I am told that this is the ultimate coverage foundation that MAC do, and after using it, I can believe it. It does feel very heavy when you first put it on, however once you get used to that feeling, it’s really nice to blend and work with. It does require quick application, any longer than ten seconds once it’s on your skin and it wants to stay there, becoming difficult to blend so you do need to work fast.

I like a flawless, even result and this foundation is really good at evening out and perfecting my skin. However, it is easy to over do it, and you need to be careful with this one as it can look cakey and kind of flat on your skin if you use too much and don’t blend it properly. For that reason I’d say this stuff is best for the evening when you want a coverage which is going to last all night and give a perfect finish too.

I noticed some oxidisation of this product after about 5 hrs wear. But when I set the foundation with a bit of powder it didn’t have this effect and still looked reasonably fresh at the end of the day.

At £19 for 30ml this is not the cheapest foundation around, but because of it’s thick consistency and the fact that a little goes a long way, I can imagine the bottle lasting longer than a runnier, cheaper foundation, thus making up for the price difference.

Good points:

• Great flawless finish
• Long lasting
• SPF 15

Bad points:

• Expensive
• Bottle doesn’t have pump – so you can end up decanting more than you need

• Overall? – 8/10

….or rather, get your rocks on.  There is something so utterly captivating to me about a huge sparkly piece of stone on my hand.  Everyone notices it.  I feel glamorous just drinking a cup of tea or putting coins in a ticket machine.  At work my hands are on constant display to the public and it cheers me up to see my ring sparkling when it catches the light, even in the most menial of tasks.  Fancy, sparkly, over-the-top and exquisitely inappropriate. Who is bothered if it isn’t a genuine diamond?  It’s the illusion which is real!

Clockwise from left:  Boohoo, £8; River Island, £9.99; V&A Collection, £70; Miss Selfridge, £12.50.

I realised that this summer there has not been a day I have left my front door without something hanging from a chain around my neck.  Necklaces can look sweet and delicate but I love how clean and simple a pendant can look and how it can pull an outfit together.  They are so easy to get hold of and I don’t believe  you need to spend a lot of money to get something special – you can find them everywhere.   The only thing to avoid is cheap-looking chains.  The next one on my wishlist is this charmingly sweet heart locket from vintage-inspired jewellery maker, zarataylor.co.uk

I never thought that Parisian fashion house Chanel would have much in common with my local off-licence but guess what?  They both sell temporary tattoos.

The Chanel version is sold to a waiting list of label-loving, fashion hungry women and the latter is sold in-between sheets of pink bubblegum to the kids on bikes at the end of the street.

The Chanel version retails for around £60 for 3 sheets of transfers and consists of pearls, chains, and delicate little birds.  Well now River Island have brought out their own example consisting of pearls, chains, and er, delicate little birds.  The main difference of course is the Chanel set contains the interlocking ‘C’ logo, natch.

I’m tempted to get myself a set of the River Island ones just to have the 5-minute novelty of seeing a tattoo on my own skin.  I’m pretty certain I won’t ever get a real tattoo as one of my gripes is that apart from preferring flesh, practically thinking, there is no design which is going to feel right with every outfit, mood or style.  So the idea of an interchangeable tattoo in the name of fashion, is, I think, actually quite good.

In this case though it leaves me with an unusual quandary.  I wonder which would look cheaper on the skin – the Chanel logo or the £5 River Island example?  Because if we’re honest, to look as though you have chosen to burn a designer logo into your skin you’d have to either be pitifully insecure or be supremely able to pull off such a thing with a huge helping of irony.

Matalan has always made me feel a little bit sad. Devoid of soul, originality and excitement, the cold harsh supermarket lighting and the bored sales assistants all make for a completely uninspiring shopping experience.

There is no seduction, no temptation, and frustratingly, no small sizes (don’t expect to find your size if you are a 6 or 8 as it would appear Matalan only order 2 per store).

I keep getting leaflets through my door letting me know I should ‘Expect More’ at Matalan but all it seems to be is more of the same.

Kate Moss Topshop Range

Today was the 12th time that I have gone online to check the Kate Moss collection at Topshop. The 12th time! I don’t see how the popularity in this line continues to grow, but if the astronomical rate at which the clothes sell out is anything to go by, it’s not looking like it’s about to slow down.

I remember sitting at my computer at 2am one Spring day in 2007, waiting for the first collection to become available. I bought a belt, a couple of vest tops and a liquorice stripe dress (the belt and dress still cherished to this day). However, by the time this, the 12th collection has come around, for me, the whole concept has lost all it’s exclusivity and excitement . Over the years, and we are talking years, designs have gotten lazier, prints have gotten duller and less imaginative yet the prices remain above the normal Topshop rate for not-so-superior quality threads.

It is quite obvious that the only thing which justifies such a frenzy on the Topshop floor is the girl herself. Kate has appeal. She is 4 years away from 40, yet she dresses like a 17 year old and manages somehow to look better than an actual 17 year old. She carries off the whole ‘I just threw it on’ thing so well, keeping it classic yet still sexy and youthful. So this is how I struggle to believe Kate really had any input in the last few collections. The first 2 collections had some heirloom-worthy pieces which will remain on many a ‘must have’ eBayers list (I’m still tracking down the one-shoulder white dobby-print dress, pictured). But the current collection leaves me able to see through the hype and not see a great deal else. All overpriced floaty-unwearable-impractical yet still generic nonsense and not one flicker of excitement.

People will continue to flock to Topshop to see whatever Kate’s name is attached to, because that is her pull, and it is why they will continue to churn out these clothes. An arty photo-shoot and average clothes is a winning formula for the moment. I just can’t see them getting away with it for much longer.

Chanel Nail Varnish

I was lucky enough to receive a delightful Chanel Nail Polish from a kind friend in shade Django. It is a lovely understated pale pink shade with a hint of shimmer. Ok, so there are many similar pale pink shades available accross the Boots counters, but there is an extra joy when it is coming out of a neat little Chanel bottle.