Burning the candle at both ends??

After numerous late nights and early mornings, combined with the darkness of the days... I look like I've been punched in both eyes around now.

So I was keen to try Lierac's Diopti Calm Anti-Fatigue potion which claims to have an ice-cube cooling effect on the eyes.

It is said to calm redness and irritation, fight signs of fatigue, de-puff the eyelids and so on. It includes witch hazel and cornflower and can also be used as a mask.

So, does it work? Particularly when 8ml (though you need a tiny amount) sells for between £14 and £22 online.

It does have a slight cooling effect on the eyelids and makes eyes feel more rested (great for those who travel or use screens all day) but it was less effective than you would hope for the price.

Clinical studies say 97% of testers felt their eyelids were less tired after using it.

After several weeks of testing this by popping on almost every morning, I have not seen a major enough change to continue to buy it, particularly when there are other options on the market for cheaper.

Using it on the under-eye area had little effect as it is very light - but pop it in the fridge to improve that.

On the plus side - it is great for sensitive skin because it is so light, is paraben, fragrance and artifical colouring-free and the size makes it ultra-useful for popping in your handbag/overnight case.

To use it as a mask - slather it on, or use a small amount and massage in. You can apply make-up seconds later.

In short - it's a good product but it's not a GREAT product for the price.

http://www.lierac.com/default.php?pageId=611&siteId=1&langId=2

Elvive Full 5 Restore... Failed to get my mojo back

I'm not a huge Cheryl Cole fan but it's hard to ignore her big glossy waves when they are dangling in front of your face on TV all the time.

And let's face it, who wouldn't want her bouncy bonce.

So when I saw the L'Oreal product she endorses going cheap in a local shop I thought I'd give it a whirl.

And try and get my hair 'mojo' back.

Before I continue, I will state that I usually use L'Oreal Elvive shampoos on my hair (with a Redken conditioner) and have done for several years.

My former hairdresser at the fabulous Blushes salon in Cheltenham told me that they have the expertise behind them (and almost as good ingredients) as their more expensive brands. And I've found the Royal Jelly and Frizz-fighting ones pretty darn good.

But Full 5 Restore claims to offer what they do - plus volume. They claim hair:

1. Feels stronger*
2. Looks fuller
3. Looks revitalised
4. With a healthy looking shine
5. Looks silkier

And perhaps the conditioner and hair masque are just great at doing that.

After using it several times, I can confirm it does not look fuller or feel stronger. It feels fairly soft - but soft means I can't do anything with it and my style flops.

It is supposed to target 'weak, limp, lifeless' hair. But didn't deliver the results. Not for me at least.

Smelled nice though.

In case you're interested: My hair type - Fine, lots of it, natural wave/kink, dyed with a semi-permanent, frizzes in humidity, can look dull.

Hallowe'en costumes and make-up

Dressing for Hallowe'en usually divides people into two camps - those who go at it with full abandon... and those who would just rather not.

I have been known to dabble with the first. It always looks better to go the whole hog.

But either way, Hallowe'en is fairly easy for girls - sexy devils, cutesy cats, mini-skirted witches. Most pop a pair of horns on their head and hey presto!

But I found some pretty cool eyelashes which allow you to dress up a little or a lot.

I wore these Fairy Wing eyelashes by Ardell to a pre-Hallowe'en performance of the Rocky Horror Show on Monday.

And had plenty of compliments. They have glitter at the end of the lashes which sparkle when they catch the light.

They are on the right side of dressing up... subtle but effective. The range, available in Clinton Cards cost £6.99 a pair and can be re-used.

I think they are pretty cool. There are also other designs which are more dramatic and good for adding a finishing touch to your outfit:

Dark Angel
Spider Woman
Cleopatra

Bizarre but it works...

Gah what with holidays and writing website content for money - I haven't had a chance to update my blog for a while...

Popped over to Sardinia for a week where the weather wasn't quite as I'd hoped. But still sunny enough to break out the glittery aftersun every now and again - my top holiday treat.

But I'm back with a great product for Breast Cancer Awareness Month - one which seems a little bizarre but truly works. And I have put it through some quite vigorous testing!

Unleashing the Crystal Body Deodorant - a natural mineral salt deodorant. It looks like... well a big crystal in a tube... but it doesn't contain any perfume or aluminium - which some scientists have linked to breast cancer and to .

It actually neutralises the bacteria on your skin which causes odour to start... sSo it doesn't mask the stench your gym sweat - it prevents it occurring in the first place. Which is quite neat really.

It isn't sticky or smelly and has no alcohol in it so it's also good for the skin.

It's quite a bizarre concept - you wet this crystal top and rub it on your armpits. You can't smell it and at first I was quite dubious this would work. However, I've tried it in the gym... I've worn it on long days shopping, travelling and on hot days in Sardinia. And have been fresh and odour-free the whole time.

