Toning down bleach blonde hair

Mood-lifter, vitamin D-provider and skin-browner, there's nothing better than a dose of sunshine. And I had days of it during my 9 months in Australia. The natural hair lightening was an added bonus and fairly quikly it had whooshed up from dark blonde to platinum, with just one half-head of highlights hairdressing appointment. Back in the UK though my tan quickly faded and soon those mousy roots were peeking through. 

This blog is about toning down bleach blonde hair, while keeping hold of those natural highlights, to create a multi-tonal effect that looks really natural. 

1. Step 1 - Buying the hair dye

I was really impressed with this dye, mostly because - as you will see below - the colour on the box is almost identical to how it came out on my head! The colour is 7.3 Florida / Honey Blonde and is by L'oreal Preference. It said you can leave on for 30 minutes maximum, but I didn't exceed 20 minutes because my hair was so light I knew it would grab colour easily.

2. Step 2 - Prepping sections

 I divided my hair into three sections to make the dyeing process more manageable. The hair on the top of our heads is the most porous and on most people the lightest, so you want to tackle this section last. The underside of the hair should be darkest so this third should be done first and left on the longest. The hair is tied up to divide between 'roots' and 'ends'. More on that later...

3. Step 3 - All in the timing

I started with loading up colour on the bottom third, but only near the roots to start with. I wanted to keep some of the lightness in my hair and naturally the lightest parts of our hair are the tips (which lighten over time due to the sun). So on each of the three sections I only put the dye on until about half-way down the hair. It's easy to do this on the bottom third and the ponytail/bun on sections 2 and 1 mean you keep the bottom section 'clean' and out the way of the dye. You do the bottom third, then the middle third and then the top third (the half nearest the roots) in that order all within the first ten minutes.

4. Further coverage

In the next ten minutes you take the dye and beginning smoothing out further towards the tips - still keeping some of the areas of hair dry. For the bottom section this is pretty straight forward, but for the middle sections you will need to unfasten the ponytail and bun to get that dye further down the hairshaft. When you massage into the top section (leaving the tips dry) you will look like you are balding. I panicked all my hair was shedding but it was just a rather worrying illusion! This will take another 10 minutes.

5. The last five minutes!
In the last five minutes you take the remaining dye and slowly blend down the hair. You will cover the last cms of the tips seconds before you crank the shower on to shampoo and rinse.

The finished result is a natural look from a dye job to correct a natural lightening which looked like a dye job! God being a girl is complicated. 

As the final pictures illustrates taking the time to divide sections and applying the dye at different times creates lots of different shades - but uses just one simple hair dye. You can also see the sections of hair that have been left until last retain that platinum lightness.

How to beat prickly heat...

It's the scurge of pasty Brits: the minute our bodies are faced with a hot, sunny day the skin becomes red, itchy and inflamed. No one quite knows why some of us get this irritating rash and for me my skin looks exactly the same - no redness - but the itchy sensation keeps me awake at night and I can't stop touching it. Cold showers, calamine and anti-histamines do fuck all. This year I went to palm desert (38 degree heat) expecting the worst, but well prepared for it. 

By doing the below I didn't even feel a prickle...

1. Don't block your pores

They say that prickly heat is caused by blocked sweat glands which leads to the release of histamine and inflammation so first of all i looked at my showering routine. I always use baby oil after showering, which is essentially liquid paraffin. So I decided to switch to a plant based oil. I used The Body Shop's Mango Beautifying Oil on this trip. This sweet smelling oil comes in a handy size for holiday and is now available in 5 further natural flavours. Dr Organic also do a variety of natural oils, such as coconut and argan oil. I started using the oil in the shower about a week before I left and through the trip. From working in healthcare I also know that oats are associated with relieving itching, which i thought might be useful if any itchiness started (it didnt) so I also invested in Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash with oatmeal.

