This month we’re asking you to nominate a friend, colleague or someone in your family who could do with a pick-me-up. Are they always helping others? Are they feeling a bit beaten by the boring bits in life (bills, juggling committments etc)? Give them something to make them smile and let them know you care and appreciate everything they do.

This month’s Wednesday Wish is a free makeover at Phoenix Cosmetics. The lovely Phoenix Renata has come to the beauty rescue and is offering one lucky Beauty Gossie a free makeover. Using Phoenix products, the recipient will learn a new trick or two and will discover the best way to make up her face. Time it for a special event, so they can go out looking amazing. I love getting my makeup done - it’s such a treat.

So - write below and tell me who you think should win this wonderful prize!!!

Tamsin xo

Lancome advertised heavily before the product had hit the shelves creating mile long waiting lists at every counter. Estee Lauder snuck in, ahead of their original schedule and managed to get theirs on the counter before Lancome reaping some of the marketing benefits that Lancome had done.

Both sold extraordinarily well. Both delivered fantastic results - longer, fatter lashes with a smooth coating of mascara that didn’t smudge.

Yes, the vibrations are a bit gimmicky, they are said to replicate the wiggle motion that makeup artists use to deliver as much product along the lash as possible - a technique most of us would rarely do (but should). But it works. And it’s fun.

Now there’s a new one. Little sister brand Maybelline New York has released its own version of the vibrating mascara and it’s fantastic. Maybelline Pulse Perfection is a fantastic produce and even when the battery malfunctions and no longer works (as mine seems to have done), it’s still a fantastic mascara delivering the desired results. No, I’m not being paid to say this - I truly love it.

Have you tried it?

At only $29.99 it is under half the price of the Lancome and Estee Lauder versions. So for those who love to bag a bargain - don’t delay!

Tamsin xo

But before you get too depressed and kick the chair and mutter about the curses of cool temperatures - head back to your happy place and think about what this means. Winter means transformation time. New clothes, new hair cut, new lipstick colours. Winter is snowboarding, red wine, crackling fires and delicious roast dinners.

Winter is a good time to grow your hair out and go for a darker shade. Match the hues of your wardrobe and the heavier textures with a heavier cut - try a blunt fringe. Blondes are either icy, platinum or warm caramel. Brunettes should add flashes of red.

Here’s some hair porn courtesy of L’Oreal Professionnel. Enjoy!

What are you going to do this winter? Chop your hair? Grow it? Change colour?

Tamsin xo

It’s one of the most simple steps in any skincare routine yet when it’s done wrong it sets the skin up for all sorts of problems.

Over cleaning, or using a cleanser that is too drying for your skin type, causes irritation, dry patches and redness; but not cleaning the skin properly leads to clogged pores and therefore blemishes. If the cleanser leaves a residue on the skin, it will prevent moisturizers and serums from penetrating properly and can also lead to clogged pores. So you’ve got to hit the balance right - clean thoroughly but also gently and usually this means using a water-soluble product.

Generally speaking there are three types of cleansers: wipe-off cleansers (cloths, cold creams and milky formulas), soaps (including bar cleansers), and water-soluble cleansers (creamy or a lotion).

Water soluble cleansers are gentle and efficient - everything is done at the sink (or in the shower if you’re like me and do everything at once). The best water soluble cleansers will remove eye makeup too - however with mascaras being made to stick, you still need to tend to the eye area separately too. No one wants to sleep looking like a panda.

If you use a cleanser that has AHAs or BHAs be careful about how and where you apply this to the face as the active ingredients will irritate eyes.

One of the most common water soluble cleansers is Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, which can be bought from the chemist and is usually around $30 for a massive pump bottle - it’s excellent for those with dry or sensitive skin, however it won’t remove long lasting makeup.

When buying a cleanser you must seriously consider your skin type and what products you will use after it.

Cleansers formulated for dry skins often contain oils and leave a greasy residue. If someone with a dry skin uses a dry cleanser and then a super hydrating moisturizer, too many emollients can build up, making the skin look dull and preventing the top layer of dead cells from shedding.

But, cleansers designed for normal to oily skin can contain one or more standard detergent agents, like sodium lauryl sulfate, and these can be overly drying and irritating for the skin. This dries the skin out and then creates a need for a more moisturizing moisturizer, which will just add layers of grease.

It’s this cycle of stripping the skin or adding too many emollients that cause most of the skin problems - more so than any other part of daily skin care routine.

If you have dry skin - use a gentle cleanser and use serums or a moisturizer to tend to that problem. If you have oily skin, do the same. The simplest you can keep the cleansing part of your routine, the better your skin will be equipped to handle the products you put on after.

I’ve had the luxury of trying out some great cleansers lately.

