Lierac Eau Sensorielle 3 Fleurs Blanches

You may have seen my previous post about the Lierac Sensory Oil with 3 White Flowers. This post is about the “perfumed hydrating water” from the same White Flowers range.

I discovered this perfume in Sephora in Malaysia but didn’t want to write about it until I found a decent stockist outside of Malaysia! I have now found that Cocoon Centre stock a huge range of Lierac products including the oil and perfume from the White Flowers range.

I was over the moon to find this site because I absolutely LOVE the smell of this perfume. So much so that I have been using my original bottle really sparingly as I didn’t think I would be able to easily replace it.

The smell is definitely floral but it’s not sickly sweet. Its a combination of Jasmine, Camelia and Gardenia. There is something about the smell that is so unique and appealing. I love this perfume even though I hardly ever go for floral perfumes. I tend to like scents that are quite musky and somehow this is somewhere between the two. The perfume is also very hydrating so isn’t drying on your skin like normal perfumes. I think this adds to it’s appeal.

Either way I have purchased my next bottle from Cocoon Centre just in case they go out of stock!

Too Old for Shorts?!

I love the idea of wearing glamorous shorts with black tights, heels and a smart top and jacket. The only thing that has held me back is the concern that at 38 (almost 39) I am just too old for shorts!

When a friend invited me to a hen do / party which involved a stretch hummer and a night at Floridita’s in London (Latin club) I thought it was the perfect opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and try out the glamorous shorts!

So I went straight onto Asos (one of my favourite online shops) and ordered two pairs that fit the idea I had in my head. First up is this gold jacquard pair reduced from £35 to £21. I thought the gold and black were completely my style and it would work perfectly with my gold jewellery. I was very nervous trying them on as I was sure they were going to look all wrong on me but I was very pleasantly surprised! I really really love them! I think the cut and fit are very flattering and more importantly they are not too short. Keeping the rest of the look quite conservative I think really helps to make this outfit look quite sophisticated and not tarty! I am wearing my Asos chiffon blouse, my old Jigsaw jacket and my Clarks ankle boots. Th necklace was a gift and is by Pranella.

The second pair of shorts I ordered is this beautiful jacquard pair in greens, blues and autumn browns. These were £10.50 reduced from £35 so a proper bargain! Again once I tried them on with the same top, jacket, shoes and jewellery I fell in love with the look! I think the colours are really stunning and gives it a unique and expensive feel. It took me ages to decide because to be honest I liked them both so much but I finally went with the green pair mainly because I loved the colours.

So, I will let you be the judge, but I definitely don’t feel old enough to completely write off wearing shorts just yet!

Sleek Makeup – more purchases!

After falling in love with my Sleek Makeup BB Cream I decided to have a look on the Sleek Makeup website. To be honest there was SO much stuff on there that I wanted it was very very hard to choose. The only thing that held me back was not being able to try the colours on my skin even though they have a genius way of showing you the colours – swatches photographed on different skin tones. Because of my darker skin tone I do find that getting the right shade of makeup is quite hard to do online especially when I am looking for powders, highlighters and blushers which is why I always prefer to try them out first.

So the next time I was in Superdrug I went straight to the Sleek Makeup section and tried out a few of the things I had seen on the website.

So the first thing I wanted to try was the Suede Effect Pressed Powder (£7.00). I went for Shade 03. This powder gives a really good smooth, matte finish. I use it as a mattifying powder to set my makeup. I also use it when I am out about and in need of a touch up. The texture is really lovely and very velvety! As you can see from the photo it is such a good match for my skin it just disappears!

Next I went for the Face Form in Medium (£10.00). This is a trio of powders for your face. The Medium palette comes with a contouring powder, a highlighting powder, and a bronzer. I have been looking for a bronzer and contouring powder and to be honest didn’t really expect to find them together, so this was a real bonus. Plus you also get the gorgeous highlighter – even better! The colours of this palette are really strong so a little goes a long way and they really complement my skin tone. All three work really well together which makes it a perfect handbag makeup essential!

Finally I decided on the iDivine Primer Palette (£7.99). This is a palette of cream eye shadows that can be used on their own for a lovely subtle wash of colour or can be used as a primer before layering on powder eyeshadows to give a really intense hit of colour. I have been using it for both. The layering works really well and definitely helps to not only make the colour of your powder shadows more vibrant but it also makes them last longer and not crease as much. As you can see from the swatches the colours are really beautiful even on their own and are strong enough even for my colouring.

So yet again I am extremely pleased with my Sleek Makeup finds and will no doubt be continuing to expand my collection!

Leopard Print Jeans

I spotted these jeans on the Glamorous website and had to have them – they were reduced to £10 so couldn’t really say no! I got them in a size 12. I love them.

They also have these gorgeous dark pink pair reduced to £14.99 which I am seriously contemplating too…

Jewellery Gifts

I got a few beautiful pieces of jewellery for Christmas so I thought I would write a quick post about them!

First up is this amazing bracelet by Dryberg Kern. I have been eyeing this bracelet up for a while and my lovely daughter (husband) got it for me. I love the way it looks with my Michael Kors Rose gold watch. I have not taken it off since!