My only gripe would be that I am so used to having a pleasant-smelling armpit, that it was a little unnerving to not be able to smell anything. A slight scent would have been better - but as I used it more frequently, I became more used to it.

It is also (in the 120g size I tested) a little large to take to the gym or on holiday and it is quite heavy.

They're also perfect for veggies as they haven't been tested on animals either. AND IT LASTS FOR UP TO A YEAR.

For more information on why it is better for you... and how it works, click through to their website here.

They give 1% of profits (admittedly not THAT much) to breast cancer charity The Pink Ribbon Foundation. The large size (120g - pictured above) costs £4.99, while a smaller size costs £1.99. They can be found in Boots or bought on the web.

It also comes in roll-on or spray format.

This product was sent for impartial review by Kilpatrick PR

A lovely lip gloss...

I am terrible at neglecting my lips. A slick of lipbalm or Clinique Lip Plump and I'm away.

I always focus on my eyes (never leave the house without a smudge of eyeliner = secret weapon) and so lipstick always seems too much.

So I'm a big fan of subtle lips.

Therefore this soft pinky i-shine lipgloss was always going to appeal. It is not at all sticky (far less than my beloved Clinique) so even in the windiest weather my hair did not get glued to my lips. Think smooth and velvety rather than sticky. Hooray!

The colour (Seabreeze) is subtle and gives a nice sheen - plus even when the shine wore off, my lips stayed nice and moisturized.

I also love the packaging - there is a handy little mirror in the lid of the pot. Perfect for me who can rarely be bothered to pop to the loo to reapply... I'm more of an on-the-go touch up girl.

The lip gloss range is supposed to be cocktail flavour - but that one totally passed me by. Others in the range include Cuba Libra, Pina Colada and Tequila Sunrise. Hmmmm....

The price is a little off putting at £12.50 but it is a quality product and the colour should suit everyone as it is so subtle.

i-shine is from New CID cosmetics - a range found in House of Fraser and Debenhams. They are priced at £12.50 each.

This product was sent by New CID's PR company.

Smells great, looks cute... Tried and Tested the Pinks Boutique Try Me Facial kit

Blarrrgh been away for a while. No excuse except I haven't been feeling that beautiful. No facials to pick me up, hair needs a good cut and... don't talk about the waxing situation.

This is what happens when you're ill. Yuck. No boyfriend who you have just moved in with wants to see you everyday with no make-up, puffy and slitty eyes and still in your dressing gown when he gets home from work. Bleurrgh the dreaded summer cold.

However, not I'm on the mend (it was a cold, I'm not dying or anything. Women have it much worse than men) I DO have something wonderous and pretty to tweet about.

Namely this little box of beauty. Hell, if you're given this, it doesn't even matter that much if the products work. It's just so goddamn cute.

It even comes with little rosebuds in the box and wrapped in fuschia-pink tissue paper. Bliming eck, I'm such a sucker for girlie things.

The stuff inside is pretty good too. All organic (whoop) and 100% natural (double whoop) and accredited by the Soil Association and everything. It ain't tested on animals either so it's perfect for your green eco-friendly friends. Plus it smells amazing and looks luxurious. I'm in on that alone.

This means it doesn't use any nasties like synthetic fragrances (bad) or petro-chemicals (double bad - clogs the skin).

Sooo.... these Try Me kits. What's in them?

I tried the Ocha Facial (£23) Try Me Set. This is ideal for dry skin and mature skin. Ocha is Japanese for Tea (don't you know) and the four little pots are an Ocha Cleanser, Ocha Toner & Ocha Moisturiser, a night balm and Bamboo & Oatmeal face polish.

Now, I must state here, this is for dry & mature skin and my skin is often dehydrated (damn that air conditioning), especially around the edges. So I went for this set rather than the Lemongrass & Mandarin set which is better for normal to oily skin.

This may have been my downfall because I have, like most people, combination skin. So I found the cleanser and night balm quite heavy. Luckily, I rather like that.

The night balm smells amazing (lavender, rose & evening primrose) and, if you don't mind going to bed with a bit of a greasy face (cover your eyes boyfriends), it's just great. I woke up with silky smooth skin - unlike most days when it looks more parched than the Sahara.

My only gripe is that the cleanser & moisturiser both look the same, smell the same and have similar consistencies - so don't leave the lids off or you might get them mixed up.

The scrub is nice and light - could have done with a few more granules for my liking but it buffed my skin beautifully.

The set looks dead cute in the bathroom but the glass pots mean it might be a bit heavy for holiday if you're watching your baggage weight allowance.

www.pinksboutique.com or 01332 204804. Also available from the 30 Pinks spas around the UK

Miracle product of the week

If you have hair that is prone to being rather unruly, dry, damaged and/or frizzy - this is THE miracle product for you.

