John Frieda Luxurious Volume 7 Day Volume Treatment

India Knight recommended this a while ago in her Sunday Times beauty column. It was sold out for ages in the various Boots I went into which intrigued me. When it finally was back in stock, I bought a bottle.

Now then, I don't have fine hair but I figured, neither does India. Her father is Indian and (sweeping generalisation coming up) Indians have sumptuous hair. Thick and lustrous. She raved about this saying it just made her hair better. Who doesn't want better hair?

I've held back from sharing my thoughts on this as I wanted to give it a good go. So three applications in (you're only meant to use it every 3-4 washes) and my verdict is ready. It works. It's a bit strange, it feels odd when you put it on, a bit like plastic. You leave it in for 3-5 mins (which is a bore when you are in the shower but I use that time to exfoliate properly) and then rinse out. When you first blow dry your hair, you see no difference whatsoever. But the next day, I definitely saw a more volume. It somehow makes my hair easier to manage while adding subtle volume.

It's £9.99 surely it's worth a shot at that price? It's not going to change your life like a Parlux hairdryer but I plan to keep using it.

A Saturday shop

I met an old friend for a spot of lunch and shopping yesterday. She loves make-up counters almost as much as I do. We had a very pleasant time in Richmond House of Fraser and I treated myself to two new pretties.

There is always the perfect eyeliner out there and I may have found it. Dior Pro Liner. Look at the shape of it. It glides on like a dream (on the back of my hand) and it's the perfect green. I tried to resist, I really did but I wanted it.

I did my nails on Friday with one of my YSL colours and remembered why I like it so much. It's such a doddle to apply. Summer is here and a new bright colour is important to survival, I am sure you'll all agree, so I splashed out on this lovely coral.

I managed to resist a new Diptyque candle in SpaceNK so actually I saved money.

Soap & Glory Ultimelt cleanser


The flannel cleansing method is sweeping the nation and with good reason. It removes make-up, exfoliates gently and is immensely satisfying. Our grandmothers were right about flannels! All this muslin cloth nonsense that Eve Lom and Liz Earle recommend is very annoying. I bought a job lot of white flannels from Amazon and bob is my uncle.

It's with sadness I report that Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish is not 100% right for me. I adore the scent but I have noticed it makes me a little red. It has a lot of essential oil in it. Much dejected, I spotted this in Boots and thought I'd try it. It's £10 and it's really rather marvellous. No discernible scent, incredibly gentle and pleasingly effective. I am impressed. I've been using it for about two weeks now and I think it's a winner. And what a bargain price. Recommended.


Sanctuary Cooling Shower Drench

I am an optimistic soul. I am of the belief that we must be due a hot summer and so as I was browsing Boots, waiting for my train at Waterloo station last week, this caught me eye. Cooling shower drench with watermelon and cucumber extract. It's like summer in a shower and only £7 so naturally I bought it and guess what? Today has been hot and sunny. You're welcome.

What's it like? Cooling, fresh and perfectly lovely for a morning shower to wake you up in the summer months. Delightful.

More Charlotte Tilbury

I decided to try some Charlotte make-up. I bought two products. Firstly, this blusher.

Cheek to Chic in Love Glow. I am disappointed, it's ok but it's quite hard to be subtle with this, it's full on PINK! I feel somewhat of a clown in it. And this is the thing about Charlotte Tilbury, she's like the antithesis of Bobbi Brown. She doesn't do subtle. It's more put your make-up on with a trowel. I read an interview in this month's Red magazine where she said her husband had never seen her without make-up on. That's just sad.

On a brighter note, I also got this:

A 'colour morphing eye shadow pencil' in Amber Haze. This is very nice, easy to work with, a pleasing colour and good lasting power. However, I think there are other eye pencils out there as good and don't cost £19. Sephora do a whole range of them in every colour you can imagine and they are about $12.

So I am underwhelmed. However, as I have said before, she has her marketing nailed. I bought the eye pencil in Leeds and had a lot of fun playing with everything. Her counters are really well thought out.

Eyelash serums and other excitement

It's been a while hasn't it? I'd like to say it's because I have found all my desert island products and have nothing new to...