Next up is another bracelet from a brand called Pranella (again from my daughter/husband). A boutique in Winchester called Maxims stocks this brand and the Dryberg Kern too (I love that shop!). This bracelet is really four charm bracelets that are attached together by a small link that you can take off. So you can wear these all together or individually as the mood takes you! There are loads of colours and combinations but I really love this one that Inika (my daughter) chose for me!

Finally, my husband also got me the yellow gold Halo necklace by Daisy Jewellery with the gold OM coin insert. I love this a lot and thought it would look great layered with a rose gold version so I got myself the rose gold halo necklace with the stars coin insert. Both chains are the 18 inch length but they have an adjustable length to make them a bit shorter. I think they look stunning worn alone but just so cool worn together! Best of all I can now just keep buying more coin inserts and change them around as I like!!

Blouses, Blouse Shirts?

I am not sure if you have noticed my growing collection of blouses? Maybe I was being too subtle?! Anyway I am definitely developing a taste for the “blouse” or is it “blouse shirt”?!

Let me explain – I have a fairly large bust, I am not a size 10 (as you may have noticed) and I do not have a flat stomach. These body characteristics mean that I have to dress for my shape and the shirt blouse (I think I will just call it a blouse from now on!) is perfect for me! So I am more than pleased that the blouse is well and truly on trend at the moment.

Making the most of this trend, I have been stocking up on blouses of all shapes, colours and textures! I have already shared with you in previous posts my beautiful champagne blouse from Dorothy Perkins with its gold embellished collar and my chiffon black wardrobe essential from Asos.

In pictures below – Dorothy Perkins blouse on left with Asos trousers (which I returned because I kept the green ones!) and on the right Asos chiffon blouse with my Zara cropped trousers and Zara Eagle necklace.

My next two purchases are from H&M. First is the Dalmatian print. I fell in love with the print, texture and the way it hangs – perfect at £14.99. Then I spotted this beautiful sheer watercolour print in the sale for £10 and couldn’t resist. I went for a size 14 in both blouses to keep the fit loose and flattering whilst still giving me a slim silhouette.

Picture on the left is the Dalmation print worn with my old pair of River Island jeans, Primark cardigan and Jones boots. Picture on right is the watercolour blouse with black trousers also from H&M and my Clarks courts.

Next is this stunner from Valour and Valkyrie. Its a beautiful feather print with really lovely cuffs and in a silky material. It’s normally £60 but I found it in Winchester for sale for £48 in a medium. I am wearing it below with my Zara cropped trousers and Jimmy Choo shoes.

Finally I know this isn’t exactly a blouse but it’s close enough! I got this a while back from Vila which is stocked in a boutique in Winchester called Maxims. It was £25 and I love it. Once I found a body to wear underneath it really works with loads of my clothes. I got a size L as it was the last one, but as you can see it hangs really well. Worn with Asos cocktail trousers in picture below.

Clarisonic Mia

I have been using my Clarisonic Mia electric face brush for about 6 months now so I feel that its the right time to be able to review it properly.

Basically there are three Clarisonic models

!. The Plus : £179 all singing and dancing and includes a body brush function.

2. The Classic : £155 with two speed option.

3. The Mia : £120 the smallest size with one only speed option.

I went for the cheapest option – the Mia mainly because I didnt really want to spend lots and I didn’t really need the options provided by the other two models. All come with a brush head which they recommend replacing every 3 months.

My skin is fairly well behaved. Overall I would say I have combination skin that normally doesn’t really have major problems. Having said that I have had a bout of break outs around my chin area which I have finally tackled through a combination of using the Mia weekly and also some specific skincare (Effaclar Duo).

The reason that I bought the Mia was really because I am a beauty junkie and couldn’t live without trying this gadget out given the great reviews it’s had! You are advised to use it once or twice a day. I only use mine once a week on average as I find that’s all I need. I tend to use it with my Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser or my Una Brennan Neroli cleanser. As I dont use it that often I have found that my brush head has not needed replacing yet. I clean it really well after each use with some hand wash and leave it to dry (see picture below). This stops any mould developing and has worked a treat so far!

The Clarisonic Mia basically works like giant electric toothbrush for your face (see picture below for size)! Once you press the button it comes on for one minute before switching itself off. In that one minute you are meant to clean each part of your face with a light circular motion (cheeks, forehead, chin, nose, neck and even down to your décolletage). The other Clarisonic models beep to tell you when to move to another part of your face. I just roughly go for 10-20 seconds depending on where I feel needs more cleansing. You have to be gentle with this or your skin will not thank you for it!

So what’s my verdict? I really like it but it does have its drawbacks.

The reason I really like it is because it gives my skin a lovely massage as it cleanses which really does wonders the morning after a night out. It makes your skin glow and basically gives you a great lift. It’s also particularly good for a pre-mask cleanse as I feel like my pores are fully cleansed and awaiting the goodness of the mask to really get into them! Over time I also do feel like it has contributed to improving the overall texture of my skin making it smoother and softer.

