That Magic Mischief: Dropping Down from the Ether on 11 February!

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THAT MAGIC MISCHIEFI am too excited about my new book cover to wait any longer: That Magic Mischief, a paranormal/contemporary romance set in Brooklyn, will be available for purchase in a month’s time.

I’ve been gasping to share, but as the internet is all ‘blink and you miss it’, I wanted visual accompaniment before I starting spreading the news.

Here’s what it’s all about:

What was the point of being a witch if Annabelle Walsh couldn’t manage a spell to fix her broken heart?  Okay, maybe calling herself a witch was pushing it — but as a dedicated dabbler in all things metaphysical, she figured she could, at the very least, speed up the healing process. Dumped out of the blue by high-powered banker Wilson Monroe, her boyfriend of three years and nine months, Annabelle’s hopes of walking down the aisle seem remoter than ever, and springtime in New York had never looked so dismal.

With the help of her dearest friends in the world—cool, calm and collected Lorna, and fiery, feisty, foul-mouthed Maria Grazia — Annabelle tries to pull herself out of the dumps by crying her eyes out, getting smashed on girly drinks, and working the odd spell. An idle wander into an unfamiliar new age shop adds the bit of magic in her life that she’d been looking for: a Pooka called Callie, an interfering, mischievous spirit determined to turn Annabelle’s life around— mostly by turning it upside down.

Suddenly, Annabelle hasn’t got time to brood, and her career as a journalist begins to take off; in fact, it’s during a brainstorming session for an off-off-off-off Broadway theatre production that she meets tall, dark, and handsome Jamie Flynn, an Irishman in New York who seems to be keen at first sight, if not in love quite yet. As Annabelle gets her life back on track, she starts to see the difference that a real life, a real career, and a real man can make … and all it took was that magic mischief.

Watch this space for more information, and for (tenuously) related beauty giveaways!

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Follow @Crimson_Romance for more titles in a wide variety of romantical genres.

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There is Nothing like a Scrub: My Four Faves

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Well… hmmm. Nope: nothing like a scrub from head to toe, upon return to to my Haven of Beauty after two weeks away.

I have been giving myself a good going over since I’ve been back, from my literal head to my literal toes.

Here is what we’ve got on the go at the mo:

THE LINEUP 2013That’s enough to keep me in posts for another week and half!

I have cut four products out of the herd, and have been happily exfoliating every day since Thursday. This may not be advisable! But I don’t care, I am intent upon sloughing off The Lag, straight down the drain.

FOUR FAVE SCRUBS

From left-ish:

>Lycon Pomegranate Sugar Scrub, from I don’t know where. It is spa-quality, and for a sugar scrub — which normally rolls right off your body, no matter how you try to prevent it — this is tops. The jelly-like base holds the scrub in perfect suspension, and it smooths over the skin with nary a grain lost.

>Oh, Vichy Normaderm 3-in-1, how happy I was to see you! Next time, I swear, I am bringing you along. There is nothing that you cannot do. To celebrate my return, I went hard-core and employed your masque-y qualities, and indulged in a thorough scrub once under the spray of the shower.

> This was a hard sell, initially, but now I am completely on the Redken Nature’s Rescue Refining Sea Polish. I use it before I shampoo, which may or may not be as directed — it still works a treat, and my hair is all the shinier for it.

>The classic for a reason: Dermalogica Microfoliant gently exfoliates, foams up into a cleanser-like consistency, and lasts forever and ever, amen.

Did reading this make you feel itchy? I feel all itchy now.

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Prices vary depending upon what your googling reaps. If anyone knows where that Lycon stuff came from, do let me know.

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HNY on the 46A with Burberry Lip Velvet

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HNY on the 46AYesssssss it is good to be back, if only to be ensconced once more in my personal photo studio.

The shades are via French Connection — stylish, and with great UV protection. I’ve experienced couture designer shades in the past, and I gotta tell ya, I am much happier and more impressed with the sunnies you can pick up on the High Street. Although I suspect that the name brands are solely for wear in airports.