2. Assist your skin with internal antioxidants 

It is generally when your skin is on the cusp of burning that you feel those telltale symptoms coming back. I also know from working on the launch of Colladeen Visage that plant antioxidants can help to tackle the inflammatory response on a cellular level that comes from sun exposure. Colladeen Visage can give the skin an SPF 10 after 12 weeks and SPF 15 after 24 weeks. It literally helps your skin to tolerate sunlight better without burning. I started taking 4 weeks prior to going and I also combined with another potent plant antioxidant beta carotene. This ingredient is found in lots of sunscreens that claim to help you "tan faster" so my theory was if I was tanning quicker I would be spending less time in the sun - and therefore not getting my skin too hot.

3. It's probably your sun cream

I swear I only have to squirt a bit of Nivea sun cream on my chest in the midday sun and the familiar itching fires up. On weekend breaks where I haven't worn sun cream I haven't had any problem, so there must be a reason why. Perhaps these heavy chemical sun creams block the pores? Or maybe it's polymorphic light eruption (PLE) where light and cosmetics can create uncomfortable skin reactions? So I shelled out on some pricey sun cream from The Organic Pharmacy. It was worth it I think and I've ordered another tube. It felt nice every time I applied it: my skin felt soothed not scorched. I went for the SPF 18, but it goes up to 50. As a companion I also bought the tan accelerator - containing our old friend beta carotene, green tea extract (another colladeen visage extract) and other plant nutrients. It comes out brown and glittery. I applied every morning and sometimes doubled it up as an instant tan for legs in the evening. Mix it with foundation for a bronzed face by the pool. I can't praise The Organic Pharmacy sun care range enough to be honest.

4. My body hates me

Another theory, with PLE, is that as the body tans the body thinks the skin cells are a foreign body and start attacking it. This might be why the first exposure to sun gives a bad reaction which lessens as the summer goes on. Severe PLE sufferes have light therapy, but I didn't have access to such high tech facilities. Instead, controversially, I had 3 sunbed sessions - 8 minutes, 10 minutes and 12 minutes - to get my body used to tanning. I wouldn't recommend on a weekly basis but it makes sense to give your skin a little sneak preview of what it will be going through.

And that's it, no burning, no reddening, no itching and no prickling.

Making your highlights last longer...

There's nothing more unsightly than big black tramlines on bright blonde hair 6 weeks after you're appointment at the hairdressers.

If you want to spread out your hair appointments saving you money and the condition of your hair there are a few nifty at-home tricks you could try...

1) Naturatint in Light Dawn Blonde - This mild colourant available from Holland & Barrett has no ammonia, a little bit of Hyrdogen Peroxide and natural extracts to gently lighten hair with minimal damage. Once you mix the colour up apply only to the roots. Then after twenty minutes apply the formula to the rest of the hair for a 'brightening effect'. 

2) John Frieda Sheer Blonde Lightening Spray - This isn't one to use on a daily basis as it does contain Hydrogen Peroxide and a hairdresser friend of mine says it can leave a greenish tinge on very light blonde hair if it's daily. I would advise just using on the roots. Simply spray the product onto wet hair and blow dry.

3) Batiste Dry Shampoo with a hint of colour (blond) - If these products containing 'Hydrogen Peroxide' all seem a bit scary, a simple and temporary measure is this dry shampoo. The lemon coloured powder will disguise roots until you can get to the salon again.

Credit Crunch Cut

 My absolutely pet peeve is long straight hair with no layers cut in. It has absolutely no movement and no volume at the roots. I like to keep the bottom half of my hair quite long (past shoulders) while snipping off the top half of my hair around ear length. This 'mushroom' shape means hair looks big on top and sleek underneath - and can be exaggerated with extra back combing.

Fixing your layers at home can be done surprisingly easily and a professional effect can be created with the help of a hairdressing blade. This sounds like it could end in a bloody mess, but salon suppliers sell blades with plastic handles and you can hold this tool as you might hold a kitchen knife. I have found a really cheap one £1.99 from this direct supplier (picture right).

The blade ensures that the ends are slightly uneven and look more natural than if you cut straight across with scissors. While a hairdresser can create this effect effortlessly with cutting techniques the blade is a 'quick fix'. By angling the blade you will feel it either cut very sharply, or it will appear to drag with resistance meaning it is blunter and not cutting as sharply.

