Chatty Chick.

I work for e.l.f cosmetics UK, part of my role is to be responsible for our social media. It's been very successful for the company in building a customer base, which for an online only brand can be hard work. I have been a blogger and YouTuber for over three years. The landscape, technology and number of people involved has increased dramatically in that time. It is barely recognisable from where I started three years ago.

I like to think of myself as an all rounder in the world of social media, I've learned that the only way that works is to immerse yourself in it, learn from others and try new things. The great thing about social media is that you don't have to spend a lot to find out what works.

I manage a few facebook pages, the elfcosmeticsUK facebook page alone has nearly 200,000 fans, as well as the twitter and YouTube channels that are growing steadily. elfcosmeticsUK was voted #33 in the top 100 social brands in the UK earlier this year. We also scooped a fair amount of awards in the Latest in Beauty New Year's honours list, including Brand of the Year, thanks to our social media fans' votes. They are a force to be reckoned with and you can't buy that kind of loyalty and following, it has to be earned. I'm very proud of these achievements as it is mainly down to me and the interactions I have with fans on a daily basis.

Just like marketing, everyone thinks they can do it and with the right experience and mind set, they can! I found that it takes a while to get in to the flow of a community and its mood. It's not that hard really, if you're naturally chatty and have a lot of knowledge about the product range.

I will freely admit that a lot of money is wasted (by others I might add) on social media campaigns which fail to meet the mark in terms of awareness, conversion to sales and interacting on a human level with customers. I won't name names, I take no schadenfreude from these all too public gaffs, I just hope they have learned from their experiences. It's not something you undertake because everyone else is doing it and it seems to work for them.

I've had a lot of interaction with PR agencies, young companies and social media agencies on how best to grow their following. I tell them all the same thing, people won't join a page for a one sided conversation, that's just not social [media].

Skincare Staples.

In times of skin woe I turn to two products which help to rebalance and heal my skin back to a happier state; Alva Cleansing Milk and Alva Lifting Cream. I often have bouts of Rosacea acne, painful red welts on my cheeks which lasts about 2 weeks if I do not treat it with the right products. Sometimes it is brought about by hormones, stress or food (such as red wine and refined sugars in my case).

I've been using these products nearly a year in every season with no ill effects. I like them because no matter how sore, upset or out of sorts my skin is feeling these do not aggravate but gently bring my skin back from the brink. If they don't help then I know it's time to see a Doctor for medical intervention! 90% of the time, these products resolve a flare up for me.

Both products are from the Sanddorn range of Anti-ageing products containing Sea Buckthorn extract. The Sea Buckthorn gives the range a distinctive natural scent and peach colour.

The Cleansing milk is very effective at removing dirt, oil and make up (even waterproof) but remains gentle and non-drying. I take a small amount and work it over the face and neck, then remove with a damp muslin cloth. You can find out more about this product (ingredients, reviews and prices) here. I will say that a 150ml tube has lasted me nearly a year and I intend to repurchase it as the thought of not having it should my skin flare up is not worth contemplating.

Alva Lifting Cream is my next beauty staple, a light but rich cream which is an excellent day moisturiser. It leaves my skin feeling plump and smooth without loading my skin with oil. I do notice the slight tightening effect around the eyes and nose (which is great if my eyes are a bit puffy). It is on the expensive side of reasonable but for such an excellent, no hassle product I am willing to pay it again rather than take my chances with another product.

Do you have products that you turn to in times of need as tried and tested favourites?

e.l.f Complete Coverage Concealer

New to e.l.f UK and Italia is the Complete Coverage Concealer quartet, available in three colours (light, medium and dark) and presented in sleek black plastic compacts with a small concealer brush and mirror.

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGE

I'll start by saying the obvious which is that the pale of pale will be disappointed by this product, the concealers are simply too dark for an English Rose complexion.

So if you're still reading this, as you are not pale, then here we go! Consistency wise it's not as creamy as the All Over Cover stick but a good concealer should be dryish and thin. This allows excellent and perfect coverage by building it up in layers. The heat from your fingers will melt the concealer allowing it to blend to a smooth finish.

I am impressed with this product, I didn't expect to be as concealers are incredibly tricky especially when they promise "complete coverage". I am a big fan of the e.l.f undereye concealer and highlighter and concealer pencil and brush. The concealer pencil and brush is not appropriate for large areas as it is too thick but just for small spots and hyper-pigmentation. The undereye concealer brightens but does not conceal very dark veins and circles. You can use this concealer palette all over the face and in larger areas. I use it to conceal red cheeks and undereye circles.

If your skin is on the drier side like mine, then make sure to use a primer or moisturiser first or it will dry quickly and settle in fine lines. You'll need a primer to ensure that it sits nicely on the skin and lasts well. Best applied with a small brush (included) then blended using the heat from your ring finger (preferred) or if you are in a hurry a small fluffy blender brush. Powder lightly to set and you are good to go for the day.

I can make use of all three of these palettes, the light I would use for highlighting and the dark for contouring. They make a really good palette and handy addition to any make up artist kit.

Complete Concealer palettes are available from e.l.f Cosmetics for £3.50 each. I work for e.l.f Cosmetics UK and these products were sent to me for review (and also as a customer product advisor).

e.l.f Conditioning Lipbalm SPF15 - all shades

My favourite every day shade from this range is Mellow Melon, the first three shades (top row) are sheer. None of the shades are shimmery. They smell of coconut (or pina colada to me), much like the essential range hypershine lip glosses.