For wear anywhere: Burberry Lip Velvet in Military Red. It is the perfect matte blue-toned red lippy, that lasts and lasts as long as you don’t eat — also designed, I suppose with your A-listed Size Zero in mind, I suppose.

Nevertheless, us real woman can get a lot of joy out of this. I am still off kilter from The Lag, and find I’m not hungry for dinner until 11.30 pm. Not helpful from a metabolic point-of-view, but great for making the makeup last.

It retails for €27, and if anyone has stockist info, plz advise; the phone lady at BT was all like, I’ve never heard of it, and you know that the phone lady at BT knows everything. < Not bein’ snarky. She totally does.

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Happy New Year!

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Top Twelve of 2012: The Future is Now, Via My Face and We Love Laser

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This is the final installment of posts about my twelve new fave products and services of last year. They do all add up, even though they weren’t in twelve posts, and even though, uh, there were actually thirteen? You come for the reviews, you stay for the LOLz…

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Do We Love Laser? Yes, we do. Not only because it is in my locality, but also because the vibe of the place is as youthful as the services it provides.

Do I want to recapture my youth? Hmmm, not so much — but I am happy to look as well as I can for as long as I can. I feel like the Photo Facial has tidied up some fines lines, zapped some excess hair, and in general refurbed the canvas of my face. I also feel like the potions and lotions I use for all that anti-aging biz will actually have a chance to work.

The first time I lasered? That was something of a learning curve, for sure. The second time? I thought I was blasé, but there was still a touch of The Fear. The third time? I was all over it, an old hand, and really delighted by the progress my pigmentation was making — meaning, it was progressing away, away, away, and off of my face.

Pictures are worth a thousand: the top two are from the first session, and the bottom from the most recent.

FIRST LASER

THIRD LASER 2I didn’t intervene with the Photoshop, so the colour temperature of the images is different, which makes it look like I intervened to make the third one look better, but I didn’t. I am entirely satisfied with the work, and I’m deffo going to go for more.

Two things that I’ve found that work wonderfully well on the new, improved surface:

FACE IT

I still stand by my post about Human+Kind’s Anti-Ageing Cream. This is another product I’ve used down to its last pump. And whilst I didn’t blog specially about Sisley’s Black Rose Masque — OMG, Sisley’s Black Rose Masque! I had gone to get a facial at the Brown Thomas Beauty Room, and the aesthetician had recommended this, as had the Sisley PR. I am designating this as my US to IE jet lag cure. Even if it doesn’t zap the lag, at least I’ll look stunningly dewy and fresh-faced.

It does cost a bomb — €106/£81/$158 — but it is a little miracle in a tube. I expect to get ten masques out of this, as the usual dictum of ‘a little of an expensive product goes a long way’ applies, so that’s really only €10.60 per masque!

I got your world class rationalisation right here!

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We Love Laser Medical Aesthetic Clinic is located at 82 Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire. Visit www.welovelaserireland.com for the full menu of treatments.

Top Twelve of 2012: Dr Lewinn’s Renunail Miracle

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dr-lewinns-strengthenerNow, I never did get around to my superfantastic celebratory manicure, due to Auld Schplitty — although, having said that, I did give myself a nice fake French Manicure. And the only reason the fake French manicure worked is because of Dr Lewinn’s Renunail Regime.

Incorporating a Nail Strengthener and a Nourishing Oil {for the cuticles}, this is a miracle worker of the highest order. Having had manky, weak, ridgey nails for the entirety of my life, I suddenly have longer, stronger, smoother nails.

Suddenly? Yeah, not really: it did take discipline, and I didn’t maintain, and I learned my lesson. But if you do the work, you will reap the bennies, and in fairness, it’s not that big a deal.

The result? You can refer to the Dr Lewinn for the whole saga, but if you just want to see The Wowness, then click here.

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Top Twelve of 2012: The One About The HD Brows

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The one? How about the million? Of the many excellent things that I experienced in 2012, HD Brows have turned out to be revolutionary for my overall look. My go-to salon is Carter Beauty in Blackrock, and I leave happy — nay, delighted — every single time.