I don’t love it because you have to cleanse your face first before you can use this. You can’t really use this to do your first cleanse with a full face of makeup because you can’t use it to remove your eye makeup. I always hot cloth cleanse at the end of everyday so its not that big a deal to use the Clarisonic after but to be honest I actually find it a bit too thorough a cleanse. What I mean is that although its great at removing all traces of makeup, it can also strip away all your natural skin oils, something I don’t find with the hot cloth method.

By not using it everyday I get glowing, extra clean skin when I need it without stripping my skin of all moisture. I think over cleansing is a recipe for disaster no matter your skin type so I wouldn’t recommend anyone use this twice a day!

So on balance I would say that I am glad I got it as I think it is a good investment for my skincare routine and one that I hope will result in long term improvements to my skin tone and texture.

Andrea Garland La Renarde Lip Balm Ring

I saw this Andrea Garland La Renarde ring ages ago and loved it but was trying to be good so didn’t get one. Then I saw that they were selling them on My Wardrobe and as I had a £25 voucher I decided to go for it. They are usually £36 so it only cost me £11! They are on sale now so if you want one get it quick! I went for the small size (6) – they only come in 2 sizes (6 small and 8 medium). They are slightly adjustable which is great.

The thing about this ring that I love (other than the massive gold fox head!) is that it has a secret compartment that opens up to reveal a pot of lip balm. The balm is made from organic beeswax, softening shea butter, sun protecting Red Raspberry Seed Oil, Benzoin for chapped lips, anti bacterial Grapefruit and healing Lavender. All of these lovely ingredients together gives you the most amazing lip balm for shiny, smooth hydrated lips!

What could be better than an oversized statement ring with an added secret purpose!

Sale Purchases

I have managed to get a little bit of sales shopping in but not too much! I found some really great bargains of things I had seen pre sale and really wanted – which is always the best way!

First of my sale purchases is this gorgeous dress from River Island, originally £25 reduced to £7. The dress was a midi length but I had a tailor take it up 7 inches as I prefer a shorter length as it’s easier to wear with long boots and flat shoes too. I find midi dresses only really work with heels. I love the colour and floral design of this dress, it’s not a ditsy floral which I think gives it a more sophisticated feel!

The picture on the right shows the next sale purchase – a black sequin cardigan from Primark reduced from £10 to £5. To be honest you can never have enough cardigans when you live in England and this will see me through all the seasons! Boots in pictures are from Jones.

I then found this lovely blouse in H&M for £10. Really love the colours and digital floral print.

Next I went into Accessorize and got a few statement pieces of jewellery that I had spotted a while back which had been reduced to bargain prices! Everything I bought was reduced to £4.80. Their original prices ranged between £18 and £16. I love huge earrings like these as I think they can transform a simple look or outfit effortlessly. The necklace is stunning and I love it worn over print to almost clash. Emerald green is supposedly the colour of 2013!

And lastly I got the faux fur neck snood from Dorothy Perkins reduced to from £16 to £12. Its really warm and very glam and goes really well with my existing jackets and coats. It has poppers so that you can undo it rather than trying to wrestle it over your head which is perfect for when you have a lovely up do you don’t want to ruin!!

Kneipp Herbal Bath Oils

I am a HUGE fan of baths, I know its not very environmentally friendly but it’s a part of my daily ritual that I really cant live without. Almost every night I have a bath before bed. I light candles, listen to music and read my fashion magazines while I soak in a scented bath usually with a face mask of some sort! It’s my total relaxation and wind down from all the stresses of my day and I find that it helps me sleep really well.

So because I spend a lot of time bathing I have to have a good selection of scented goodies for my bath. This post is only about one particular brand of bath product – Kneipp, but I will do another post of my all time favourites very soon!

So Kneipp are a German brand that to me stands for very high quality natural ingredients that deliver great benefits to your body and mind. According to Kneipp their Herbal Baths Oils are made from the purest natural herbs and contain highly concentrated essential oils. I find that this works in two ways by inhaling them from the steam in your bath, but also because they are absorbed when you soak in your tub.

As you can see from the picture I currently have five of their oils – Eucalyptus which is great for when you are feeling congested and a bit under the weather; Juniper which I always use after my hot yoga as it’s meant to relax sore muscles; Orange and Linden Blossom which has a gorgeous smell and is very soothing; Valerian and Hops which is my put me to sleep favourite; and finally Rosemary which is really a morning after tonic to get me going. All of them do colour the water as well (except Juniper) which for some reason I find highly satisfying – especially the lagoon blue of the Valerian and Hops!

There are few more bath oils in the range including Arnica, Melissa, Lavender and some blended ones like Red Poppy and Hemp, Jasmine and Sweet Almond and Ginger and Cardamom.

Because the blends are highly concentrated I find I only need a capful for each bath which means they do last. They are also very reasonably priced at just under £8 each and can be found in loads of on-line pharmacies.  All in all these bath oils have become one of my favourite bath products and are definitely set to stay a permanent feature of my bathroom shelf.