemmé and Pantene. She pounced on the Barry M Emerald Green nail polish, listing her reason for buying it as, ‘I loved the vibrant green – it’s so cool!’

LONDON COUSIN 2

London Cousin 2, who’s 8, has never shopped at Superdrug, and listed Colgate toothpaste as her beauty staple! Teehee! When she’s older I’m going to teach her how brilliant that is for spots as well as teeth, but in the meantime, she was much too interested in the 2True Glitter Mascara, and a face pack…

MINI BLANCO

Then, there was Mini Blanco – she’s 10 and likes Pantene, but soon declared that she’s moving onto bigger and better things with the Superdrug’s new Scandalous range – she pocketed the Intensively Glossy Rescue Treatment because she loved the smell of it and as her hair was always knotty this might solve the problem. She also enthusiastically got to grips with the Barry M Glitter Lashes (available in store), which she thought was, ‘funky and cool’. She then stumbled across a face mask, which for some reason became her foundation! Perhaps the most enthusiastic of my Superdrug Protégés, this was her finished look!

MIDI BLANCO

And the final member of the Fab Four was Midi Blanco. She was a (shhhh) Natural Collection fan, but I soon changed that! Keen to make sure her money was well spent, she tried out five different nail polishes before choosing the Revlon Nail Enamel in Red Hot Tamale because it looked the smoothest. She also chose the Revlon Va Va Violet Super Lustrous Lipstick because, she said, ‘It looked surprisingly good on me!’ So that’s that then – move over Natural Collection, Revlon’s here!

Honestly, my four Superdrug protégés took to the task with more enthusiasm than I could ever have imagined. They backcombed and set their hair in place with Scandalous Flaunt It Firm Hold Hair Spray, they applied face masks and eye shadow and bright red lipsticks with glee, and they discovered the art of applying mascara and nail polish with care so that it didn’t go everywhere – well almost everywhere.

SPREADING THE WORD

And then, they declared, they wanted to take the campaign to the streets. Spread the word about Deafinitely Girly and Superdrug, and show off their new looks.

And so, we did.

Armed with my advertising board, and with Maxi Blanco filming, we hit the main road near the sale venue and what fun the Fab Four had.

‘Shop at Superdrug,’ they told passers-by, grinning with enthusiasm. At one point they actually stopped traffic, which they then used as an opportunity to spread the word even more.

It was amazing. I had succeeded in finding Superdrug’s future customers today, and I had raised a total of £75 for UNICEF!

And, so long as Superdrug has plenty of hair spray, glittery things and nail polish, these four are going to be very happy customers!

Look out Superdrug, they’re on their way…

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

*Special thanks go to London Aunt, Mrs Blanco, Riddles of Mind and Danish Pastry for their amazing enthusiasm on the day, too! Mainly Clarins fans, I had them ooohing and aahing at the new Scandalous Haircare range, fighting over GOSH Velvet Touch Foundation Primer, Superdrug Mango & Papaya Body Polish,  and Superdrug Cocoa Butter Body Butter, and enthusing about T-Zone’s Instant Action Spot Zapping Stick and Instant Fix 6 Nose Strips, the latter of which, I’m afraid I won the fight for, as I had been wanting to try them for ages! And of course, let’s not forget the wonderful Maxi Blanco who was a brilliant help – she’s 14, and went away with the biggest beauty bag out of everyone. Originally an ‘occasional’ shopper at Superdrug, she’s now a fan of the 2True make-up range, the Scandalous Haircare range and the Vitamin E Illuminating Cream.

Welcome to Deafinitely Girly’s first ever Beauty Awards!

When I started on this journey with Superdrug over one year ago, I never imagined I would get to try out so many fantastic products, have so many amazing experiences and meet (cyberly) so many fantastic people.

But now, with a year of trying things under my belt, of going back to products I trialled for a week and trying them again, and of consistent usage of some things, what products have made the cut in DG’s Beauty Awards?