They are particularly great when I don’t feel like putting on a lot of makeup. Like today. Here I am with my lovely dad, and my lovely brows:

POPSTARI have intervened only slightly with the colour and shape, and my favourite brow-shaping-cosmetic thingie has been AVON Glimmerstick Brow Definer. I try and test so many things in the course of a year, much less a week, that when I use something up entirely, it is highly significant.

I used this up entirely. Will use again. And again.

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This is the account of my first session of HD Brows; click the HD Brows category for allllll the posts.

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Top Twelve of 2012: Minding Me Pelt

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BODDDDAlso file under: Hoarding. I love both of these so much, I ration my uses of them. Which is too bad really, to not use something that I like, but on the other hand, I know how to make special occasions even more special.

I fell for Dermalogica’s Hydro-active Mineral Salts immediately. Itcombines the excellence of salt-based therapeutic bath salt, with minerals and tonnes of essential oils. It smells rather… organic, which some may find off-putting. I feel medium about the scent, personally, but the effect of the sea salt and sandalwood, lavender, orange, clary sage, lemon, and tea tree — among others! — is pretty spectac.

Oh, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, how do I love thee? Countless ways! I have tried other oils, and liked them muchly, but not completely and utterly muchly — no where near as muchly as I adore this. The scent! The coverage! The suppleness of my skin! This year saw a special anniversary addition that came in a spray bottle! There is a version that has glittery sparkle in it! Still waiting, like many of this product’s fans, for the perfume version. Hint, hint, Nuxe!

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Here’s the original post about the Dermalogica salts; here are the words about the prodigious oil.

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Top Twelve of 2012: Four, Calling Birds

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Did anyone else think that this holiday was completely weird, time-wise? Not only that it came up so quickly, but also, I don’t know, it just seemed like everything was on the wrong day?

I blame Tuesday. Aw, poor Tuesday, I feel bad immediately saying that. However: Christmas on a Tuesday just doesn’t work. So let’s avoid that for the next while, ‘kay?

Because of time and Tuesdays, I suddenly don’t even have twelve days to do a single Top Twelve per day, so I’m doing some grouping here. Let’s start with makeup, my B&B birdies! Continue reading →

Top Twelve of 2012: Lucky Number Thirteen

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I was just this second reviewing my list, and I gasped aloud: there is nothing on it to do with The Hair.

Scandalous!

HYDRATING STYLINGAnd then I remembered that I was in fact going to laud the seemingly implausible qualities of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream. So let’s just call this Lucky Number Thirteen, and then we’ll get on to the business of the rest of the list.

‘Seemingly implausible’ because, as the owner/operator of fine hair, the notion of putting anything as heavy as a styling cream on post-blow dried locks is like, why not just stick your head in a vat of goo?

As I reported here, I took the risk, and I have to say, the risk has paid off in spades since April. No matter that I use styling oil, and have gotten one of those Keratin hair dryers*, I still get flyaway strands that want to do what they do best, and flyaway. This tames them, and also imparts that signature Moroccanoil fragrance, which is powdery and clean, and one other thing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Possibly the thing itself from which Moroccanoil is made, like a nut or something?

Hang on.

Okay. I have plenty of stuff that has argan oil in it, and they don’t all smell like this. The Internet was sharing all kinds of links with itself when I Googled, but most of the links had to do with other products {reading is fundamental, mentallers} including the nut one, so clearly I was confused, too. We all get confused sometimes. Glass Petal Smoke — a site I will certainly be bookmarking — breaks it down to white amber and musk. I am huge fan of both, so there ya go.

So, two more things I couldn’t put my finger on. Also! Totally forgot to try it on damp hair, pre-blow, as I had vowed to do in the previous post. That will be top of my New Year’s Resolution List, right below ‘world peace.’

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*OMG Keratin blow dryer thing. Have you heard? I’ll be back with that anon.