Wednesday 11 January 2012

"Beauty Steals"-cheaper beauty secrets shared

I came across this wonderful little book at work and I can see it becoming indispensable.

The purpose of this book was to test cheaper, everyday beauty products to find the best ones for those who cannot afford to spend £100 on conditioner (yes, there really is a conditioner which costs that much). The experts in the book claim many of the high-scoring products are as good as their significantly more expensive siblings. I do not really follow trends or read reviews on beauty products so it's an area in which my knowledge is quite limited. My purchases are usually dictated by a Boot's No.7 voucher or sale. (I once treated myself to a Yves Saint Laurent red lipstick...but that's the most extravagant I've ever been . I've never had the courage to wear it either sadly). The products in the book have been tested by a panel of 'normal' women who have then rated the product out of 10. The price limit is £10 (with many products a lot under that of course) with the exception of anti-ageing and anti-cellulite creams for which the limit is £20.

As I don't have the money to spend on expensive make up and creams and lack the enthusiasm to do my own research, I really like that this book simply lists the top 3-5 products in each group. Amongst the products tested are: mascaras, anti-aging cream, conditioner, compact foundation, eyeliner, hair masks, facial toners and self tanning lotions. Here are a few high-scoring tips from the book:

BEST MASCARA- Maybelline Define-A-Lash (the iconic green tube really is *that* good apparently!)

'MIRACLE' ANTI-AGING CREAM-L'Oreal Derma Genesis Cellular-Youth Nurturing Night Cream (I checked the price in Boots today. It's currently £16.99 but I've seen it on special offer before. Still...£17 for a miracle is a bargain!)

POWDER EYE SHADOW-Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Dramatic Minerals Eyeshadow (100% oil/talc/paraben free. Instead it uses ingredients such as Shea butter, camomile and antioxidant vitamins).

EYELINER- Barbara Daly Make-up for Tesco Eye Pencil.

EYELASH CURLERS-Tweezerman (no surprises here!).

The hair care categories are dominated by Louise and Daniel Galvin products (Daniel was hair colourist to the late Princess Diana).

I'm definitely using this book to buy my next lot of beauty products. The anti-aging reviews are particular useful. Even just hitting 30 has meant a noticeable change to my skin. There's such a bewildering array of face creams I wouldn't know where to start. I'm currently using Evening Primrose Oil night cream which cost £1 from my local chemist. It smells lovely but is it time to start taking more care of myself?

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