Eliza Doolittle "Skinny Genes"

Skinny Genes was Eliza Doolittle's debut single, but she's re-releasing it on 26th December 2010. I like the new and improved video - it's quirky, sexy, more up-to-date. It looks like a whole lot of fun!

After the disappointment of Rollerblades not making it to the top 40, I think Eliza deserves a bit of success with this video. It still has another week before it is officially released but I've heard it on the radio and seen it played on the music channels quite a bit - it's certainly getting a lot of attention. I think that's why Rollerblades wasn't so successful; there just wasn't enough promotion for it.

Anyway, watch the video and let me know what you think of the new and improved version! ;-)

Hocus Focus

Hocus Focus, £12

This is a fairly new addition to the Soap & Glory skincare range. It claims to soften your flaws instantly!

An INSTANT visual flaw-softening lotion with long-wearing LIGHTSCRAMBLE™ lumisphere technology that mixes mica light-diffusing powders with high-tech encapsulated soft focus pearls and leaves the wearer looking ‘candle lit’ and ready to glow!

Its specially blended luxury skin smoothing emollient complex gives a beautiful silky sensual feel and sheer look to the skin, whilst helping to lock moisture in too. It softens, smoothes and illuminates the skin, just where you need a little soft focus.

The product comes in a glass pump bottle which is handy. The only problem with it is pumping out too much! The product itself is of a foundation consistency... You just put it on your face. It is a shimmery pale pink colour, but goes onto the skin pretty much transparent. It also has a nice scent but this could be a problem if you're allergic to perfumed products - have a look at the ingredients and check before you buy, as £12 is a lot to waste if you can't use the product.

I like Hocus Focus; it makes my face look brighter and fresher. It's great if you want to rock the 'natural' look but don't want to use heavier foundation products. I'd say it was suitable for most skin types as well. I've tried mixing it with my foundation but I haven't noticed much of a difference, it works better for me when used on its own, but what works for me won't necessarily work for you - give it a try and see what you think!

Have an opinion or a question about the product I've reviewed? Please post your thoughts!

The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser

The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser, £9

I've been asked to write a review of this product, and I'm only too happy to oblige!

I really like this product. I don't have the cloth any more though - my mother thought it would make a good dishcloth. *Facepalm* I've tried both The Fab Pore (peel) and this, and I do prefer this one as it's something you can use more often.

This is the description of the product:

It cleans, it smoothes, it melts away makeup. A 3-in-1 concentrated deep purifying formula with a natural blend of revitalising aromatic essential oils for an all round Fab Pore™ complexion.

Suitable for all skin types – especially those seeking natural alternatives for their skincare regime.

The product is white, and comes in a handy squeezy tube. The Fab Pore (peel) annoys me because of the pot - I find the squeezy tubes are more convenient. I normally just rub a small amount on my cheeks, chin and nose, and on my forehead if I feel it needs some good stuff. I leave it for a minute or two then wash it off with warm water. It does make your face feel noticeably softer! I find myself sometimes stroking my cheek without realising. I've tried washing it off with cold water too, but it doesn't work as well and I don't get the soft face feeling. More like sticky face feeling. I've never personally tried to remove my makeup with it either (and I always avoid the eye area after my mishap with Clean Mary), but I should think it would work well.

Would I recommend The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser? Of course! I didn't think the cloth made that much of a difference personally, as flannels seem to do the job just as well. I think the cloth is softer and less harsh, but don't quote me on that. I find my face looks brighter after using it and of course, it's much softer! The tube is convenient and it's also easy to slip into a washbag or something if you're going away, so there's no excuse for not having a "Fab" complexion!

Katy Perry "Purr"

I'm really picky when it comes to perfumes, so I was really glad when they had a small spray sized version of the scent. It fits perfectly into my handbag! I'll never have to worry about my perfume fading on a night out again.

The description of the scent (as posted on the Superdrug.com website)

The fragrance is a rich eau de parfum which opens with a fresh citrus accord of peach nectar and forbidden apple to awaken the senses. It develops into a delicate floral bouquet supported by notes of jasmine blossom and pink freesia and dries down into a rich, luxurious scent rich with vanilla orchid and sandalwood.