Estee Lauder Take it Away Gentle Cleansing Oil, $62

Despite the description ‘oil’ in the name, this lotion is truly fantastic. It’s non irritating and doesn’t leave a residue on skin. It removes eye makeup although I do also use an eye makeup remover to get rid of mascara. I use this in the shower without a washcloth and I’m happy with the results.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Cleansing Gel, $49

This has a really fresh feeling - not a tingle, but a definite wake up call as it removes makeup. It smells divine and doesn’t leave a residue. I am particularly taken with the fact that it has organic ingredients although I do note from the ingredient’s list that it is not completely natural. There are some scientific names there but they’re not the parabens or bad ones (like SLS).

L’Oreal Revitalift Rejuvenating Cleansing Rich Makeup Removing Milk, $

This product is designed for mature skin that needs help in all areas. It’s got vitamin c to refresh skin and ‘glycoliss’ a powerful exfoliating ingredient. I like it because it smells great and I like the creamy formula. However, it does leave my skin feeling as though I’ve moisturized as well and as I don’t have dry skin I probably shouldn’t use it. Having said that, it hasn’t done any harm to my skin either and I do prefer my skin to feel hydrated than tight or dry.

Olay Regenerist Cream Cleanser, $

It’s got that gorgeous Olay fragrance and tiny micro beads that gently exfoliate the skin. The beads are too small to cause any damage and do a great job of sweeping away long lasting foundation formulas. Definitely not one for removing eye makeup, but great for those who are time poor and have the tendency to be sporadic with exfoliating.

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, $72 for 250ml

A really great cleanser that removes makeup but doesn’t leave a residue or make skin feel dry or tight. Really liked using it.

I  know there are millions of others out there on the market - what are you using and why do you like it?

Tamsin xo

We woke up to a BEAUTIFUL day, perfect weather for a picnic by the beach. Then the phone rang. It was the Parks people warning me that Long Bay Reserve, where I’d booked and paid for a picnic spot for the party, was closed due to the impending Tsunami warning created by the earthquake in Chile. Closed until further notice. Sorry, she said nicely as I gulped and thought of the pristine white ezy ups I’d ordered from Carlton’s party hire, the 65 cupcakes my sister-in-law ordered from The City Cake company for the cake tower, the wine we had chilling in chilly bins, the chickens I’d roasted the night before, the millions of buns waiting to filled with chicken or ham, the decorations, the goody bags I’d lovingly filled the night before, the parcels I’d wrapped. . . and so on. A lot of work had gone into this event and now it was in jeapordy.

We swung into action and consulted with family. Over the next two hours we argued between varying public parks to hold it - Western Springs Park (too crowded, can’t get a park), Cornwall Park (too big - how would everyone find us?), The Domain (too busy). I was reminded of that saying, ‘too many cooks’ as everyone’s opinion varied… until we settled on Little Shoal Bay.

Yes, another potentially bad spot given the surge of water heading in our direction.

But it faces SOUTH, I said to those in disagreement. The water has to get past the bridge. We’ll go next to the tennis courts, across the road, a long way from the water.

You’ll have to pull the plug, said my mother in law as time marched on and it was nearing 11am - the time we had originally invited people to join us. NO, absolutely not. No way, would I pull the plug when I had 65 cupcakes, two ezy ups, a trestle table, chilly bins full of booze, chickens roasted, games made up, goody bags beautifully presented with handwritten notes tied on with ribbon. No, no, no!

So Little Shoal Bay it was. At 11am my husband and friend raced to the park to set up the ezy ups, while my mother, Coco’s godmother Jill and I finished making fruit kebabs and ripping leaves off lettuces. A multitude of texts were sent to let everyone know the new time (12pm) and new destination. Coco and I raced to the park at 12.15pm and bet the first guests by ten minutes.

It went perfectly. It looked beautiful. The party girl (completely unaware of the drama that had been unfolding around her all morning) was a dream child. She dazzled in her pearls (yes a very impractical birthday gift from her parents - her father got many dismayed looks by his colleagues at work who clearly wonder how we’ll top that year on year), and pretty frilly dress.

At 2pm I realised the birthday girl had barely eaten a proper lunch and although we gave her a bot, she needed to eat some solids. Then the (cup)cake came out. Let’s give her a taste of chocolate, we said laughing… yes… it went down a treat. She gobbled it down and was probably thinking, ‘why have you been holding out on me? what is this delicious substance?’. She didn’t seem to need a sleep for a couple of hours after that.

But what’s a party if you don’t misbehave and break a few rules?

Next year - will be small. Just her friends. I might theme it. Maybe butterflies? Have it in a garden, with an ezy up and some cupcakes and…. just kidding! I hope I can reign myself in. The problem is I do love to organise a good party, I love Spotlight, I love making things.

