I was most excited by Superdrug’s third challenge, ‘Create your Summer Looks’ especially when a massive box of goodies arrived for me. It contained an incredible selection of make-up from Bourjois and Rimmel as well as the latest Nokia E72 phone – but the latter is a whole other story!!

All this, and an amazing weekend ahead of me, too, I thought as it was Gym Buddy’s Hen Do.

With the challenge to create two summer looks, this was the perfect weekend to do it. Gym Buddy had a whole weekend of fun planned: we would have afternoon tea at the Soho Hotel followed by an evening in Circus and Guanabara, Covent Garden afterwards.

SLIGHT PROBLEM…

But then I realised something: I’m anonymous blogger!

How on earth was I going to demonstrate two make-up looks when erm… my face is confidential!

I sat and I thought, and pondered… and thought… and in the end I decided that there was only one thing for it. I was going to have to come out. Waive my right to anonymity…

So, is everyone ready for the slap-free me?

HERE I AM!

Was this how you pictured me? Be honest now…

Anyway, my outfit for the afternoon tea was based around a new dress I picked up in Notting Hill the other weekend. It’s strapless, 50’s style and has a fabulous waisted belt with a big sequined strawberry on. It was love at first sight – even if the lack of zip means I have to dislocate one, if not both, of my shoulders to get in it!

For this look, I decided to use a selection of the Rimmel make-up.

First, as this dress is quite short – and I have toddler knees and pasty white skin – I put some Rimmel SunShimmer Instant Tan, £3.99, on my legs. This went on evenly and provided good coverage; although I was left scrubbing my fingers afterwards so have decided to use a tanning glove next time.

Then, I applied some Nivea Sun Damage Face Ccream SPF 30, £8, that I bought from Superdrug the other day in a bid to find something that protects my face but doesn’t give me spots. This really does get the thumbs up and even though I wear it every day, my skin remains clear.

And, as I had such spot-free skin, I decided not to bother with foundation and instead got to work on my eye make-up. For this, I blended a small amount of Rimmel Spicy Bronze Glam Eyes over my eyelid and up to my brow line. This powder is easy to apply and blends well, giving a sheer, silky finish.

Then, I dabbed a small amount of Rimmel Posh Peacock Glam Eyes into the inside edge of my eyes before using the Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in Aqua Sparkle along my bottom lid as it matched the blue in my dress perfectly. The smudger tip really helped even the colour out, and although it was a sweltering hot day, I felt confident that it would stay in place.

Finally, to finish off my eyes, I used Rimmel 1-2-3 Looks Adjustable Volume Mascara in Black, £7.99. I love, love, LOVE this mascara – just a simple twist and you can control how much ends up on the brush and therefore on your lashes. I opted for number 2 as it was a glam daytime affair – and it was just right.

As an English Rose complexion, I often find applying bronzers a bit tricky. My face loses definition if I am not careful, so I follow a less-is-more policy. The Rimmel Natural Bronzer, £5.49, is ideal though, and it even has a SPF 8, offering added sun protection.

Finally, I used a sweep of Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss in Endless Summer. This fabulous non-sticky formula looks great and really does stay in place. I had to reapply it during tea but even when scoffing scones, a hint of it stayed in place.

And finally, I opted for 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Coral Crush, £2.49, as this is my absolute favourite shade at the moment although I would definitely recommend two coats of this to get the best finish.

And here’s what I looked like!!!!!!

TIME TO PARTEEEEEEEEE

But then – filled with cake, champagne and tiny little sandwiches with the crusts cut off –it was time to get ready for Circus for our night of drinks and dancing. I was going for the flower-in-hair, tousled, sexy, sultry, erm… gorgeous angle (with a little optimism thrown in, obviously) and needed a look that would be quick and easy apply, and wouldn’t slide of my face in the still-hot-heat-of-the-summer evening. And Bourjois really came up trumps!

After removing my Rimmel Make-Up using Superdrug Natural High Wipes, £2.99, I shunned moisturiser and reached straight for the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, £9.99. Promising a glowing complexion and toned skin, it went on like a dream and stayed put without making my skin feel coated. I was very impressed with the coverage – the pores on my nose were disguised perfectly and it even worked well under the eyes, so I didn’t even bother with my usual concealer.

Then, I used Bourjois Ombre Stretch in shade 03, £5.99, on my eyes. This honey-coloured shadow catches the light and is perfect for nights out, as it’s subtle from some angles and more noticeable from others. Applying it lightly up to my brow bone, it accentuated them perfectly.

I then, rather nervously applied the Liner Feutre – felt tip eyeliner – in Black, across my upper and under my lower lid. I honestly wasn’t that sure about it at first – because as the packaging points out, it’s ‘very long lasting’ and I certainly didn’t have time to scrub it off and start again. It was certainly noticeable and freaked me out a bit at first, so to tone it down, I simply blended in some more Bourjois Ombre Stretch and it softened the black line perfectly.

Then, and this really has to be my favourite mascara ever, which is quite something as they are the things I usually moan the most about on this blog, I applied Bourjois Mascara Elastic in Black. As you can see, I have very long eyelashes and these often get clumpy when applying mascara. But with this one, they quite simply looked fabulous… faultless even!

To add some definition to my cheeks, I swept some Bourjois Bronzing Powder, £6.99, across my cheekbones, dabbing subtle touches across my forehead and brow bones, too. This smells and looks like chocolate and gave me just the sun-kissed look I was going for. And then, to restore some of my English Rose complexion, I used a Bourjois blusher in shade 35, Lune D’or, £6.99, which gave my cheeks a delicate hint of pink.

And finally, a slick of 3D Effect lip gloss in Brun Rose, £6.99.

Honestly, I have never had products work so well together and I was also very excited about finding a new foundation, bronzer and mascara – all Bourjois – that I want to recommend to everyone… and do just that I did. Every ‘Hen’ in the place knew how fantastic I thought everything was, mainly because they had commented on my make-up in the first place.

The last finishing touch was this 1 seconde Nail Polish, which has a fan effect brush. I was nervous about using this as I had a manicure with this new brush style once and the lady totally mucked it up. But actually, I found it easy to apply, AMAZINGLY quick drying, and one coat really was enough.

So then all that was left to do really, was see what I looked like:

And then party the night away, which was exactly what I did… from watching acrobats in Circus to dancing my tootsies off in Guanarbara afterwards. And the best bit? My make-up actually did stay in place. And the second best bit? At 3am when I got home, the mascara actually came off without me having to scrub my eyelids off.

And the third best bit? This weekend I get to mix and match the make-up and create a whole new selection of looks… just for fun! So I think I’m going to put the Rimmel Posh Peacock Glam Eyes eye shadow with the Bourjois eyeliner, and paint my nails in a Rimmel shade of matt grey to match the fabulous grey silk jacket I bought recently.

With all that sorted…. All that’s left is for me to find my body…

Er… any one seen it?!