Skin Care Wish List

I dont often write about things I haven’t tried out but there are a few skincare products that I am dying to try but either cant afford or haven’t got round to buying yet so here they are!

1. Chanel Resynchronizing Skincare – Le Jour, La Nuit, Le Weekend – Reactivate, Recharge, Renew. (about £70 each available in Selfridges). Oh what I wouldn’t give for these three beauties on my dressing table! GENIUS marketing, understated, chic and just plain clever!! One day….

2. Charlotte Tilbury – two things  – first the Charlotte’s Magic Cream (£70 also available at Selfridges). Everyone knows the amazing makeup artist behind this newly launched label, and everyone knows about her “secret” magic cream. Here it is for everyone to enjoy the benefits of twenty years of skincare wisdom…sigh.

3. Second the Multi Miracle Glow – a cleanser, overnight face mask and a dry skin balm all in one (£45.00). Sounds amazing!

4. Aurelia Probiotic Skincare – Miracle Cleanser (£34 also available at Liberty). This is much more affordable but given I have about 5 cream cleansers currently in use in my bathroom I am waiting for the right moment to purchase this! Aurelia products have been attracting lots of attention recently. This cream cleanser has Eucalyptus, Chamomile, Rosemary and Bergamot in it which to me is elixir! Can’t wait to try this.

5. Estee Lauder – Advanced Night Repair Synchronised Recovery Complex II (£44-65). Recently relaunched and improved version of cult classic. I have used the original and loved it so dying to get my paws on this one. I have tried a tiny sample and it is a much nicer texture than the old version.

A Classic Fragrance Revisited – Youth Dew

I used to wear Youth Dew quit a lot many many years ago and it slowly became a distant memory. A good few months ago I spotted it whilst browsing the Estee Lauder stand as it is it’s 60th anniversary! I was instantly reminded of why I loved it so much so bought a full size bottle (£37 for 67ml) and a small one (£26 for 28ml) to fit in my handbag for evenings and weddings etc!

The smell is very sexy – with woody and spicy notes – so not for the fainthearted! I love the heaviness of this smell and how it transports me to hot, exotic lands! I have been using this non stop for months now and am completely in love all over again. As you can see I am going to need to buy some more soon!

I love the vintage design of the bottles which looks so pretty on my dressing table! I am very pleased I rediscovered this classic scent.

Vaseline Body Gels

I recently purchased two Vaseline Body Gels (£4.69 each), the Aloe Fresh Moisturising Body Gel and the Cocoa Butter Vitalising Gel Body Oil. These are two completely different products that work really well for different skin needs.

The Aloe Fresh Body Gel I use after sun exposure as it contains Aloe Vera and is a cooling light gel. It applies really easily, absorbs quickly and leaves my skin refreshed and  hydrated. It has a very light fragrance, nothing too overpowering. I tend to use this mostly during the day.

The Cocoa Butter Gel Body Oil on the other hand is extremely rich and oily. I use this at night after a shower or bath while my skin is still damp. It has a very oily texture which doesn’t sound great but is actually quite nice. I use this when my skin is very dry and needs a really good hit of moisture as it has Brazil Nut and Almond oils. The smell is definitely cocoa butter which I only really like at night for some reason! I love the way my skin looks after applying this – very glowy!

Both are great products at very reasonable prices which I will definitely buy again.

Body Shop – Skin Saviours

Coming back after a lovely week in the sun I decided that my skin needed a little TLC after all the sun, sea and chlorine. I wouldn’t normally think of The Body Shop as my first choice destination for skincare but in my head I was thinking “I need a good scrub and a good body butter” and that led me straight to the Body Shop.

I was lucky enough to get there during one their many 3 for 2 offers which was perfect. So first for the Body Butter, I went for something a little more special that the regular ones they have – I got the Coconut Shimmer Body Butter (£13). This a lovely rich butter with a silvery shimmer. The smell is definitely coconut but not overpowering and doesn’t linger too long (which I prefer). This body butter has made me fall in love with Body Shop body butters all over again and I can predict another trip into the shop soon to get some more!

Next I got my scrub. I like sugar based scrubs without too strong a scent so I went for the Shea Body Scrub (£12.50). This has got a really moisturising texture and finish. It really did help my skin recover from all the abuse leaving it soft and smooth.

The last thing I was going to get was the new Chamomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter (£12.00) which I had read about in a few magazines and was desperate to try for myself. It is basically a solid oil/cream cleanser that you use just like any other hot cloth cleanser. The smell is DIVINE and the texture just melts beautifully into the skin and removes all traces of makeup effortlessly. I use a flannel (you can get them from Primark) to clean my face every morning and night so just used that with this cleanser and it was heavenly! Like a facial at home.