These are sheer, non sticky but quite pigmented. For example, Mellow Melon on me gives me a coral pink colour which is great for spring/summer, it doesn't totally block out my skin tone underneath, so bear that in mind. These are not meant to be as pigmented as lipsticks but as you progress towards Romantic Rouge the pigment increases dramatically (as you can see from the swatches) so you get a lot more colour.

These are creamy and soft, leaving my lips plump and moisturised but not greasy or sticky. I really like these for days when I don't want to wear lipstick or gloss but fancy some colour, moisture and SPF.

The only downside for me is that the pots are rather bulky and there is a lot of product so it's going to last ages. It will fit in my bag but I am one of those people who prefer sticks or pens for on the go as it is more convenient (such as the luscious liquid lipstick in Strawberry). I think due to the colour and shine, I could be persuaded put this in my bag at least it won't be hard to find. I think there has to be a lot in the conditioner as you do go through it quickly, faster than a lip balm as you want the colour to last.

I've swatched these on white paper, I think it's easier than swatching them on my lips or skin as everyone is different. This way you can see the colour for how it is and make up your own mind if it fits in with your colour palette. I think Blissful Berry is a colour everyone could wear. CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A LARGER VERSION.

The pots look like the Studio range eye products, crystal plastic pots with black square lids. These are probably twice the size of the cream eye liners for example.

There aren't too many ingredients, I think e.l.f like to keep it simple and to tried and tested formulas which helps keep costs down. Vitamins A & E are present as well as SPF 15 so useful for summer.

The Conditioning Lip Balms recently went on sale for £3.50 at the e.l.f UK website. As I work for e.l.f in the UK, it's my pleasure to bring you my thoughts on this product.

Do you wear tinted lip conditioners, which would you choose?

When to think of others' needs ahead of your own.

This week has been very hard for my husband and I, we had the horrible decision to make on whether to put our pet cat Mewser through a painful and life threatening operation.

For those of you who don't know Mewser, she was quite old - we are not sure how old as I got her from a rescue centre. We think she was probably about 15 years old. I've had her for seven years. When she came to me she was so skinny, terrified and obviously had been abused. It took six months to earn her trust and she eventually blossomed in to the most affectionate and loyal friend.

Last year Mewser developed kidney disease, a common terminal disease in older cats with no treatment or cure. She also suffered a stroke earlier this year which left her legs weak and she was also blinded. Since then her life had gone downhill, every day was difficult for her. But she would still purr and loved our company. We were not ready to say goodbye.

This week when the vet said that we had to do something, there was no do nothing option, we decided that she had been brave enough and it was time to let her go to peace. It was one of the most distressing things I have ever had to do, it all happened so quickly that one moment she was there and the next she was gone forever.

What was good was that we bought her body home with us, I was able to talk to her and say goodbye. I asked for her forgiveness and understanding that we loved her so much that we had to put her welfare ahead of our feelings of loss.

It's hard when you lose someone close to you, the added guilt that I had made the decision to end her life weighs heavily on me. I don't feel like much of a cat momma for doing it. In time I know that I will feel that I did the responsible thing. Her life had degenerated so much that it was not fair to keep her alive just so I could have her presence in my life. I had always known that I would have to make this decision if she did not die naturally. I had hoped against hope that she would slip peacefully away in her sleep.

The little black furry void which has been left in my life is hard to bear at the moment, I keep thinking I hear her stirring behind me or calling me from the kitchen to feed her. I try not to think of her last moments in the vets but more of her happy moments and the love that we shared.

I am very glad that I made these videos about Mewser, you can see all her antics here. http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMewser

Sleek MakeUP - Luminaire Highlighting Concealer

Available in five shades L01 - L05, I was sent L02 the second lightest shade to try. A click-pen type dispenser with a fibre brush tip combined with a dryish formula mean it's hard to overdose on the highlighter/concealer.

What makes this slightly different to other highlighter/concealer pens is the texture which is quite thick and very pigmented. On first use I found that it dries very quickly and becomes too dry to blend out. The trick is to use a damp brush or sponge so that you don't blend it away but you can manoeuvre the product to where you want it.

The effect is quite good though, decent coverage of dark circles and any redness. From a distance it looks flawless and I was impressed with how bright and clear my undereyes looked. However on closer inspection it does dry in to wrinkles and clings like a limpet to any dry patches on your skin.

My suggestion if you are going use this product for the brilliant highlighting and concealing properties (there is no shimmer which is good) then moisturise extra well to prevent it drying too quickly and settling in to fine lines/dry bits.

I like this product for highlighting too, bring it down the from the undereye area to a point on the middle of the cheek in a triangle and blend for really well defined and chiselled cheeks. Use above the jawline from ear to ear to add even more depth to sculpted cheek hollows.

Sleek MakeUP Luminaire Highlighting Concealer is a bit of a bargain at £6.49 from Superdrug and at Sleek MakeUP's online store from 11 May 2011.

Del Sol Colour Changing Nail Polish

Sunkissed is my favourite nail polish for the Summer. I decided to crack open this bottle early considering the beautiful weather we're experiencing in the UK at the moment. Watch the video below to see the real time colour change! It was very hard to film as it changes so quickly! There's also a free shipping code in the information box if you are tempted to try one of the 22 shades of photochromic nail polish from the R8Beauty website.