More on Radical Skincare

My little sister has a bit of a shopping addiction. She loves buying new clothes and does so all the time. I love it as it means that every so often I receive a bin bag full of stuff she no longer has wardrobe space for. I have a friend who spends all her wages on products and make-up. She follows beauty blogs religiously and her bathroom shelves are adorned with the latest revolutionary anti-wrinkle cream or the newest make-up range that's just hit the UK.

Me? Well I think we all know I'm mostly about the food and would rather spend a small fortune on a piece of posh cheese with truffle through it or half a weeks wages on a bottle of expensive olive oil than on a moisturiser. So while I admit to a bit of a penchant for Mac make-up and the odd bottle of Clarins, I get much more of a kick from doing a shop in Whole Foods than I do in Debenhams.

But I've mentioned before that I'm starting to become much more aware of my skin now that I'm getting older. I'm noticing those crows feet more and more. Seriously - those crows feet? Where did they come from? It's enough to make a girl stop smiling. I seriously think Vicky Beckham might be onto something here. So when I was sent a couple of products from the Radical Skincare collection to review I got pretty excited. Because anything that stops the onset of ageing excites me now. A few years ago I would have just given the stuff to my mum. Now the thought of keeping those wrinkles at bay for just a little while longer is the only thing stopping me from getting myself down to one of the rather well known cosmetic surgeons in Chinatown. I mean I actually want to kiss people when they ID me now. And then spend the next ten minutes holding up the queue while I bashfully enquire if they really meant it or if they were "just being nice?".

Anyway the products I tried were from the Radical Glow range and aimed at combating dark spots, UV spots and age spots. I received a Multi Brightening Serum which was to be applied day and night and a Skin Perfecting Screen SPF 30 to be applied before any sun exposure.

The serum was great. I usually avoid serums as I find them a bit sticky but after leaving a suitable amount of time before applying my make-up (the time it takes me to dry my hair usually), this had sunk into my skin perfectly and my foundation went on like a dream. My skin didn't break out either which is another bugbear of mine with using serums. I liked the fact that the product was nice and light and didn't have a heavy scent either. The super classy white packaging of these products looks lovely on your windowsill too. God I'm girly. And Ava is going the same way. I don't think we have a tomboy on our hands here people. She actually holds her hands up when she falls. Just in case she gets dirt on them. 

Proud Mama.

The Skin Perfecting Screen I have used a few times and don't dislike. It has a lovely consistency and smells amazing although it did give my skin a sort of powdery finish after it had been rubbed in. I imagine this might be down to the diamond powder in it. Which is said to visibly reduce wrinkles. Which is fair enough. As us girls already know - you can't have it all. The instructions say to 'apply after your moisturiser' but I would be lying if I said that my skin didn't feel a little tight after application. To the point where I almost put more moisturiser on. It is slightly tinted which gives your face a nice glow in the sun. And I spent all day in the park with this on with my (apparently worried about wrinkles) face aimed straight at the sun for the better part of the day and I didn't burn. So it definitely does what it says on the tin. In fact as a sunscreen I would say this is rather good. There was just something about the powdery effect of the cream after application that I didn't love. However that could just be a niggle of mine.

Overall I really like these products. I use their exfoliation pads regularly nowadays and I would definitely consider re-buying the serum. The sunscreen I am going to donate to said Mum. With her older skin (sorry Mum) and the fact she lives in Cyprus I will be really interested to see how she gets on with this product.

In fact it's her birthday in September and I have only used the sunscreen two or three times.

I won't say anything if you don't?

Unfortunately you can only buy Radical Skincare in Newcastle & London, however you can find the Radical Skincare Website Here and you can order online from lots of places such as Net-a-Porter & Space NK.

Products were received free for the purposes of a review. You can read more about my Disclosure Policy here.

Announcement of the Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards Finalists

Any event that hands you a long vodka the second you walk through the door is a good event in my book. And that's exactly what happened last week when we attended Apartment 29 in Glasgow for the INAA announcement of the Scottish Hair & Beauty Awards finalists.

The exclusive private members club played host to a medley of press, bloggers & brands including Bare Minerals and Bumble & Bumble. Lauren Goodger was even there to promote her range of fake tan and hair rollers - Lauren's way.

INAA (I need an appointment) is a UK based premier online booking service for individuals looking for an appointment with hairdressers, beauty salons and spas. And amazing hosts they were. We were treated to endless glasses of wine, hair and make up consultations and even the chance to win a pair of GHD's in the raffle.

As if that wasn't enough, we didn't leave empty handed. Coming away with bags containing goodies such as OPI nail polish, fake tan, rollers and Bare Minerals make-up.