To cut in the layer pull the desired section up in the air directly above your parting. For neatness I tie the section below up tightly in a bun so it doesn't interfere. By applying the blade in this position the hair that grows nearest the parting will be shortest and the hair that grows nearer your ears will be a about 2cm longer (creating that layered look).

Once you decide how much you want to lob off, push the grooves of the blade against the hair as if you were combing it. The 'teeth' on the blade will mean the hair isn't sliced off 'uniform' at one length. Slowly wriggle the comb pulling it towards the ceiling. You will feel tension as the hair is grabbed and cut. Soon the blade will have severed through the chunk of hair and you will be left holding the chopped off bit in one hand.

Brush the hair back up the air one more time. Does it look straight / even across the top or have you pulled tighter one side than the other? If the latter repeat again and be consicous about keeping the blade level throughout.

Top skin brightening tricks

We have waved bye bye to flat, heavy powders and thick foundations that set like concrete. They leave skin looking dull and flat - and can be incredibly ageing.

Youthful skin has a plentiful store of sebum which is packed with lipids, these naturally moisturize the skin and are responsible for it's 'healthy glow'. (In fact in our teenage years we might even suffer from an overproduction of sebum which leaves us with hair you could fry chips on and a chin of pussy pimples).

But over time sebum production dwindles and we need to moisturise daily to keep that youthful glow. Plus there are an array of incredible products specially developed to give your skin a gorgeous glow. Here are my top 3:

No7 Skin Illuminator

This cheeky cream is peachy-bronze in colour when you squeeze it out. It has a brush for easy application and is ideal for sweeping across the cheeks, down the nose and up the side of your temples - anywhere with a contour - so when light hits your face it will reflect beautifully. It works best under a tinted moisturiser or light foundation, rather than on it's own.

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil in 'illuminating'

Mineral make-up is not only great for creating a subtle, polished finish it's kind to skin as the naturally sourced powder doesn't clog your pores. The Mineral Veil is truly a wonder product and if you only purchase one pot this winter make sure it's this one. I love the 'illuminating' shade, it looks quite pale in the pot, but brushed on it creates an incredible fresh-faced shimmer. Use on bare skin or over tinted moisturiser, I apply to my whole face with the silky smooth brush available from the same brand.

Benefit High Beam

This old favourite is a peachy-rose cream with an incredible shimmer to it. The bottle comes with an applicator brush and you simply dot on to the areas where you want to create super-healthy shine. I dot this just under the arch of my eyebrows, above and below my eyelids, on the brow bone and on the apples of my cheeks. This product is best applied after foundation I find and I dab the product gently until it blends in. A little goes a long way, so you can justify the Benefit price tag as it will last for months and months.

Is 'Rose Gold' the new black?

For someone who looks and sounds like a member of N-Dubz, you would be suprised by my expensive tastes, but I am totally in love with this new season Mulberry in perfect pink with Rose Gold fittings. The £1,787 price tag makes this 'Tillie' bag almost a grand more than it's black, brown and beige contemporaries. Is Rose Gold the new black?

Rose Gold (also known as Welsh or Russian gold) is actually cheaper to produce than usual gold as it is an alloy made from merging yellow gold with cheaper metal copper. It is hard to describe why it looks so much more desirable.

To get a rose gold accessory into your life without breaking the bank I love Michael Kors selection of watches which has about four models in this colour.

Melanotan… the new smack

Illegal, fulfils your cravings and you inject it. No I’m not talking about heroin, it’s the latest craze in the beauty world – tanning injections.

We’re sick of smelling like stale bacon and don’t want the premature wrinkling brought on by sun bed abuse, so a quick shot in the backside and a Gisele Bundchen Brazilian Glow with no effort required is very appealing. But we thought beauty was pain? This goes against all our fundamental principles? What is it people say when something’s too good to be true? It’s probably not very good…

So what do the critics say?