So, as I proceeded to the checkout the lovely lady suggested that if I got their reward card I would get 10% off everything, a free shower gel and a hair butter for half price. Of course I was sold! So I got the Jasmine Shower Gel and the Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter. The shower gel is really nice and the smell is very rich and luxurious. The hair butter is pretty good too, as my hair was also quite distressed after my holiday I definitely felt like it helped to bring back some softness to it.

Neom Sensuous Home Candle

I have been wanting to try out a Neom candle for ages so this month I decided to give it go! I went for the Sensuous Home candle (£39.50 for three wick) which is is scented with Ylang Ylang, Frankincense and Patchouli. This one comes in dark glass container.

The smell is lovely and rich and really scents the room. I normally have large candles like this in my living room but as it is an open plan room the scent can sometimes get lost. This however, really does fill the room with it’s gorgeous smell.

According to the website “NEOM Luxury Organics candles are made using only vegetable wax and pure essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances so they burn without releasing harmful pollutants, toxins or soot.”

I really love this candle and it is on par with The White Company candles that I have been using recently. I am very tempted to start collecting these for my bedroom and bathroom!

Clarins – Cult Face Treatment Oils

I have been using Clarins Face Treatment Oils for coming on to a decade now. I absolutely love them and keep going back again and again to repurchase. The one I use the most is the Blue Orchid Treatment Oil for dehydrated skin (£30).

According to Clarins this oil “contains extracts of Rosewood, Patchouli and Blue Orchid to tone, revitalise and restore radiance to moisture-depleted skin. Hazelnut Oil helps prevent moisture loss and the formation of fine lines”. I have to say this oil really does deliver which is why I find myself buying this again and again. The smell of this oil is so calming and rich because of the essential oils in it.

I follow my own little routine when I apply this oil as I find it just works for me! After cleansing at night, before bed, I put a few drops in the palm of my hand and warm the oil for a few seconds. Then I place both palms over my face a breathe in the essential oils again for just a few seconds. Finally I massage the oil into my face a neck with sweeping upward strokes. This ritual makes me feel relaxed and ready for bed but I think also helps my skin absorb the oils and benefit from a little massage therapy!

I cannot recommend this oil enough and have definitely converted many friends who use both the Lotus and Santal oils and now swear by them too. They do last for a really long time as only a few drops are needed each time. If you buy one thing this month make it one of these oils!

Wedding Season!

I thought I would do a post about getting ready for a friend’s wedding. I went all out and had my hair put up in a salon. So here it is.

Starting with my hair. The woman at the salon did an amazing job of getting all my hair up but also making the ombre work so well. I loved it! The little crystal comb is from Etsy (very old).

My earrings are from Asos.

This is the dress I wore – it’s from Warehouse and was £85. I loved the black lace and pale pink chiffon. The shoes are from Clarks (see post). They were so comfortable I managed to dance in them all night!

My clutch is a few years old from Jigsaw but I love the embroidery and the fact that it is huge!

For makeup I used my Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation and Powder. On my cheeks I used the Estee Lauder Cello Shots – Pure Color Cheek Rush in Techno Jam (£24.00). On my eyes I used quite a few colours from my Urban Decay Naked Palette (£36.00). I also used the gold shade from my Clarins limited edition Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in 09 Odyssey.  For highlighter I used my Estee Lauder Modern Mercury Powder Gelee. I didnt need to use mascara as I had my eyelash extensions. On my lips I used the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey (£7.99). This lasted really well and was the perfect shade of pink to complement the heavier eye makeup.

 

Beach chic for Inika

I had to include this quick post about this gorgeous Indian cotton beach dress I found for Inika in the Monsoon sale recently. It is so beautiful and unique with its embroidery around the neck, pompoms around the hem and lovely Indian printed design. It was a bargain at £7.50! There are still some lovely clothes in the sale if you act fast!

Clarks Sandals – Sale!

I love these Clarks sandals (called Saxen Curtain) I got them in the sale for £34.99 reduced from £69.99. I have already worn them to two weddings (post on that coming soon!), and they were super comfortable. Clarks really know how to make comfy shoes that look amazing!

I love the mushroom suede colour and the gold detailing. Very chic!

17 Makeup Three for Two Mini Haul

Boots were doing a 3 for 2 on all 17 makeup recently and I had been wanting to get their Mirror Shine Lipstick so thought I may as well see what else was available! In the end I got two of the lipsticks and one metallic cream eye shadow.

So these are the two Mirror Shine Lipsticks (£4.79 each). They come in a sleek black case with a small mirror built in – very handy! The two colours I got were Bolshie (top) and Flirtini (below). They are very similar colours – a bright pink but Flirtini has a shimmer whereas Bolshie is more creamy pink.

Bolshie (above) Flirtini (below)

Next is the Wild Metallic Cream Eyeshadow in Mid Blue (£3.99). This is actually a really lovely creamy consistency with a good amount of sparkle for night or day. I really love the colours of this and am very tempted to get more of these.

It’s hard to show the colour in pictures but as you can see below its quite a nice wash on the lids.