Hats off to Alison Jameson PR for arranging such a great event. 

Here's some photos from the night.....

You can check out the rest of the photos on my Facebook page here.

Zen, Edinburgh

Last week I found myself packing the kid off to nursery, painting on the red lippy and jumping on a train through to Edinburgh for the Zen beauty networking event. Once there we were treated to a generous amount of prosecco and a treatment of our choice. 

I received the Clear & Brilliant facial laser treatment. I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous but the staff were fantastic and talked me through everything first, putting my mind completely at ease.

The treatment lasts a good hour and a half and starts with an anaesthetic numbing cream that is applied and left on your face for about 30 minutes. After that I just let the lovely and really friendly therapist do her work with the lasers. My skin felt a little red and sensitive afterwards and I looked a bit flushed the next day but I was advised to keep putting on loads of moisturiser which I applied by the gallon.

The result? Amazing. My skin has felt as smooth as a baby's bum ever since and looks really clear and lovely. My boyfriend even commented that I looked "radiant". 

After a grilling he did admit that he just said that because he thought he should but that actually my skin genuinely did look amazing.

I also got to meet some awesome other bloggers who made the night even more fun!

But to be fair, nothing beat the the home made chips, cheese & gravy that I was greeted with on my drunken arrival back home.

God I love that guy.

On a side note, I have finally created a Facebook page for Dawniepopsies. I don't know why it took me so long as it's a great idea for posting up all the photos I take that don't actually make it to the blog. However with a Facebook page comes social media anxiety. So if you haven't already liked it then please do so here. 

Make a paranoid blogger happy x 

March Loves

Given my penchant for the odd beauty post, I have decided to girl it up with a post about my favourite beauty products right now...........

I normally go for clay masks as I like to feel like they are actually drawing impurities out of my skin but I am using this Lush oatmeal facemask and it's lovely. It smells good enough to eat and the oats in it are a great exfoliator

This is another change from the norm. I like a good exfoliating wash to take my make-up off at night and have always been fiercely loyal to Olay Skin Polisher. However my boyfriend got me this as part of a present when I had Ava and I really like it

I'm using this at the moment to give my face a bit of colour. However I can't see much difference to be honest. Once it's finished I am excited to start using the Steam Cream I got in my January Carmine box

I've always been devoted to Benefit lipglosses although I am starting to find them a bit sticky. I've also recently started wearing lipstick, which I always found too drying before. I'm currently addicted to Topshop lippys

When it comes to hair I'm a John Frieda girl. I have always used the basic Frizz-Ease serum but my Mum introduced me to the 3-day Straight. I don't really need it as I have naturally very straight hair anyway but I like the texture and smoothness it gives my hair after blow-drying. I also received a free Full Repair in my goodie bag from the International Women's Day Blogger Event which I have still to try

I'm currently alternating between two foundations. The Stila tinted moisturiser is quite heavy and feels more like a foundation but it gives great coverage and I love it. Strangely enough the Mac Face & Body foundation actually feels more like a tinted moisturiser and is a little light for me

I absolutely adore this stuff and always have a tube in the house. It's expensive though so I only use it for special occasions. I put it on as a primer before my foundation and it seems to set my make-up really well and make it last all day. It also gives me a lovely glow. It's particularly good for weddings when you need your make-up to have staying power

I'm turning into a bit of a Lush junkie these days and can't get enough of their shampoos and bath bombs. I use it before I apply lipstick and it gets rid of any flaky, dry skin making my lipstick go on smoother and more even

Although some of these products are quite high-end, I'm not really a product snob. I refuse to pay ridiculous amounts of money on certain things. My eyeliners are all Collection 2000, I only ever buy Rimmel Hide The Blemish Concealer and I am desperate to try out the new Superdrug Cleanse and Polish dupe! 

What's your bag?

Although this isn't really a fashion, beauty or cooking blog, I often devote certain posts to these subjects. On that thread, I have decided to do a 'What's in my handbag post'. Mainly because I enjoy reading everyone else's so much. Which is probably because I am such a nosy bitch. I also find reading about what other people eat incredibly interesting so expect a similar blog post coming soon. This is probably because I am such a greedy bitch.

The current bag is a Mulberry Bayswater that my boyfriend got me for Christmas. I love it so much I have been using it pretty much everyday and will probably continue to do so until I get bored. He still gets brownie points every time I look at it. Don't tell him though, I might have to put out more.

I got this handy little diary in my stocking. I am a bit weird though. I don't write my plans down in it so that I know where I am meant to be on any given day. It's more I like to keep a note of my appointments so I can look back and always know where I was on any given day. So if I am ever wrongly accused and questioned by the police, I will be able to tell them where I was when said crime took place. 