“A letter to the British Medical Journal reports a ‘concerning’ new development. The letter says that two recent users of the drug had visited a skin clinic after moles on their bodies had rapidly changed in size and “darkened over a few weeks”. Both women had injected Melanotan I and II.”
(And when we say we’re worried about moles we don’t just mean an unsightly coco pop – we’re meaning ‘cancer risk’)
Nursing Times
“In addition to the possible side effects of Melanotan itself, there are also other potential dangers. Using non-sterile water to prepare the injections can cause serious blood infections, and sharing needles spreads blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Injections by untrained individuals can cause skin and tissue damage, and might result in permanent or life-threatening injury.”NHS
“The concern is over the unnatural stimulation to melanin production in order to darken the skin and that this may be found to cause cancer. Cancer cells are, put simply, mutations. Obviously changing your natural skin colour permanently in this way is in itself; MUTATION.”Blogger on Sofeminine.co.uk
“Melanotan has not been tested for safety, quality or effectiveness. Therefore it is not known what the possible side effects are or how serious they could be. For a start, because these products are being sold illegally, there is no way of knowing if they are what they say they are, and not contaminated by dangerous chemicals. Nor do we know how they might interact with any licensed drugs a person is taking. If you have used Melanotan and have experienced unwanted side effects, talk to your GP. They can give you advice and help you to fill out a yellow card, which allows the MHRA to keep track of the side effects of commercially available medicines.”Cancer Research UK
So we know there has been a pilot study (this means a small study with very limited numbers of people) – what did the doctors observe in clinic?
• Drowsiness
• Fatigue
• Mild nausea
• Severe nausea
• Yawning
• Spontaneous penile erections (yay!)

None of that sounds too troubling does it? Hmm except this bit at the end “two subjects had increased pigmentation in the face, upper body and buttock”. Increased pigment means darkening of the skin in patches and is not attractive or healthy looking.

There are tons of forum posts from people affected by this so if you do notice your tan is distributing unevenly – TAKE THAT NEEDLE OUT OF YOUR ASS!

Forehead you could show a film on...

Many of us were shocked when it was revealed this week that Russell Brand had been using his wife Katy Perry's forehead to screen old episodes of 'Ponderland'*. But can you blame him? The perfect square of perfectly flat, unblemished flesh sure beats a hanging strip of linoleum.

"Baby Botox" means that some people are getting frozen under 30, under 25, Lindsey Lohan is 24 and she's been doing it for years and I've got to admit I want in on the fixed and emotionless face trend.

The tell-tale signs are the unachievably smoothness of the forehead and the extreme waxy shine - not sure why that happens? - but as fake as it looks I marvel at the 'airbrush' effect Katy Perry achieves and that Nicole Sherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls**. Just perfect.

I'm yet to try it myself, but it's something I'm thinking about but when I do decide to take the plunge the before and afters will definitely be on here.


* story has been fabricated for a good opener to this blog

** No contestants were blinded by the reflected light bouncing off Sherzinger's face during the filming of this year's X Factor

The best a (wo)man can get?

As the weather is starting to warm up I am reminded that I won't be able to live my life in tights, jeggings and over-the-knee socks for much longer - hiding my stubbly pins.

I have always been a fan of leg-waxing and have a home kit of wax you warm in the microwave and cotton strips you can wash and re-use. Very eco-friendly, but very messy.

When I was bought the Remington 2 in 1 epilator and foil razor I was very apprehensive. Would it hurt? Would it cut my skin? The gadget makes a fierce whirring noise when you turn it on, but it's bark is worse than it's bite.

The sensation does sting at first - particularly near the ankles - but the cms of skin you clear of black hair is a great incentive to persevere. I'm such a fan I have even done my armpits with it - a particularly ouchy area.

The packaging says your hair need only be 0.5mm, but I think a mm is more realistic as it doesn't really suck up the hairs this short. After my first attempt I did need to have a quick shave to tidy up the areas I missed, but a fortnight on my legs have so little re-growth.

Shaving is still an essential part of my beauty regime as using the epilator is time-consuming and it did leave me with red spots on my angry follicles. For a really close shave use Bio-oil instead of shower gel. It leaves you with the smoothest finish you have ever experienced and moisturised skin. However be warned your razor will blunt almost twice as fast.

