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!