The hair necessities

I've decided to return to my roots and have dyed my hair dark brown. Whether Mother Nature intended for my locks to have a faint coppery tinge is up for debate, but that's what the formula did, so that's what I'm stuck with (whether I like it or not). Dyeing one's hair can be such a minefield. I used to work at a magazine where I was sent discount cards for some of the most gorgeous hair salons in London. Now I'm leant over a bathtub, shower head in hand, trying to make sure I haven't dyed my face in the process. Going freelance has not been without its merits, but I sure do miss those freebie styling sessions.

I remember when I was growing up, my little sister (intent on emulating Jennifer Aniston's ubiquitous 'Rachel' cut) reached for the bleach. She followed the instructions carefully, making sure every strand was covered from root to tip, then sat down in front of the TV to let it work its magic. The storyteller in me likes to think that she was actually watching an episode of Friends when she realised that she should have washed the solution out 40 minutes previously. Whichever show had diverted her attention, the damage was done. I found her that evening, face red from crying and with swollen eyes, hiding under her duvet. Her hair was the colour of Lurpak, with not a pinch of pigment left in it. It was kind of hilarious. And to really rub salt into the wound, the hairdresser made her dye it gravy-brown to minimise the damage.

That was way back when, however, and today's formulas are much kinder to your hair. It's hard to say which at-home colourants are the best, because they all harm your locks to some extent. The secret is to optimise your hair's condition afterwards through deep-conditioners, heat-protectors and the like. With the right care, a bleached barnet really can look as healthy as a virgin mane.

I'm looking after my new hue with a combination of L'Oréal Elvive Nutri-Gloss Light Shampoo and Conditioner, £2.25 each (I use the light version on my fine hair but dryer locks can stick with the original), and Kérastase Ciment Thermique, approx £17 (an incredible milky lotion that you apply to wet hair as little as once a month, leave in, and which is re-activated every time you heat-style it, prompting another boost of protection and shine. I love this stuff). For girls with a bottomless wallet, Frédérik Fekkai Advance Care Overnight Hair Repair, £137, leaves hair noticeably softer and smoother when washed out the following morning, but for a budget-friendly buy, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Night CremeSerum, £14.67, gives a brilliant result at a snip of the price.

Images: Frederik Fekkai; John Frieda; Kerastase; media.photobucket.com.

The Art of Concealment

I'm sure I'm not alone in finding the salespeople who work on beauty counters amongst the most irritating in the world. At least in a clothes shop you can hide behind a changing room curtain while they hover outside with their pseudo-gal pal opinions, but at a beauty counter they just firmly plant themselves in front of you, offering advice that you already said you didn't want.

I was helping a friend choose a new concealer yesterday, and had already whittled down the list of suitable contenders in my head, so I knew what I was looking for. My friend is a natural beauty and also a bit of a product-phobe - perfect bait for the sales-hungry vultures - so we braced ourselves before venturing inside the store.

"Can I help?" came the inevitable question.

"No thanks, we're just looking."

"That's really good, that concealer is. It's really good at hiding stuff."

"Yes, we know. Thank you. We're just looking."

"Would you like me to do a makeover on you?"

"Really not necessary, we know what we're looking for."

"If you'd like me to show you to" etc etc.

And so it went on, with me showing my friend how to use different textures for under-eyes and for blemishes, while the commissions pest hovered around us, interrupting constantly and trying to convince my English rose friend to try the darkest shade because "orange covers everything".

(The temptation to point out that I had actually tested that product three months before it even went on counter was building up inside me, but as trump cards go you need to use it straight away, or it just looks like you're lying.)

In the end my friend plumped for the fabulous Laura Mercier Undercover Pot, £28 (stockist: 08001234000) - I use this every day and would be lost without it. It's a trio of face perfecters: a creamy concealer for under-eyes that can be patted on to built up coverage, a thicker solid concealer for covering up spots, blemishes and red patches, and a loose setting powder for keeping the concealer put and mopping up any distracting shine. All in one itty-bitty pot.

I'm afraid I don't have a magic secret for getting rid of sales-pests (apart from go with a shopping list and don't be swayed. You probably don't need their new primer and you certainly don't need the matching lip liner. Be strong.)