Lastly the Remington Epilator is just too painful to use on the bikini area (I did try and managed to clear about 10 hairs, but it wasn't worth it!). However I did borrow my boyfriend's razor and was really pleased with the result.

It's Gillette's new pro-glide razor and has a battery to power it's vibrating action which apparently is what gives it such a clean shave. There was no redness, no bumps, no cuts and no irritation with grow-back so I can't rate it enough.

Just don't get distracted with the vibrate motion ;-)

Don't believe the hype...

You would think that being a beauty PR I would be able to see the past the celebrity endorsement and realise just got Geordie-Chocoloate-Eyes is sat there grinning with half of China's sawn off hair attached to her head it doesn't mean the product is superior.

But when I saw the shiny pink can with Chezza's face on it I couldn't resist and happily began using my new purchase. I back comb my hair about 4 times a week with a fine tooth comb (I know surprising I have hair left!) ... spritzing into place with a light mist of hairspray.

Imagine my shock on New Years Day when after just a few weeks usage my can was empty! I couldn't believe it when I compared it to my trusty vat of TreSemme which lasts for months on end. If you want a hairspray that looks and smells like any other hairspray on the market, go for the 75ml can of Elnett. But for me it's the big boy 500ml TreSemme all the way.

New Year Weight Loss

Contrary to popular belief I do not maintain my size 8 physique through a cycle of bingeing and purging. While I occasionally gorge myself on a large takeaway or treat myself to a bit of cake, my diet is pretty good(ish) with lots of salad, fruit and my favourite food of all time VEGETABLES.

I’m determined to drop a few pounds this month. As well as eating more healthily and avoiding alcohol, here are my top 5 weight-loss tips…

1. Start late…
I know that every dietician under the sun says you must eat breakfast but I don’t rate this. If you have a bowl of cereal at 8am you’re peckish again by 11am which is no use. I start the day with a green tea, then I’ll have an Actimel a bit later and when my hunger pains can be ignored no more I’ll finally give in and have a banana. By then it’s nearly midday so you can delay lunch until 2pm/3pm and you won’t snack again through the afternoon as you’ll feel full until dinnertime.

2. Carbs are the enemy…
Bread is the invention of the devil and if you cut it out completely you’ll notice your tummy shrink within a few weeks. Pastries and white bread are the absolute worse – don’t go near them. They are fast-burning carbs too, so you won’t even feel full up for very long. If you need a bread-fix go for complex carbs – brown, wholemeal, nutty breads – or a crumpet which is pretty much air. A light spread of crunchy peanut butter contains about 4g protein, 1g fibre, magnesium, zinc and essential fatty acids which will give you energy.

3. Feel fuller from salad…
Salads are my favourite lunch. I pack out watercress and spinach leaves with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and celery. If you’re used to eating a big lunch, salad might not fill you up at first. You could try adding a couple of hard boiled eggs into the mix or some prawns. I sprinkle yummy pine nuts on mine as I had heard they swell in your stomach and fill you up. In fact they release a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) and that is what reduces appetite and helps you feel fuller.

4. Burn the roof of your mouth…
Then you’ll never want to eat again! No not literally, but you should consider adding chilli into your diet as it is a great way to speed your metabolism. The metabolism-boosting effects of chilli last up to three hours after ingesting them, so a hot, hot dinner could help you burn up an after-dinner snack. Your tolerance will increase quickly if you eat it regularly.

Salon talons work for me

My nails have always grown fairly long and strong, but I found I was constantly breaking them at work. My job requires me to unpack boxes and root around for stock, as such I would often snag the edges and have to file them all down to 'neat and square'. I hate 'neat and square' - it's just not "me" - but I also hate the thought of nail extensions and damaging my own nails.

I'd heard great things about Bioscupture - a non-chip protective coating for your nails - but I couldn't find anywhere in Brighton. I wanted 'Tanya Turner' talons and decided to enquire at a beauticians near my work.

I was advised to go for fibreglass nails. While acrylic nails are stronger they are also more damaging to the nails. She also advised me that fibreglass nails feel more flexible, so I wouldn't experience the initial 'tightness' that some acrylic nail wearers might be familiar with. I also didn't like the thickness of acrylic nails - they can look a little 'bulbous'?