Could happen.

Miniature deodorant, dry shampoo & Lush hand cream. Always prepared.

This purse is very similar to the purse from Dorothy Perkins that I have been using and replacing for  years. However recently, when I tried to get another one, I discovered that they had stopped making them. Not long after I stumbled upon this copy in Primark for half the price. I need a big purse for the ridiculous amount of store, credit & points cards I carry.

Bic, nail file, lighter & dental floss. I really, really hate getting caught short. I quit smoking when I got pregnant yet I still always carry a lighter around with me.

I'm alternating between two pairs of gloves at the moment. These fingerless Dorothy Perkins ones with little mittens attached and these black leather John Lewis gloves that make me feel like I should be driving a Bentley.

Given my new parental status, I can always be relied upon to be carrying baby wipes around with me and a baby cloth for wiping up drool, sick, etc.

I'm a lip balm addict. To the point of ridiculousness. There is a Vaseline kept in every single room of my house. And one in the car. I am currently carrying around Burt's Beeswax Lip Balm, which I am a little disappointed in. Bit too much menthol for me.

I never leave the house without tissues and an emergency hair band/brush for when I get soaked and I don't have an umbrella (this happens alot). I should probably start carrying an umbrella.

And finally, a handy little Clarins mirror, which is really just an excuse to show off my new Nails Inc Polish.

Sorry to all my boy readers if this is a bit too girly for you guys. I'll try and man it up on my next post.

And now the end is near.....

Being almost at the finish line of my first pregnancy, and having recently read the blog of Red Boots, I was inspired to do (steal) a quick blog on a few of the things that have gotten me through pregnancy.

So without much further ado, here they are. I couldn't have done it without them.

Seriously.

My saviour.

• Bio-oil. From the literal second I found out I was pregnant, I have been slathering this stuff all over my tummy morning, noon and night. I now have less than a week until my due date and have yet to develop a single stretch-mark. Maybe it's good genes. Maybe it's this lovely body oil. Who knows. But even if it is the placebo effect, it's made me feel a lot better about myself.       NB: Ladies. Don't do what I used to do which was rub this on my tummy, then apply hair serum to my damp tresses. Then wonder, after blow-drying, why my hair still looked greasy. Rubbing oil in your scalp will do that. Apparently.

• Soda water & lime. The only cure I found for morning sickness. And in the first trimester I got the morning sickness. Every. Single. Morning. Fat coke also deserves a mention here. Simply because I love the stuff. And it got me through many an afternoon energy slump. I'm not looking forward to going back to the days of smiling bitterly and saying "Diet Coke" when the waitress asks me what I would like to drink.

By far the biscuit to beat all other biscuits.

• Biscuits. But not for the morning sickness. Like you are supposed to use and abuse biscuits when you are pregnant. No, I over-indulged in these gorgeous little delicacies for sheer, unadulterated, binging pleasure. Given that I tried to live a moderately healthy lifestyle before I became pregnant, I never allowed myself to have biscuits in the house. Simply because having them in the house would have meant that I would have eaten them. All. Probably in a very short space of time. So you can imagine my delight, upon finding out I was pregnant, that I would be able to indulge in said biscuits to my hearts content. I'm sure various doctors/midwives will tell you that this is not true but I disagree, calories don't count when you are pregnant. As a result I became a little bit biscuit obsessed. There wasn't a biscuit I hadn't tried. A make I hadn't tested. And our naughty cupboard soon became bursting at the seams with various biscuit-type confectionery. An afternoon was not an afternoon without a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits. I would sneak them in the trolley at the supermarket and a text from the boyfriend on his way home enquiring as to whether or not we needed anything would be replied to with one short, sweet, beautiful word......"biscuits". Unfortunately, I am now trying to 'wind down'. Or you could say my boyfriend has 'cut me off'. Whatever. Having not long to go I am trying to limit the amount of sugary, bad-for-you food we have residing in the cupboards. But I am assured by many that biscuits are an absolute necessity during those long nightly feeds and so the biscuits are not going anywhere just yet.

Garra Rufa Fish Pedicures.

• Fish pedicures. Now I know a lot of people are rather squeamish about having tiny little fish nibbling away at the dead skin on your feet. But I'm not. At all. And this amazing beauty treatment was a god send during my pregnancy. Apart from keeping my feet baby soft (and all the nicer for my boyfriend to massage), plunging your feet in the cool water tank is also a great way to soothe  tired and slightly bloated tootsies. I would highly recommend. As I would highly recommend Tickled Tootsies to anyone in the Glasgow area. The girls are lovely and they do some great deals.