I can, however, pass on my fail-safe concealer tips, including this helpful little tit-bit from the wonderful Craig Ryan French, lead product advisor for research and development at Paul & Joe Beauté (before I ate his dust on the go-kart track, but that's another story...): "When choosing concealer for under the eyes, go for shades with peach rather than yellow undertones. The yellow counteracts with the blue in your under-eye bags but leaves skin looking grey, whereas peach camouflages the blue and creates a second-skin finish."

My own facial finger-painting has taught me to always dab concealer on with a finger or small brush, building up the coverage ever so slowly (patting it on also creates a more natural finish than smearing it over spots.) I always finish with a light dusting of powder, and if necessary, you can even dab a second layer of concealer over the top.

As is often the way with beauty, less is more. A good mascara, blush, balm and concealer is all you need to look fresh and pretty (but promise me you'll test the shade before you buy it - the future may be bright, but it's definitely not orange.)

Images: MAC Cosmetics, Laura Mercier.

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Matte-r of fact

Poppy Loves Lipgloss has been a busy bee this week with work commitments and getting ready for our first ever TV appearance. Autographs: 50p.

The world of television is so new to us that we had to enlist help from our very glamorous presenter friends as to what to wear (block colours, nothing white or with tiny print), what to say (something intelligent, or at least try to), and how to look. Shine is out, we were told, and the camera loves matte, matte, matte (apart from lips, it seems, where copious amounts of gloss were applied by the resident make-up artist. We'll admit we wiped a bit off before going on.)

Luckily, the gorgeous at girls at Revlon had sent us a goody-bag that morning filled with the brand's lastest launches - all of which are matte. Hoorah. So with fingers we dipped into the pans of Matte Eye Shadow, £4.99, and Matte Powder Blush, £7.49, to find the perfect shades. We highly recommend the shadow in Vintage Lace (a pale vanilla) and Aubergine (...erm, aubergine) and the blush in Rose Rapture. (Regular readers will know our penchant for blush with shimmer, but we've been pretty sold on this matte one... for now!)

So having done the basics ourselves we went and sat in the make-up artist's chair for final touch-ups. We especially loved this as we got to have a good nosy round the professional's make-up bag. Lots of MAC, lots of Bobbi Brown, and we spied some Estee Lauder and Rimmel in there too. Our shiny forehead was mopped up with a dusting of MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural Powder, £17.13. We suddenly wished we'd brought our Guerlain Pour Homme Terracotta Bronzing Powder, £34 (because it's formulated for men it contains not a hint of shimmer, so looks super natural). Maybe next time.

If you want to check it out and hear us say 'Facebok' instead of 'Facebook' (we really did try to sound intelligent) then click play on the image below:

Mirror, Mirror

I've decided that the mirror in my bathroom is A Good Mirror. It's wide, full-length and shiny. It might have something wrong with it, admittedly, as it seems to stretch and slim everything it reflects, but this is no bad thing. Bathroom Mirror is a friend. Unlike Hallway Mirror, which is nice to my face then stabs me in the back as I walk away. A quick glance over the shoulder and suddenly my rear view is worthy of a 'Honk If You Like Bacon' bumper sticker. Which is terribly confusing, since Bathroom Mirror told me not five minutes ago that I looked ok.

Schizo mirrors aside, there are some makeup products that I know I can depend on, and which work on every single person I've tried them on (which, in the tsunami of 'miracle' products that are launched at us every month, is saying something). It's by no means an exhaustive list, but if you're on the lookout for a new balm, brush or liner, these come with the PoppyLovesLipgloss triple tick of approval.

BEAUTY SUPERHEROS

Clinique Repairwear Intensive Lip Treatment, £19.57 - the best balm in existence. Expensive, but it won't dehydrate your lips the way cheaper versions can. And if further proof of its softening powers were needed, this is the only balm, in my opinion, that can tackle the discomfort of cracked, dried-out lips caused by powerful anti-acne drugs.

Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Liner, £18 - a soft, cake liner that creates a smudgy, natural eye in seconds. Simply rub a flat, firm bristle brush into the liner (I use Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Brush, £21.53) and wiggle the colour into the outer corner of your lashes for a longlasting, eye-enhancing look.

MAC Blushcreme in Lilicent, £14.68 - for royally rosy cheeks, this ultra-natural cream blush blends in seamlessly and suits pretty much every skin tone (it's also a perennial favourite amongst beauty editors). If you prefer powder, then try their Powder Blush in Tenderling, £14.68.