I watched as she filed all my nails down to an even length - now all 'neat and square' but much shorter than I wanted. Carefully cut out the adhesive strips of fibreglass and sealing the strips with resin. After expert filing, buffing and a subtle french manicure added I was really pleased with how natural looking the result was.

The french manicure did not chip for two weeks and the hard coating protected my nails brilliantly. You can re-paint them between appointments (as long as you use acetone-free nail polish to remove varnish) and if you do break one my salon does quickie repair appointments (£1.75 per nail). "Nail lift off", where the glue weakens and your real nail falls away, occurs between week 3 and week 4.

The first set of fribreglass nails will cost between £30 and £40 and then about £20 thereafter. The cost is definately worth it. My nails are the longest they have ever been and polish stays chip-free for days - rather than hours. Always go to a reputable salon and be prepared to pay a bit more for a quality service that protects your real nails.

Smile though your arm is patchy...

"Poo elbow" is a skin condition I have been afflicted with since my mid-teens when I first discovered L'oreal Sublime Bronze. No matter how much careful exfoliation goes into that patch I still end up with a ten-tale line about 5 shades darker than the rest of my skin. Give a fuck. It's better than a cancerous mole.

I thought I would share some classic fake tan faux pas, because well laughter is the best medicine (even if it's at yourself!). Please find below...
a) Poo finger
b) Cowpat palm
c) Fecal feet
d) Just the worse. I can't believe I afflicted this on myself. Twat.

Thicker, longer eyelashes? Yes please!

We all want to achieve the sexy flutter of lots of long lashes. Cruelly God awarded some girls with little more than a few milimitres of short stumps. False lashes are great, but can look a little obvious if you're not adept at applying liquid eyeliner near-perfectly. And it's a fine line between feline sexiness and bad tranny. There are three creams to solve lash-length woes that any serious beauty addict needs to know about:

• Latisse - not for the faint-hearted. This prescription-only drug is very hard to get hold of in the UK and while lash lengthening and darkening has been reported in patients, side-effects such as iris darkening have also been reported.
• Mylash - almost identical to Latisse in composition and results achieved. Mylash is available in the UK, but you will need to have a consultation at a participating UK salon. Apparently 92% of consumers are happy with the results, which might soften the £200 price tag.
• Talika Eyelash Lipocils - This mixture of natural plant extracts promises to encourage eyelash growth and strengthen existing eyelashes. It can be purchased from trade beauty outlets or from ebay for about £10-£20.

Long live the Pidg

I'm not going to lie I fucking love my new bag.

It's called the Pigeon. It's got a grey moc croc finish with a front covered in soft, pink feathers. It's the sort of thing that one can wear with anything to anything. It's fucking brilliant. I love it. And it comes in a dusky grey (the tit), a sleek black (the crow) and bright mulit-coloured (the parrot).

Available from http://www.asos.co.uk/

Pore Posh…

If you’re an oily skin sufferer like posh you’ll know that flash photography is not always your friend. It can highlight the greasy film that penetrates past your foundation and even your powder to sit proudly on your T-zone. Oily skin throws up a number of beauty dilemmas and even if you have learnt to combat blemishes, you are likely to suffer from unsightly visible pores – that can look black if left untreated.

You’ll be laughing in 20 – 30 years though, as your arid compadres desperately apply moisturiser morning, noon and night to keep their skin looking young - while your face flourishes like a well-watered garden.

Until then here are my top tips for keeping black heads and visible pores at bay…

- Steaming… There’s no need to waste money on a branded steamer: simply fill a bowl with hot water and chuck a towel over your head. This will open up your closed and dirty pores making the ‘removal’ process a lot easier. Put a couple of drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil into the bowl which is antiseptic and wipe your face with a cotton wool ball soaked in Pure Distilled Witch hazel.

- Exfoliate… A harsh exfoliater can actually encourage the sebum glands to produce more oil. A nice gentle one is the aptly named Gentle Exfoliating Scrub from Avene. Use it everyday to dislodge black scum.