I think it is a wonderful smell - incredibly girly and quite strong, but definitely not overpowering. It isn't like anything I've had before, which is nice. I think this will definitely be a hit with perfume junkies.

The bottle itself is a deep purple colour. Although it looks a bit like a lipstick, it is actually much bigger! The box is very shiny and has a cute cat face on the front. It came at the price of £14.99 which does seem quite expensive for a small spray bottle but... It's worth it! I will definitely get the 50ml version for £29.99, available at Superdrug.

Some Like It Hot

Here's a review to warm you up. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling really cold today!


Some Like It Hot, £7.75

I feel that this is quite a novelty product: to activate the 'heat' of the scrub you need to shake the tube. It then heats up as it touches your skin. The sensation only lasts a few seconds but it's both fantastic and strange at the same time...

The consistency, in my opinion, is quite runny. And it feels like sandpaper when I scrub myself with it. Despite this, I like that it heats me up. It's a good thing to use if your shower water is cold (remember: shower responsibly. Use the 2 minute rinse method)!

The effectiveness of the scrub is good. It works just like any other. I still prefer the other Soap & Glory scrubs though, but this is a good substitute if you want something different, or as I said earlier, if you're feeling a bit cold!

The only problem with this product is that it dries your skin out quite quickly (because of the heating action, I presume!) so be sure to have a moisturiser on hand afterwards.

What do you think of this product? It'd be interesting to hear some other views!

Sit Tight

Sit Tight!, £14

I bought this a while back when it was 3 for 2. It is quite pricey at £14. HOWEVER, I do like it. It is a gel you rub over your bum and thighs! I guess if you wanted to, you could get your partner to apply it for you. Double the fun!

It is intended to be used a firming product. It is gel-like and smells kinda weird in my opinion, but it does what it says on the packet unlike a lot of similar products these days. The squeezy tube is a really good idea and you don't need to use much. Consequently I've got quite a lot left!

The burning question (no pun intended): How does it work? The Soap & Glory explanation:

The friction/heat generated by the user during the act of sitting, acts as a release mechanism to trigger increased movement of the product to the lower body areas, most affected by fatty tissue buildup.

I have to say, you CAN feel it working. I thought my bum was on fire the first time I used it, but you quickly adjust to the heated feeling. It does feel as though it works better when you're sitting down. So please, do take a seat.

As I said earlier, I do like Sit Tight. You can feel it working unlike some other products and at £14 it's a good buy, even better if you get it on promotion. Whilst prancing around my room in my underwear (I know you do it too...) my sister commented on how "that stuff must be working! Your legs look more toned!" You have no idea how impressed I was...

If you're looking to firm some areas up, then I'd definitely recommend Sit Tight. It's not a miracle worker though and it's definitely not a substitute for hardcore exercise! It works well to reduce the fatty appearance of areas though, so if you're looking for a minor fix it could work well for you. Remember to wash your hands afterwards!

Reviews - what do YOU want to see?

I currently own the following products.
WHAT REVIEWS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE NEXT?
Please leave a comment and I'll work on getting as many up as possible. I do have to spend time in the bathroom with my goodies, you know!

Body moisturisers:
The Righteous Butter
Big Butter Blueberry Thrill
Butter Up
The Daily Smooth
The Righteous Butter Lite

Scrubs/exfoliators:
Flake Away
Scrub Em and Leave Em
The Scrub of Your Life
Scrub, Actually
Some Like It Hot
Peaches and Clean

Shower:
iFoam
Clean Girls
Clean on Me
Calm One Calm All

Skincare:
The Fab Pore
The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser
Clean Mary
Catch a Wrinkle in Time
Off Your Face wipes
Greatest Scrub of All
Face Soap & Clarity
Wish Upon A Jar
Hocus Focus
Bright Here Bright Now
Supereyes Supereyes
Scrub Your Nose In It
Glow Job

Cosmetics:
Arch de Triumph
Sexy Mother Pucker (clear)
Solar Powder
Trick and Treatment

Perfumes/deo:
Glad Pits
Glam a Lot
Mist You Madly
Girligo
Eau de Soap & Glory™

Hair care:
Hair Supply
Glad Hair Day Shampoo
Glad Hair Day Conditioner


Hands & feet:
Heel Genius
Endless Glove
Hand Food

Misc:
Easy Glistening
Glow Lotion
Sit Tight
The Firminator
Glow Getter

Accessories:
Scrub Gloves
Foot Buffer

Gift sets:
Jumbo Softy Hold All
Plane Jane
FlatterBox
Hand Break
Scent-sationalism
Soaper Heroes
A Change of Face
Mighty Mouth

I think that's all of it... So, request away!

