NIOD Sanskrit Saponins

This was an impulse purchase..I don’t know why but the name made me want it! This is the NIOD Sanskrit Saponins (£21).

So this is what it says about this product…”NIOD (which stands for Non Invasive Options in Dermal Science) utilises ultra-sophisticated, leading-edge ingredients to bring your skin the best the industry has to offer. This deep cleaning balm contains natural saponins (plant chemicals) derived from Ayurvedic plants which maintain the skin’s balance while deeply cleansing it. Containing no synthetic surfactants, sulphates or oils, the pH-balanced formula clears dead skin cells without peeling, targeting all forms of build-up and cleaning pores intensely to leave your complexion exceptionally clear.”

OK so it is quite a strange product. It looks weird, like grey liquid slime! The texture is very runny and it smells very strange (not good strange). I struggled with using this as it is quite thin and strange to apply. I don’t know if it works and to be honest its not a part of my skincare regime that I enjoy! I wouldn’t buy this again but weirdly I just like having it around for days when my skin is very oily or breaking out, it smells and looks like it must be good for you!! A weird review, but an honest one!

 

Your Good Skin from Boots

Your Good Skin is a relatively new brand exclusive to Boots and has been developed by dermatologist and using green tea and Vitamin C to help “visibly improve the health of your skin in just 28 days of its natural cycle”.

I am always looking for good cleansers and I mostly use hot cloth cleansers all year round. So I decided to try their version (£8.99).

I really enjoyed using this cleanser. It is a lovely thick creamy texture without being heavy or claggy. It definitely removed every scrap of mascara (even waterproof) and all other makeup. My skin felt clean and not dry or tight after.

For the price I am definitely keeping this on my list of cleansers that I would re-purchase. It is a good solid no nonsense cleanser!

H&M Home Haul

Myself like everyone else I know is obsessed with H&M Home. Their aesthetic is just so perfect and they always seem to have some really interesting pieces that look high end designer not high street! Of course the prices are pretty amazing too.

This post is going to be a slightly long one given the number of things I have acquired over the past year or so.

First up are mugs – these are the most gorgeous mugs ever! You will notice that I am drawn to most things with a gold accent – mainly a gold rim in the case of H&M Home! The flamingo and ladybird mugs are beautiful. I love that they are black, white and gold. The mugs are all £6.99.

This one is also stunning with flowers and more ladybirds and of course a gold rim – this was a gift from someone who knows me well!

Next is a tray with the obligatory leaf print and again with a gold rim! It is such a unique piece (£17.99). I use it in my living room stacked over magazines and coffee table books and in it I have another H&M item – a candle in a decorative jar.

I love this candle. It is scented (firewood and fig) and costs £12.99. I love the snake design and of course the gold accents. After I finish the candle this will probably end up in my kitchen for tea bags or sugar!

Another stunner is this textured ceramic storage jar in baby blue with a gold topped lid. I use this in my bathroom for bath salts!

Finally my favourite most recent purchase – a ceramic plant pot with palm print and cheetahs (and of course a gold rim)! This is such a stunning piece and looks so much more expensive than £12.99! The green of the plant looks amazing against the black, white and gold. The design is also amazing and as you can see the images change as you move the pot around.

That is my current H&M Home collection but I know that this will be growing, every time I look on their website I see so many things I want that I have t resist!

Hawaiian Tropic – Golden Paradise Fragrance Mist

Sali Hughes is one of my main enablers! I cant tell you the number of times I have read her beauty column in the Guardian and rushed out to get whatever she is recommending.

This time it was so weirdly well timed, it was meant to be! I was about to purchase the cult classic summer fragrance – Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Skinscent (about £43). I have bought this fragrance quite a few times and it never disappoints. However, literally on the day I was placing the order there was a whole article from Sali on summer fragrances, and yes Bronze Goddess was featured but even better Sali recommended a dupe – from Hawaiian Tropic! I have used Hawaiian Tropic sun care before so was familiar with the brand but not their fragrances.

The recommendation was for the Golden Paradise Fragrance Mist (described as a combination of warm sand and creamy coconut!). It was also on offer in Boots – 2 for £15 – they are normally £10 each! So I of course ordered two! I also added at the last minute the Silk Hydration Air Soft Face SPF30 (£8.50) which I thought would be a great everyday facial moisturiser for when I am on holiday without needing to have a separate SPF.

So back to the fragrance mist – yes this is a lovely dupe of Bronze Goddess and yes it smells like summer – sand and coconuts. It is creamy and yummy and just perfect! I also love the retro packaging – just on the right side of tacky! Summer in a bottle…

Oh and the moisturiser is also very good! I have been using it everyday even though I am not on holiday yet as I thought it would be better to face any break outs or reactions before I went away! So far I have had no problems with this, it is rich and hydrating and absorbs easily with no greasy residue. I am very happy with this and it is definitely coming with me on holiday!

