Amy and I really like the idea of getting a bunch of girls together to do all kinds of girlifying things, and so we put our idea into action this past Saturday. Our lovely friend Shirley played host to us and four other girls, so we could drink bubbly mixed with ginger wine, watch Breakfast at Tiffany’sMolly Ringwald movies and partial episodes of Pride and Prejudice, and most importantly, try out some products and techniques on each other.
Kirsten and I self-identified as having problems with blackheads, so we started out our facial routine with a good steam. This is super easy to do – simply fill a bowl with boiling water and hold your head above it for five minutes or more, covered up with a towel. This is where we recommend investing in some straws for your champagne glasses so that you can stay hydrated while you steam. If you happen to have a blocked nose while you do this, feel free to add a little peppermint oil or vicks vapour rub to the water to clear out your sinuses while you’re at it. After five or ten minutes or however long you can stand the steam, you should come out dripping, but feeling slightly detoxified. In sort-of scientific terms, your pores are now open and ready to receive some product-loving.
We instructed all the attendees to bring along some girlie products to share, so we had a wide range of options when it came to putting on face masques, including the masques from our earlier trial. As well as providing us with a venue and stunning pizzas, Shirley offered us a choice of mud from both Egypt and Rotovegas. Brave Kowhai went with the former, but after laughing at how hard she had to wash to get it off, I stayed national. The Rotorua mud came in a hugeass tub and was only $23.50. The Egyptian mud would be in the thousands of dollars price range, cos you’d need to buy a ticket over there to get it.
We both enjoyed the tightening sensation as the mud dried, and mine came off pretty easily with some warm water, although I did have to clean up Shirley’s sink afterwards. My skin felt super soft and smooth, but I still wanted some moisturiser. Luckily, Kowhai had come to the party with some Nude Moisturiser she’d purchased at the fabulous store of Wanda Harland for around $30. To be honest, I thought the cream was a little bit too rich for me for my face, and I’m not a huge fan of lavender scent, but Kowhai obviously likes it, and that’s a good enough recommendation!
We did some lip plumping that Amy will be blogging about soon, and then we moved on to our hands. Heather had a set of Mary Kay Satin Hands to share with us. Now, you might think that a four step process (rub on emollient, then a scrub, then cleansing gel, then wash it off, then apply a moisturiser) sounds ridiculous, but oh my lordy, your hands feel like they are made out of angels afterwards. Honestly, wow, just wow. It’s like giving yourself a stranger. And if you’re applying it at a party, we really recommend that you and your friends give each other a little handrub afterwards too, using a little extra moisturiser. You’ll feel good, they’ll feel good, and all the boys watching on webcam waiting for panties and pillow fights will get a quick thrill too.
We had more products to try out, but the lure of more pizza and more Molly proved to be a little too strong, but I will hand the computer over to Amy now so she can describe what she did to Kirsten’s hair as part of the girlification.
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Well Jo, with modern technology, girlification is made easy. I merely twirled Kirsten’s pretty locks around my Remington Teflon Curling wand* and voila! (By ‘voila’ i really mean an hour of combing, pinning, heating and holding.) Without any hairspray at hand, i left Kirsten’s new ringlets hanging. With a bit of spray i might have gently brushed through the ringlets to create a Veronica Lake do. aaah well, some other time perhaps. *Disclaimer: i’m actually a little disappointed with this curler, and hankering for a new one. So i do not recommend this product.
Yay! It was a fantastic night all around, we had lots and lots of fun, tried some lovely things, and just generally had some fabulous girl-time. We intend on having lots more of these events, so we think you should become friends of ours, and then we’ll invite you along, and everyone will have a great pretty time!
I am a hairy beast. I tell you this not because I’m proud (although I’m not ashamed), but rather to place context around my use of razor blades. And now I’m going to talk to you about Venus. I was introduced to it in 2002, and I’ve been a devoted fan ever since. The resulting shave seems to last a lot longer that whatever the short Gillette green razor that I used, leaving me smooth (except for all the strips on my legs that I inevitably miss), and I just lather up with bodywash on a puff before I shave. Plus, it has the added bonus of being impossible to cut yourself with when you’re trying to, which is handy if you have bouts of depression. 
Amy: Totally Juicy Grapefruit Peel-Off Mask
This was tingly when I first put it on, and continued to be a feelable presence, with a little tightening as it dried. It washed off pretty easily in warm water, leaving my face feeling smooth, but for all it moisturisy nourishy claims, I really do feel like I need a separate moisturiser now.