HAIRCARE

Best Shampoo: John Frieda Go Blonder, £4.79 (3 for £10)  I loved this shampoo. It made my hair feel glossy and brighter and I had plenty of compliments when using it, too.

 Best Conditioner: John Frieda Go Blonder £4.79 (3 for £10)  This conditioner was the perfect partner to the shampoo and I like them both so much I have treated myself to the miniature versions so that I can use them even when I am away.

Both Go Blonder products were written about HERE

Best Styling Product: GOSH Salt Of Mine Wet ‘N Dry Saltwater Spray, £4.39, available in store This fab product gives you that beach-babe look without having to set foot in the sea! Great for festival chic, this has been a summer staple of mine, and it’s particularly useful for rescuing me from those bad hair days.

DG’s Special Award: Batiste Dry Shampoo, £2.09 A must after the gym or just for reviving tired hair before a night out. The entire range smells great and my brunette friends love the coloured version, too. I first wrote about it HERE

SKINCARE

Best Facial Moisturiser: L’Oreal Youth Code REJUVENATING ANTI-WRINKLE DAY CREAM, £9.99 First written about HERE, this is now a beauty cupboard staple for me – having used it constantly since Superdrug sent it to me first time around, I love the way it keeps my skin soft but doesn’t clog it and lead to breakouts.

Best Cleanser: L’Oreal Perfect Clean Refreshing Foaming Gel Wash, £3.99 I am actually on my second bottle of this amazing face wash. I was sceptical about the ‘scrublet’ at first, thinking it was a gimmick, but it really does leave your face feeling super clean but without that tight, dryness often associated with face washes. See what I originally thought, HERE!

BODYCARE

Best Moisturiser: Nivea Body Good-Bye Cellulite Smoothing Gel-Cream, £9.99 I will love my legs! That is my daily mantra, and has been since I originally wrote about this cream HERE. Nivea Good-Bye Cellulite makes it much easier for me to do just that!

Best Fake Tan: Sublime Bronze Pro Spray 150ML Light, £10.99 Not a sun worshipper, this saves the day and prevents people from exclaiming, ‘Oooh, well you can’t have been on holiday this summer, can you?’ while eyeing up my English rose complexion!

DG’s Bargain Choice: Into Glamour Impulse fragrance, £1.79 My blast from the past, first reviewed HERE, I keep a can of this in my gym bag and desk drawer for those erm… ‘smell nice’ emergencies!

NAILCARE

Best Nail Polish: 2true range, £1.95 each or 3 for £5 At 3 for £5 what’s not to love. Colour goes on evenly and stays on. A great-value product with professional results. See my original chatter about 2true HERE

Best Nail Polish Remover: Bourjois Gentle Nail Enamel Remover – available in store I got this last year from London Fashion Week – and originally wrote about it HERE. I love this product and have actually just run out, so it’s on my next Superdrug Shopping List. It literally causes nail polish to vanish and doesn’t leave nails chalky white as other brands can.

MAKE-UP

Best Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, £9.99 In a nutshell, this smells great, looks great and gets me lots of compliments! See it in action HERE!

Best Bronzer: Bourjois Bronzing Powder, £6.99 All of the above and ideal of chocolate fans

Best Blusher: Bourjois Pastel Joues Blusher, £6.99 Another winner from Bourjois, this is the perfect finishing touch to the foundation and bronzer.

Best Eye Shadow: Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour Eye Shadow Quad Sultry Smoke, £7.99 This fabulous shadow kit allows the creation of numerous looks and can be blended, shaded, used as a liner or mixed and matched with other Revlon Shades – a truly versatile addition to the make-up bag that was first reviewed HERE!

Best Mascara: L’Oreal’s new Volume Million Lashes, £10.99 Honestly, when I first wrote about this mascara, HERE, I was not overly impressed. But, it’s living proof that first impressions should not always be the only ones. Having gone back to this, it’s now my favourite mascara of the moment.

