SLEEP ROLLERS

Gone are the days when it was the height of fashion to have poker straight hair, singed to within an inch of its life. Since Cheryl Cole emerged on the X-Factor judge’s panel in 2008 and became the envy of every girl in the UK (I want to hate her but I just can’t) her  glamorous mane has injected some serious volume into hair trends throughout the country.

In repeated attempts to recreate Cheryl’s sexy volume I back-combed my poor hair every weekend for about a year and in return for this relentless torture it has repaid me with some rather unattractive little wispy antennas. Bad times. So, how can we girls create some serious volume without totally destroying our hair?

Enter Sleep Rollers!

I have used rollers before. I have some large, plastic ones but to create any real volume they have to be in for more than 7 hours and I did try and sleep in them once; I would equate this experience to trying to sleep using an upturned football boot as a pillow and being a light sleeper anyway I admitted defeat pretty quickly.

I heard about ‘Velcro Sleep Rollers’ on Twitter and immediately became obsessed. They are different from normal rollers because they are squashy so when you lay on them they act ‘like another pillow’. When it became clear that my boyfriend wasn’t going to take the hint I quickly tracked down my nearest supplier (Nilam Patel, DermaSpa, Broughton , Milton Keynes-amazing place btw!) and bagged myself two sets of the little beauties! (I’d been going on about them so much I had convinced a friend of mine to get involved too).

The rollers and the packaging are BRIGHT pink. I’m sure this is a selling point to most girls, but it is a product feature which I reluctantly endure… However, the (pink) linen drawstring bag does come in  handy to store them in. In a set you get 2 packs of 10 Sleep Rollers for £16.50 and my thick, armpit length hair takes all 20. I used a YouTube vid courtesy of Miss Hollie Wakeham (love her!) http://www.youtube.com/pampurlounge to help me get them in.

It took me about 40 minutes to put all the rollers into my clean, blow-dried hair and this was quite a strain on my arms by the end but I figured at least it must have been giving the old bingo wings a good work out! Once they were in I quite liked the 50’s housewife look although my boyfriend wasn’t too sure…

Time for bed! As I mentioned before I am a rather light sleeper and truthfully to begin with I couldn’t get comfortable but eventually I drifted off and slept through till morning.

I sprung out of bed with excitement (a feat which alone deserves praise) and immediately started taking out the rollers and I was not disappointed! The effect is big and bouncy but with a natural look about it. The curls are soft and voluptuous, creating chic waves rather than old-fashioned ringlets.

It is apparently a status symbol to go out wearing these rollers and stars such as Coleen Rooney and various girls from ‘TOWIE’ and ‘Desperate Scousewives’ have been seen donning the rollers in supermarkets announcing to the world that they are going out tonight and are going to have big, beautiful hair… I might nip down the corner shop with them in but only for a necessity (essential bottle of vino for getting ready time).

So, I’m pretty much in love with my Sleep Rollers. They have taken me one step closer to the Cheryl Cole vision of perfection; I’ve got the lashes, I’ve got the hair, will I be reaching for the ‘Scouse Brow?’ Possibly not, but with my big, bouncy locks I am a very happy bunny.

Soap&Glory 'Kick Ass Concealer'

Dark circles; every 20 something girl's dilemma. 


Even with the most elaborate eye make-up those dark under-eyes can make you look sallow, tired and (the worst of all) old!


As a sufferer of noticeable, although not completely tragic (Ricky Butcher), dark circles, I have tried many under-eye highlighters which promise 'radiant' and 'luminous' results, yet despite sometimes spending up to £25 I am always disappointed.


When my go-to brand for bath and body treats, Soap&Glory, released a new cosmetics line I actually got more excited about their shimmery bronzers than their concealer. I thought, if the top-end brands can't deal with the dullness, what chance did a high street pharmacy brand notorious for their 3 for 2's have?


O ye of little faith! 


S&G is famous for its bright and quirky packaging (I love the puns) and 'Kick Ass' is no exception! The product itself comes in a small compact comprising of three clever little elements to hide your flaws.


The bottom layer holds step one 'under eye brightening concealer' and step two 'superwear face concealer' in equal quantity. Step three, 'concealer sealing powder' is on a hinged shelf which covers the first two steps and there is even a tiny, patting sponge and mirror making the multi-tasking little compact a storage solution that Ikea would be proud of!


Although the first two steps are extremely light and creamy I advise using a moisturising primer before application. I use Bare Escentuals 'skin rev-er upper' as it's not too greasy on my combination skin.

• Step one, in my opinion, is the most impressive. RIP Dark circles! It glides on, giving a full yet not too synthetic coverage. I highly recommend using a concealer brush for application: the consistency is so creamy and light that fingers will take too much product and result in wastage ( I HATE waste!).

• Step two wipes out problems on the rest of the face: nasty blemishes, visible veins, and it even covered my pesky open pores. Again, beautifully creamy but not as soft as step one, which is better for covering redness.

• Step three, the 'sealing powder', I could take or leave to be honest. In theory it's a great idea as it enables foundation to sweep over without disturbing the concealer. But I think people with dry skin will benefit by leaving this step out as it leaves a slightly flaky finish if I don't prime my face first.

Right-hand dark circle concealed.

Left-hand dark circle not concealed-ouch!

Unfortunately, 'Kick Ass' is only available in two shades, light or medium. Having medium/olive skin I purchased the medium shade which is ideal for me in these pale (and interesting) winter months but I fear once summer swings round and I hit the beach it may be too pale. So, S&G have six months to knock up a darker shade because this aptly named little pot of magic well and truly 'Kicks the Ass' of my dark circles.