• Leggings/thick black tights/jumper dresses/tea dresses. I have practically lived in all of these throughout my whole pregnancy. Having had a pretty neat bump throughout, I have been lucky enough to only have had to invest in one piece of maternity clothing. A pair of jeans. And to be honest, I could have easily have gone without them. A few pairs of black stretchy leggings and some of my longer tops have been fine. Along with some of my day dresses. Believe me there is nothing better for your ego than still being able to wear a size ten or twelve when you are 8 months pregnant. Getting my boobs into some of them has been a bit more difficult though.

• Afternoon baths. Amazing. Given that for the past couple of weeks it has been a feat in itself just to get me out of my pyjamas, a long hot soak in the afternoon is fabulous. Yes, a bubble bath in the afternoon is a bit against convention. You can't light candles for a start. But what the hell, I'm a rule breaker. And soaking myself in a long, hot bath and then slipping into something more comfortable (more pyjamas) is just the ticket when I feel rubbish. Particularly when my bath is complimented with a Lush bath bomb or this lovely stuff.

• My nails. Growing them. Filing them. Painting them different colours. Sorting my cuticles. Nourishing them with almond oil. I never thought I would become one of those girls. But I have. They have become a little project of mine during the last couple of weeks. Mainly because with maternity leave can sometimes come boredom. And the frustration of being sick of laying doing nothing, but being too tired and feeling too rubbish to really do anything. They make me feel pretty. And it gives me something to do. Don't knock it.

• Blogs. I was already a fan of the blogs of Miss Smidge, Pollypoptart & Helen but thanks to having some serious sofa time, I have recently discovered the delightful blogs of Meg, another Helen and Mich. I am getting a bit addicted to blogs actually. Trashy magazines like Heat and Closer also fall under this category. I realise that when the little munchkin arrives it will be alot more difficult to find the time for simple pleasures like blog reading. So I am over-indulging right now. Not that I am refreshing my Google Reader every two minutes or anything like that........... 

• Zantac. This stuff deserves a big mention. No, in fact, a huge mention. Because I now get heartburn every day. And without this stuff I would be impossible to live with. Before I made do with gnawing away at the chalky tabs of Rennies you more commonly see in the supermarket. Which did nothing. Then someone introduced me to these little tablets and actually changed my life. I down a couple of these bad boys and my heartburn is abated for at least a few hours. I always have packets everywhere. In my handbag, the bathroom drawers, the kitchen drawers, my night stand. I pop them like smarties. Probably taking way more than I should. Which is ironic, considering I nearly had a nervous breakdown the other day when I realised I had accidently double-dunted on my Pregnacare vitamins. I was fine by the way. For those of you worried. Apparently I was just being 'over-dramatic'.

Controversial.

• And finally the last one. The controversial one. The one that I am sure will have the milk mafia throwing things at their laptops as they read: the occasional glass of wine. While I have hardly been necking the booze like Kerry Katona on a bender, I have allowed myself the occasional glass of wine in front of the telly. While I am sure that there are many who whole-heartedly disagree with drinking at all when pregnant, I am not one of them. I don't believe that a glass of red on a Saturday night is going to cause my child to be held back a year in primary school. Or miss out letters of the alphabet when she is older. While I don't advocate heavy drinking or getting drunk at all when pregnant, I really don't see the harm in the odd glass of vino. And most doctors and nurses I have spoken to agree with me. In France many pregnant women enjoy a glass of wine with their evening meal during pregnancy and in Belgium doctors actually recommend the odd bottle of beer. It's because "we live in the age of the ladette drinking culture where binge drinking is so rife that doctors are forced to advise women not to drink at all simply because most women won't stop at just the one". Those were a doctors words. Not mine. For the record, I have also indulged in soft cheese, runny eggs and (always cooked) shellfish. I believe that a lot of the over-bearing, big-brother style health warnings these days are a bit over the top. Ask your Mum. She will probably agree with me. The only foods I have properly avoided are pate and offal because apparently Vitamin A can actually cause direct damage to the foetus. The other foods you are to avoid in case of food poisoning. And the girl who drank raw eggs to beat a hangover and has never paid attention to an expiry date in her life doesn't really get food poisoning. Well, I haven't yet anyway.

Disclaimer: I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for the fact that this has become a bit of a pregnancy blog of late. Even though I promised myself it wouldn't. I would also like to take this opportunity to promise that it will not become a baby blog. Although you may be subjected to some schmaltzy, over-emotional type posting after she is born. After that I will be back to my normal, withering, cynical and pessimistic self. So apologies again. Normal service will be resumed shortly.