Big Butter Blueberry Thrill

As you should all know by now, I've been a big Soap & Glory addict for a while now. I think "addict" is an understatement. Anyway, I did a little bit of Christmas shopping last week and decided to pick up a couple of things I'd not tried before. This is the first of a couple of reviews I'll be posting up. Keep your eyes peeled!



Big Butter Blueberry Thrill, £9

I've been wanting to try this for AGES but it never seems to be sold in the shops for some reason, so I ordered it online. I felt a tiny bit bad spending £9 on one tub of butter when I have plenty of others, but I made myself feel better because Soap & Glory was 3 for 2, after all. And I got a free gift bag for buying three products. Kind of mad it wasn't the S&G gift bag though. It was some crappy red one. :(

So. The packaging is lovely; like the rest of the Soap & Glory Spa range, it has blue packaging and a yummy fruity smell. Bet you can't guess what it smells like... No? Blueberries! When I opened the tub for the first time I just wanted to scoop the lot out and eat it. It smells FANTASTIC.

The butter itself is of a thick consistency, a pinkish colour, and slightly more gooey than The Righteous Butter. It still absorbs well into the skin and leaves it feeling soft. It makes a great change from The Righteous Butter, and complements the other Spa products. So far, no complaints!

Would I recommend it? Yes! If you're looking for an alternative then I'd definitely recommend it, but as far as deep moisturising goes I think I'd pick up The Righteous Butter first. Having said that, I cannot get over how fabulous the smell is so who knows, maybe I'll end up changing my mind!

Ultimate Girl Playlist

What songs would be on my Ultimate Girl Playlist? In no particular order...

1. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
2. Pack Up - Eliza Doolittle
3. Moneybox - Eliza Doolittle
4. Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
5. Wonderwall - Oasis
6. Fight for this Love - Cheryl Cole
7. Your Love Is My Drug - Ke$ha
8. Beat Again - JLS
9. Turn It Up - Pixie Lott
10. The Only Girl In The World - Rihanna

Butter Up

Butter Up
Get rid of your chap! It’s simple. Just pop open the cap and… Butter Up™

How fitting to review the product that the blog is named after! I really like this butter for use on my arms and upper body. Unfortunately it just doesn't match up to the moisturising-ness of The Righteous Butter when it comes to dry legs and knees.

First of all: the smell is GORGEOUS. If it was food, I would eat it up. But it isn't and that disappoints me so. I think I've got three or four tubes of this stuff now - a nearly empty tube (thanks, sis...), one I won from a 2 min rinse competition (thanks S&G!) and then bought a couple of tubes when they were on clearance at a Boots in Nottingham. Plenty then! I haven't seen it in shops for a while so I am hoping they haven't discontinued it... :( If they have at least I'm well stocked up.

Anyway, on to the product. It contains cocoa butter, shea butter, aloe vera and so on - a pretty moisturising formula. It's good for days where you need some moisturising, but not too much. Absorbs into the skin fairly well, I don't have any complaints. I prefer to use it on dry skin rather than when I've just got out of the shower - it just works better for me that way.

If you can find it, it's a good buy. Not as expensive as The Righteous Butter but still keeps your skin smooth and soft. The squeezy tube is really handy - you don't make as much mess(!) and it reduces your chances of wasting the product...! It's part of the Soap & Glory spa range so it has blue packaging and a fruity smell as opposed to the traditional originl pink scent & the pink packaging. Perfect for the males who are embarrassed to use girly pink products but still want to look after their skin! ;)

All I can say is... Butter Up!