So Hawaiian Tropic is a gem of a brand, great value summer products that really do deliver.

Lixirskin – Cult Skincare

Anything that comes in a millennium pink package is hard to resist, but the ethos behind this new skincare range Lixirskin is more minimalist than maximalist. These are multi tasking products that are designed as less is more! I went for two key products from the range – the Universal Emulsion and the Electrogel Cleanser.

The Universal Emulsion (£29) is a cream for everything – day and night moisturiser, primer and serum! It can be used everywhere – face, eye contour, lips, neck, décolleté and even hands and arms, while also offering an innovative natural SPF. It is a lightweight cream that packs a moisture punch greater than you first expect. I love the slightly herbal smell which disappears once you have massaged the cream in. It absorbs beautifully and quickly, leaving my skin soft and hydrated and ready for makeup. I have been using this religiously for a couple of months and really love this. Definitely on my re-purchase list!

The Electrogel Cleanser (£25) is also a multi-tasking product – cleanser and face mask. Again this is a lovely product. It cleanses without stripping and takes off everything. I always use this as my second cleanse and leave it for a bit to act as a mask too.

It is called the Electrogel Cleanser because “negatively charged Electrogel™ attracts, captures and eliminates positively charged toxins – pollution nanoparticles, heavy metals and free radicals – to give urban skin the ultimate detox”.

Although I do like this I probably wouldn’t be as quick to repurchase it as the Universal Emulsion.

 

 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter

I have always loved Charlotte Tilbury’s makeup and skincare and have written numerous posts about them (see here, here, here, here, here, here !!!). This time it was the much hyped Hollywood Flawless Filter (£30) – a sheer highlighter/skin tint/light foundation multi use product! I went for shade 6 based on the recommendation on her website. It was the perfect match. This is a very very interesting product. At first you may not understand the purpose or what it is doing for you. Believe me in time, you will and then you will wonder how you ever did your makeup without it! Ok a bit dramatic but true!

It is a very light fluid that comes in a lovely glass bottle with a large doe foot applicator. This is actually a really effective way of dispensing the right amount exactly where you want it. I use it most as a highlighter (without shimmer or glitter) on my cheekbones.. I dot this under my eyes and blend with my fingers and the result is a glowing highlighted awake appearance. I also use this as a base on my minimal makeup days. I am planning on taking this on holiday when I hope that after I have had a bit of sun, this will just add the right amount of glow without needing to wear much else. Yes Charlotte Tilbury is pricey but I find always worth it. I am obsessed with this and would definitely repurchase.

Flirty Skirts

I love a good summer skirt and I have found two recently that really tick the boxes for me.

First is this cute light floral one from Primark (£8). It is a lovely shape, very flattering and not too short!

Next is this stunning dark floral skirt from River Island (£32 reduced to £20). I love the wrap front which makes it something different and again is really flattering.

The Button Front Dress

I have been looking for some button dresses and found these two in New Look (£22.99 each). I like that although they are exactly the same design, the different patterns really make them quite different to each other!

They have spaghetti straps, and buttons all the way down the front. At the back, the top part is elasticated & ruched which makes the fit much better and more comfortable.

First is this pretty, summery floral blue. I love this colour! Both dresses work well with a simple cardigan or denim jacket.

The second dress is a red striped one. This this looks smarter, although still very pretty and summery!

I Heart Revolution Bronzer

My daughter bought me a bronzer/blusher that I am obsessed with for my birthday from a brand called I Heart Revolution. Its called Summer of Love and it’s a triple baked bronzer (£4.99). I sadly dropped it so it broke but that hasn’t stopped me from loving this!

As you can see it is a lovely mix of bronze tones, shot with coral and best of all gold! For my skin tone it is the perfect summer glowy bronzing blusher! I cannot tell you how much I love this – is very heavily pigmented and really does give my skin a beautiful glow. I have also used this on my eyes, on my lips, on the bridge of my nose, décolletage..everywhere! They do a range of blushers and bronzers which I would recommend checking out – such good value for money and great quality!

 

 

 

 

The Statement Dress

Every year I look for that one statement dress that will remain in my wardrobe for years and will always be a great investment. This year I found one in Zara.

I immediately fell in love with this dress, the design, the shape everything is perfect! It was £69.99 but I genuinely think that its worth it for a dress I know I will own for many years.

It is an unusual shape but is so flattering. I just think its a stand out piece!