Best Lipgloss/stick: L’Oreal Glam Shine in Sheer Cassis, £6.99 OK, so I will never look like Cheryl Cole, but I can try with this non-sticky yummy purse-sized gloss! See it on me, HERE!

DG’s Special Award: 2True Make-up range – for brilliant choice and up-to-date trends at budget-friendly prices. Love it all! Want it all! Have possibly bought it all!

Best External Brand at Superdrug: L’Oreal Throughout my time at Superdrug, new L’Oreal products have continued to impress me. I’m excited to see what’s next for this company…

And that’s it for my yearly review! It’s been an amazing journey so far… thank you Superdrug.

London Cousins 1 is growing up FAST!

She turns 10 soon, which is weird because when she was born, I was already a grown up! I could drive, was at uni and everything.

And now, 10 years later, I still feel exactly the same, only with a few more wrinkles and more bills to pay, and yet she’s gone from being a screaming bundle of baby to this walking, talking, pretty, eloquent 10 year old!!

She’s at that stage now, where she’s still happy climbing up trees but is also intrigued by girly things like clothes and sparkly stuff.

So who better to give the Colourworks Giant Gem keyring and heart compact mirror?!

It’s girly enough that she’ll be thrilled with it, but make-up free, too, so London Aunt won’t get mad at me.

The Colourworks range at Superdrug is great for all ages though. As you know i’ve already got the lip glosses reserved for my girly mates and now, I’ve got London Cousin 1 sorted, too.

Perhaps I should see if I can get something from the Colourworks range for all the women in my family.

Wonder what my Grandma would like…?

Slowly but surely the days are getting shorter. The sun is rising later and the sun is setting earlier.

It’s a constant reminder that summer will soon be gone.

But last night after I finished work after a particularly busy day, the sun was shining. It was gorgeous out. So I went walking in London, which is one of my favourite things.

There’s a fantastic website if you wanna go walking in cities called Walkit.com – in a click of a button it works out short and long routes for you – tells you how long it will take depending on your speed and also tells you how many calories you’ve burnt.

Anyway, one of the best things about being deaf is that I notice so much more with my eyes. I have a photographic memory, and in the same way that hearing people eavesdrop, I am incredibly nosey, looking in windows here, cars there, into little courtyard gardens, mews streets – I want to know what’s round every corner, what’s behind every door, what each person’s secret is.

So walking around London is nothing but a visual treat for me. A veritable feast of things to see, windows to look in, and people to watch.

On my walk tonight I saw, a woman in full gypsy costume, two Buddhist monks, a matt black Rolls Royce with a guy behind the wheel who didn’t even look old enough to shave, let alone drive, and a woman who seemed to be in love with a guy she was giving directions to.

It was like watching a scene unfold from a Richard Curtis movie, and I stood a while lipreading them, being nosey.

 And this is where my journey took me…

 The infamous Abercrombie and Fitch, which is normally surrounded by hoards of girls and their mums buying for England.

Chanel… darlink!

The Royal Arcade – one of my favourites…

A very pretty pavement

The Ritz – ooh la-la

A crossing for horses with a button about 6ft up the traffic light post.

The snazzy windows of Harvey Nicks

The poshest fire station I’ve ever seen.

A haven of green!

Imaginative advertising

The prettiest shop front I’ve ever seen – Butler and Wilson.

I snapped away so much that I wore down my phone battery, so that was the end of that. But still I wandered, along the windy streets until finally I got home.

 In time for tea with Miss K and the Penelope Cruz movie – Volver – on TV.

 This black comedy was just the mindless entertainment I needed – and the best bit… it was in Spanish so that meant it was already subtitled!!

OK – so when a big box in gold paper arrived addressed to Deafinitely Girly,
I ripped away the paper with the excitement of a toddler high on sugar at a birthday party.

 And, I was not disappointed.

 There, inside the box was another box – and in that box was girly heaven:

 MAKE-UP!