Eliza Doolittle @ Bush Hall, 25/10/2010

Well I said we were hoping to get tickets to Bush Hall - and it didn't happen until the very last minute. Literally. I was bidding on a pair on Friday afternoon but was outbid by ... 50p. I was gutted. Really gutted. But later that night the seller emailed me and said he was selling his own pair of tickets, and would I like them. When we rang him he said he wasn't sure if he would sell them but he would let us know at 9am. 9am comes, he gives us the go ahead and I rush to pay for the tickets (the concert was on Monday!) Thankfully the tickets arrived two hours before we had to leave for Bush Hall...

The journey was really dull. 115 miles there, 115 miles back - and we didn't get home until 1.30am! And I can't believe there are like, no toilets near Bush Hall. We witnessed a man get run over whilst on his bike and he proceeded to shout abuse at the driver. Oh, and people really like using their car horns in London! We rarely hear them here in Grantham...

So anyway, Bush Hall. We waited outside until nearly 8pm... it was SO cold!! But I got some badges so it was cool. We got to the front again but there were a lot of photographers and because I am only 5'4, they were blocking my view. It kind of angered me actually because there was a woman sat on a chair at the side and they were blocking her view, I thought it was really rude and inconsiderate of them.

Tinashe was fab as always - so much energy. His drummer looks exactly like my boyfriend's cousin. It's bizarre. We picked up a CD on the way out and played it in the car on the way home. He even said thank you for coming so I felt super appreciated! :)

Eliza was amazing. The room really did light up when she came in! I thought the venue was quite echoey - it didn't have the same effect on me as The Rescue Rooms, but at least I wasn't squashed like a sardine this time, or dying from dehydration... and I didn't have tinitus for days afterwards!

Her outfit was quirky - I really liked her top. I wish I had the confidence to wear the things she does. She chose bright orange Nikes for this gig - bright and colourful, just like her.

It was really lovely when the Pack Up singer came on (I'm afraid I don't know his name). It was of course the song that everyone knew and the whole room was singing. I loved Eliza's covers again - I still have F*** You in my head and I wish she would release a version so I can put it on my iPod...!

After the show I bought a lovely tshirt. The woman overcharged me by £5 :( but never mind. It is a mens tshirt, white with blue lettering - "Just Doo It". I have no idea where it's gone as it went in the wash and hasn't come out. Not happy!

Really want to see her again, but can't really afford £46 for Paloma Faith tickets plus the £40-odd petrol to London and back... bah. Here's to hoping she will be touring again very soon!

The Righteous Butter

I've been addicted to Soap & Glory for nearly a year now. My mum bought me the jumbo holdall for Christmas and I have been hooked ever since! I like to stock up when it is 3 for 2 at Boots and I've built up quite a collection... Over the next few weeks I'll be adding reviews of every product I have tried.



First review: The Righteous Butter
This is possibly my favourite moisturiser by S&G, and funnily enough it was my first. It has the original pink scent and is absolutely divine. I get random dry patches all over my body but other moisturisers are rarely moisturising enough - or too much. The Righteous Butter is just right. It isn't greasy and it absorbs quickly into the skin. I use it on my legs and arms mostly, but you could use it just about anywhere. What is the best thing about this butter? It lasts FOREVER. One tub has easily lasted me 4-5 months, and that is using it a few times a week, depending on how much moisturising my skin needs.

And I'm not the only one who thinks The Righteous Butter is amazing - it won an award thanks to How To Look Good Naked.

So what are you waiting for? Go and buy it! If you aren't keen on spending £9.79 on a full sized tub without knowing if it will work for you, opt for the Mini Righteous Butter for the bargain price of £2.30.

Eliza Doolittle @ The Rescue Rooms, 12/10/2010

What can I say? The support band, Tinashe, were super. The venue was small but fantastic - I never thought we'd get to the very front. And Eliza? Fantastic. A born entertainer. She encouraged everyone to join in - we were split into two sides for 'A Smokey Room' ("you got your hair in a 'do...yeah, 'cos that's so original!") which was super. She performed her new single, Rollerblades (available to preorder on iTunes now click here), which was AMAZING and I can't wait for it to be released. She also performed covers of Justin Bieber's 'Baby' (much better than Bieber's version!) and Cee-Lo's 'F*** You'. Interesting! The whole crowd was full of energy. Eliza took a picture of the entire crowd - it was quite an intimate moment! We're hoping to get tickets to Bush Hall but if that fails we'll try and see her support Paloma Faith in Manchester. Wonderful! X