At 3pm as we were packing up and the numbers were dwindling the parks people rang to let me know the Reserve had opened again. Thanks, but no thanks, we had a fabulous party anyway.

One of my favourite fashion bloggers, Emma Gleason from Rag Pony spills her beauty guts to us…

Describe what you do…

At the moment, I split myself in a million different directions - between Uni (studying fashion design) working  in retail and then my blog Rag Pony and some writing for Front Row Diary. I absolutely love studying, writing and everything to do with fashion - and can’t wait to get my idle hands and brain back to uni. It took me nearly half a Visual Art’s degree to realize my future lay in fashion.

What are your New Year beauty resolutions?

Stop attacking my face - I should know by know the blemishes should not be touched. Also, try more edgy beauty looks. Oh and stop frowning!

What’s your usual daily makeup routine?

About 80% of my makeup is MAC (obviously an addict) starting with my tinted moisturizer - I only wear foundation to work or out at night. Then some concealer and a light sweep of bronzer and MAC’s mineralize blush - I could literally not live without this one. Gives you a healthy flush. I tend to stick to soft browns on my eyes - and only wear long lasting creams or stick (powders tend to irritate my contacts something dreadful). I’m currently obssesd with MAC’s eye paint, or if I’m in a rush I do a quick sweep of Maybelline Shadestick. Mascara is good old Great Lash. I generally always put on lipstick usually a nude, dusky pink, or a brown MAC.

Does it take you long to get ready?

I’m generally pretty quick, I’ve got makeup down to under 5 minutes on most days. And I generally don’t do anything to my hair either!

What would you do if you had more time to get ready?

Possibly  entertain the thought of taking a pair of tweezers somewhere in the vicinity of my brows. However pain, time and a love of the young Brooke Shields hinders this.

What’s your favourite evening look right now? Do you wear this yourself? Why/why not?

At the moment for evening I love a strong brow and a smoky - which has incidentally become my go-to look. I’m also crushing on an inky-dark lip, something I have yet to get the courage up to do - but will on my next big night out.

Are you an eyes or lips girl?

Generally eyes, my mouth’s to small to make much of an impact. So I love a good strong brown eye/brow combo. Currently addicted to the brow pencil, brow set and eye paints all from MAC. Strong yet natural.

Favourite nail polish colour?

I love ugly nailpolish colours - I never feel like myself when I wear pink or red. At the moment I’ve been wearing a lot of mousey greys like “You Don’t Know Jacques” and “Tickle My Francey” from OPI. I’m also partial to a good lilacs and blues, not to mention classic bloody burgundy.

Long nails? Or short?

Definitely short, I can’t stand when they start get even a little bit long - and I think when they are shorter you can get away with more unusual colours.

What’s the one beauty product you’ve used for years and can’t give up?

Dove Summer Glow. Because I’m naturally fair-skinned and freckly (thanks German/Irish/Swedish heritage), I never go that tanned anyway. A few years ago I decided to quit sunbathing altogether and make a concerted effort to protect my skin from the sun - to prevent both skin cancer and ageing. This Dove product saves me from looking sickly and pallid! Literally, I could not live without it.

What are you searching for?

The ultimate pale orange lipstick - I saw a Chanel one in a magazine recently, but alas I don’t think we are getting it here.

Which fragrance/s are you wearing and why?

At the moment I’m currently switching between Marc Jacobs’ “Daisy” and Victor & Rolf’s “Flower Bomb” - depending which is closest as I’m rushing out the door.

Both are refreshingly unique.

What beauty faux pas are you always committing - even though you know you shouldn’t?

Attacking even the smallest blemishes on my face - I’m lucky my skin doesn’t really scar. That and nibbling at chipped nailpolish (the latter is harmless but looks appallingly trashy).

Best beauty advice you’ve ever read/heard?

Skip the mascara on your bottom lashes - it opens up your eyes. Sounds simple but it really opens your eyes and face up and makes your whole makeup look seem very natural.

If you could turn back time, which hair/makeup disaster would you avoid making?

Face and body glitter on my 11 year old self circa ‘99 is a contender, but it’s hard not to love it in hindsight. What were we thinking?!?!

What advice would you tell the younger you?

Get out of the sun! Your tan won’t last, but the moles, freckles and skin damage will. Oh and bleaching your poor hair white for a year was idiotic.

What trend are you considering trying…?

Dark lips! I tried it c/o the MAC powder room at last years ANZFW and loved it. So I recently purchased MAC’s “Cyber” and now I’m just working up the courage to DIY the look myself.