 *grin

 Now, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a girly girl. I’ve always been a girly girl. I like pink – even when it was uncool to like pink – in year 9 – I liked pink. So make-up is one of my favourite things – along with raindrops on roses and whiskers on…

 Right, anyway, where was I?

Ah yes – and alongside the big shiny silver box containing the make-up was the latest issue of Marie Claire.

Together that makes a perfect girly day.

So round to London Aunt’s I went, where French Aunt was also – she’s visiting right now you see – and with a pre-dinner drink, and to the dulcet sounds of London Cousins 1 and 2 on SingStar, we had a flick through the mag.

It’s an all-in-one meaty read and visual feast, and more than answered my questions of what it thinks people should be wearing, reading, cooking and thinking next season. But being an impulsive kind of shopper, it all felt a bit wintery for me – I’m still in maxi-dress mode – so I have decided to put it away for now and have a read once the sun stops shining, which is most likely to be next week.

*sniff

Revlon’s make-up however, posed me no such challenge. This delectable collection of eye shadows, lip sticks and glosses, nail varnishes, and foundation had my multinational Aunts battling for mirror space, while I took notes of their comments and tried a few looks out myself.

Admittedly the smoky-eyed look – à la Eva Mendes on the cover of Marie Claire – I was going for, was more Morticia Adams than sultry-sexy, but hey, practice makes perfect!

 We then had great fun with trying out the nail polish in a summery location – all zingy and fresh…

And here’s what I thought of everything!

NAIL ENAMEL in Red Hot Tamale (085), Tropical Temptation (093), and Plum Seduction (097)

My testers said ‘Great colour and finish but it’s quite hard to remove.’

‘A great range of colours that are all ideal for complementing that summer tan’

My verdict Go for salon application and start a bit away from your cuticles so when removed there’s none left behind.

COLORSTAY 12 HOUR EYE SHADOW in Sultry Smoke and Blushed Wines

My testers said ‘A good choice of shades within each palate and easy to apply. At the end of the night though, it’s quite hard to remove… but I guess that means the 12-hour bit is true’

‘Apply with care of you can end up looking like Morticia Adams after an all-night rave’

My verdict ‘Erm, it was me that ended up looking like Morticia – I was overwhelmed by the shades and wanted to try them all. Apply with care to avoid the total panda-eyed look!’

We also tried: Revlon Matte eye shadow in Vintage lace, which is a neutral base colour, ideal on its own for that minimalist look, or blended with warm tones.

Blackest Black 3D Extreme Mascara

My testers said ‘Wow! As someone with sensitive eyes, I expected them to start itching soon after application, but they’re fine.’

‘I feel as though I’ve got fake lashes on – I can’t believe how much body my lashes have.’

My verdict ‘When you have Cat-from-Shrek eyes like me, making them stand out even more isn’t always a good idea, but this mascara adds body to your lashes rather than just length so you get a more balanced look.’

Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup SPF15

My testers said ‘So natural looking yet hides all flaws – better than Armani’

‘Perfect for day wear and night and I like the built-in SPF protection’

My verdict ‘Someone commented on how healthy I looked! Definitely one for the trolley, dolly’

Matte lipstick in Pink Pout (002) and Mauve It Over (003)

My testers said ‘Even as a non-lipstick wearer I like this product. There’s no stickiness and it feels smudgeproof, too’

‘Lipstick ain’t my bag but the shades are delicious.’

My verdict ‘An ideal lipstick for beginners. Shades are sophisticated and sleek and promise to enhance not dominate your face.’

ColourStay Ultimate Lipcolor in Best Bubbly and Nude

My testers said ‘Feels like velvet to apply and dries quickly. It stayed on for the duration of dinner and there was no telltale mark on my wine glass’

‘It feels nice at first but after a while my lips started to feel quite dry and stiff – almost as though I had sticky tape on them’

My verdict The sensation may take some getting used to but the colour and finish look great.

Phew! and after all that – we got down to the important task of enjoying an afternoon in the sun!