It ain't cheap but it smells goigeous! And it works. So that is important too.

And while it might cost £18 (ouch!), you need a minuscule amount. A very small pea amount. A couple of grains of rice amount. Believe me, any more and you'll end up with lank, Wednesday Adams hair. And that is not not not good.

The Aveda blurb says it delivers 'all-day straightness and shine'. For me, I found it makes my wavy frizzbomb hair look presentable when it dries naturally. With a blowdry, it behaves itself.

I have tried numerous straightening creams and this is the only one which made a real difference. My former favourite (Frizz-Ease) has been permanently relegated.

This smells all fresh, citrusy and aromatic, a bit bergamot and also contains rose and sandalwood.

The blurb on the back? It is an 'exclusive blend of plant-derived cellulose, wheat, organic aloe, maize and guar bean'. It delivers 'long-lasting hold - to maintain a straight style all day'.

And some kind of weird-sounding wheat protein protects the hair from heat-damaged caused by straighteners and hairdryers. Bonus!

Beauty and fitness discounts

We all like a money-saving offer, especially when the pennies are getting harder to earn.

And let's face it, it is always nice to have a treat, but some treatments like regular haircuts and waxing are as essential to modern women as breathing.

So if you haven't signed up to Wahanda and Groupon (My City Deal), you are really missing a treat. Now, they pay me nothing, nada for this but the discounts are just fantastic.

At Wahanda, for example, I bought a voucher for a facial, shoulder back and neck massage, pedicure AND hair treatment at Kuno Tierra salon off Regent Street, London for £28. Yes, just £28.

Among other items are a manicure and eyebrow threading for £10, two full leg or bikini waxes or £25 and a £25 haircut, blowdry and Aveda facial at a trendy London salon.

Sign up for their daily email for the towns and cities you are interested in - and they will send you their 'Mobdeal' - a 12-hour window for you to buy the deal. Vouchers are usually valid for six or 12 months.

Wahanda stick to the main towns - London, Birmingham etc but Groupon go further afield. They also do a wider range of discounts - on restaurants and so on.

They're worth a look and could save you plenty of pounds. I'll race you for the good deals...

More beauty tips, interviews and offers coming very soon and some exciting new product finds in the next few days!

Trying a hot lava shell tummy massage...

What the flipping heck is a hot lava shell treatment? It sounds dippy, mad, and utterly utterly silly. But it has been touted as a top celebrity treatment. So is it any good?

Well, I decided to find out and headed to The Salon in Birmingham for a 15 minute hot lava shell tummy treatment.

What is it?

The idea of the hot lava shell is rather like that of a hot stone massage - using a heated implement to relax the muscles and provide a deeper massage.

The therapist uses real tiger clam shells from the Phillipines which are heated when a mixtures of minerals and algae combine with salt water and oils. The chemical reaction causes a wonderful heat.

This treatment was for the stomach and is supposed to give you a flatter tummy and help with bloating and IBS by improving the function of the digestive system. As someone who suffers a poor digestive system (IBS), I was keen to see if this was any good.

Does it work?

The therapist applied a gel to my stomach as I relaxed in a darkened room. She then applied the hot shell to my stomach. It felt like a smooth object as she massaged in a clockwise direction. 'Your intestines feel like cold spaghetti' she announced. Indeed.

She discussed what she was doing as she went and told me to think 'happy thoughts' as my stomach made all kinds of bizarre and embarrassing noises. 'That happens to everyone as they relax' she assured me, before my stomach made a noise at such a horrifying level that they must have heard it in central Birmingham.

Afterward did I feel cleansed and released? Flat of tummy and light of step? Not exactly. My insides were churning. The therapist felt she had made little headway with my difficult digestive system and my stomach felt more bloated than ever. The following day, however, I felt less bloated.

According to The Salon's expert, who trained in the Philippines, I would need around six treatments - one every six weeks - to 'cure' my IBS. And at £15 a session - it might just be worth a few more to find out. I'll keep you updated!

The Salon, 12A Legge Lane, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

0121 236 2755

This review is impartial. Charlotte Spratt paid for this treatment and The Salon were not aware that this would be reviewed.

An introduction...

I've had the fortune as a journalist to visit some great spas and get some great beauty treatments.

And for many people visiting a salon is a massive treat. So what is the etiquette for getting a full body massage?

And does that odd-sounding treatment actually work?

If I want to splash out on a decent lipgloss - which one is the best? These questions and plenty more I'll be going into and as I make discoveries, I'll let you know.

So let me know which treatments have worked for you - and where you have had good experiences.

PRs are welcome to get in touch BUT I won't be putting out blog posts just to please you...

If I visit a spa, I'll give my honest opinion. No PR junk here - actual tried and tested and tips...

Picture courtesy of Ahmet Guler at Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net . Tweet me to get your free images on this blog