Kiehls started in 1851 in New York City on Pear Tree Corner at 109 Third Avenue, East Village. John Kiehl specialised in homeopathic and herbal remedies, curative oils, teas and potions to relieve all manner of ailments. Some of his original products had intriguing names like Money Drawing Oil or Attraction Powder. So it wasn’t just a runny nose that would see his devoted customers returning.

The apothecary spirit remains, although now Kiehl’s is predominately a skin care company albeit one for humans, canines and horses! Yes, over the years as the family needs grew, they started making products for pet dogs and horses as well. They satisfied their needs and the world followed!

Today, there is still a Kiehl’s store on the original site and now there’s a Kiehl’s counter at Auckland’s Smith and Caughey on Queen St. To keep with true Kiehl’s tradition there’s a brick wall, Mr Bones, Harley Davidson and other recognisable paraphernalia. If you haven’t already gone to check it out - have a look. And try one of the divine products.

Kiehl’s has a healthy celebrity following and is frequently featured on beauty pages in most fashion magazines. Kiehl’s use natural ingredients where possible.

I’ve been lucky enough to try the Dermatologist Solutions High-Potency Skin-Firming Concentrate and I LOVE it. Yes, they do dream creams with active ingredients too. On another note - the Lip Balm is a goodie as well.

To celebrate the Kiehl’s NZ launch I have two Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 to give away worth $75 each. It’s a goody - it contains squalane, an emollient derived from olives which is similar to the skin’s natural sebum. It is fragrance and colour free with a light texture. So hands up! WHO WANTS ONE!!!!

Tamsin xo

I think that’s the problem when companies over promise what a product can do. This is a good product, but it’s no match for Botox. But you make up your own mind - give it a go and tell me what you think.

RRP $119 from Farmers.

Tamsin xo

Which is exactly how I felt looking at their latest collection shown at London Fashion Week. Once I could look past the hair and makeup that is! There’s that damn hot lip again! The light wash of colour over eyelids! Wild, textured hair with a rocknroll quiff and a fuzzy bun… mad! Crazy!

Here’s how to get the makeup look:

Keyed by MAC makeup artist Petros Petrohilos who said the inspiration was, ‘tough, graphic and tribal’. Much like the clothes.

Eyes: Gloss texture - apply with fingers to eyelids and up to brows.

Face: Apply Strobe Cream as a highlight on cheekbones and temples. Use Face and Body Foundation sparingly - apply to the corners of the nose,under the eyes and centre of forehead. Prep + Prime Transparent Finish Powder and Invisible Set Powder combined and apply to centre of face. Finish with a bit of Gloss Texture to cheekbones.

Lip: Media Lipstick applied with 223 brush. Cremestick Liner in Velvet and blend evenly. Meeow LipGlass - just one coat on top for shine.

Kapow! Beautiful face…

Tamsin xo

A year ago... two days old

a couple of weeks' ago

I’m in the full throes of planning my daughter’s first birthday party - which is really a toast to my husband and I for surviving that first year of parenthood.

Surviving. . . barely. . . I had my first night away from them both a few weekends ago - a luxury I had fantasised about for ages. I had thought that I’d have a sleep in, wake late feeling fully revived and go and get a beauty treatment like a manicure or pedicure. The reality was very different. I woke, like every other bloody morning, at 7am. Wide awake. I couldn’t - no matter how hard I tried - get back to sleep. The worst part is that I hadn’t gone to bed early the night before. I’d been at a friend’s birthday dinner that then turned into a surprise engagement party. So of course it was 1am by the time I got home. Yet still I was wide awake at the crack of dawn.

I made tea and toast and read my book in bed. I lay there for hours - umming and ahing about what to do. I couldn’t really be bothered rushing out the door. I had a friend’s birthday lunch so I did what all good mothers do and cleaned the house, thorougly. It shined and sparkled; I felt incredibly satisfied. Off I went to the birthday celebration feeling virtuous. I caught up with my family later that night - to a very sick daughter and never got to catch up on my sleep - but that’s a whole other story.

Sleep deprivation aside - I’ve learned to function on it. Very well. Clearly I no longer need a full 8 hours sleep. But the joy I get from my little girl is indescribable. She is simply amazing. She crawls at speed and babbles in her sweet little baby language. She has a few words and has learnt some pretty cool tricks. The changes that happen, and so quickly, are simply wonderful. But am I ready for another one? No, not yet. Absolutely not! I want to enjoy her for as long as I can.

So, the first birthday party is a celebration of her - our Snugsy as we currently call her. Or fluffy fringe.

There will be pink balloons and pretty pink lanterns. Party food for kids and a picnic selection for adults, beer for the boys and bubbly for the mamas. Cheerios and sausage rolls, fairy bread and cake. A pinata to bash and a parcel to pass. It will be fun and exhausting but we can’t wait. I’ve been looking forward to this event for the past 12 months!

Tamsin xo