- Overnight… When my pores were looking particularly polka-dot print the other night I rubbed this blemish gel by Australian Tea Tree (below) all over the offending area – nose and cheeks – by morning they were much better.

- Cosmetic… Okay so we can’t be perfect all the time with our skincare routine. I often fall asleep in my make-up and wake up a greasy mess. Thank the lord for a new innovation from Benefit – the PoreFessional. I haven’t bought this yet (payday permitting), but did have a fabulous demonstration in Debenhams, Croydon. The tingly menthol cream glides easily on for “translucent pore coverage and smoother-than-smooth skin”. She applied it over my make up on my forehead and ta-da grease patch gone!

RIP St Tropez

"Farewell to Thee! But not farewell, To all my fondest thoughts of Thee; Within my heart they still shall dwell, And they shall cheer and comfort me.”

It is always a sad day when someone close to us passes into the ether. It may be a relative we have known all our lives or a friendship we have struck up in recent years.

Today St Tropez it is you.

Courtesy of a good friend and fellow tanning addict, I have just discovered shameless rip off (in both name, design and efficacy) St Moritz. The shame and humiliation I felt when queuing in Savers, Worthing High Street with my credit crunch can soon dissipated when I did a practice spray on one arm at my desk. When I saw the deep and streak-free colour developing I knew I was onto something great.

Once home I applied one coat of the ‘light to medium’ colour to my arms face and torso. The colour is amazing: a deep, sandy, Italian brown with significantly less orange hue. One light mist and I look like I’ve been holidaying in the south of France. God alone knows what the ‘medium to dark’ version does. I’d even go as far to say that the monster munch odour is slightly more bearable

I’m off to buy ten cans.

The Tooth Fairy

I was inspired to share my dental experiences after reading Simon Crompton's piece in The Times today about cosmetic dentistry - and in particular the horrors of veneers. Simon Cowell and Katie Price are probably the respective Poster-boy and Poster-girl of the big, white holiday smile, but crucially they have the funds to pay for the constant upkeep. On Katie Price's reality TV show one of her veneers falls out on the way to a book signing and her team of publicists are on the phones to private dentists to negotiate an out-of-hours appointment. If that was you or I we would be walking around with a sharp, ugly filed down tooth for days until we could see someone.

Crompton's piece talks about Rachel Fieldhouse, who has been awarded £50k by her dental practice. She had only had them a year when her veneers began to fall off and devastatingly one tooth died, so she now has a dental implant as well. Rachel had just one darkened upper front tooth when she orginally went to her dentist, so why was she advised to get veneers?

I sympathised with this story because I had exactly the same problem as Rachel. One tooth of mine (to the left of my front teeth) was what dentist's would call a 'peg tooth' - a thin, small tooth, not much bigger than a baby tooth. It was darker than my other teeth and I hated my smile from one side. This small tooth did not have a substantial root to support a veneer, so - thankfully - this was never an option.

I got my teeth whitened, but all it did was exagerate how much darker the small tooth was. The small tooth was also a lot more sensitive and when the whitening tray was in place I experienced shooting pains up my gum. I began to worry the tooth might die or fall out if I carried on.

I went back to my dentist (an NHS dentist in Worthing) and she said she thought she would be able to make a realistic colour match and also increase the size of this tooth using just cleverly applied white filing to the tooth front. The procedure meant minimal damage to the real tooth.

I couldn't be happier with the result (it is on the left between the front tooth and the fang) The shape and colour is improved, with minimal damage to the real tooth.

Glamorous lady imparts beauty knowledge shocker!

A glamorous friend of mine (please ignore the 'special' man loitoring in the background) shared one of her beauty favourites with me at the weekend which I thought I would have to share with you.

Bobbi Brown Corrector is a top-notch concealer. It comes in a variety of shades, which is great as we know that undereye circles vary from the purplish shades of tiredness to the grey-green of pot smokers. Any beauty consultant at the Bobbi Brown counter can advise on the right shade for you.

Our guest beauty blogger raves: "The delight of it is the creamy consistency that doesnt sink into the fine lines and delicate skin under the eye, plus the Bisque shade has just the right amount of yellow in it - it's brilliant for photos."