Winter skin - new Intense Repair by Neutrogena

If you suffer from dry skin like my and my fiancé do, then look out for the new Intense Repair range from one of my favourite skincare brands, Neutrogena. Intense Repair has launched for very dry or sensitive skin and contains known skin hydrating ingredients; glycerine for moisture and allantoin for soothing. It’s also clinically proven to act as a regenerating moisture ‘bandage’ to help repair very dry, itchy or irritated skin after just one application. My fiancé suffers from eczema so has to moisturise continually and he loves this new range as it rubs in much easier and smoother than other traditional eczema products such as aqueous cream or E45. There is also a fragrance free version which is specially formulated to minimise the risk of allergies and skin reactions.

All products are reasonably priced under £10 and are available exclusively now in all major Boots stores. Let me know what you think!

 

An evening of vintage glamour with Remington

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to attend Remington’s exclusive ‘vintage glamour’ blogger evening at Lucy in Disguise, with my friend Martina. We were introduced to the latest tools from Remington including their new Keratin Therapy range and learnt how to create retro styles with Remington Session Stylist Chris Appleton and his team.  The Remington Keratin Therapy collection is a revolutionary range of styling tools featuring Keratin - an essential ingredient for strong, healthy hair. This range of 4 styling tools harnesses the very latest in hair care technology. By cleverly combining Advanced Ceramic coatings with Keratin you can be kinder to your tresses as you style. Keratin Micro Conditioners infused in Advanced Ceramic coatings are actually transferred to hair during styling to protect and care.

Check out my photos below from the event, including my friend and I trying out the new Keratin Therapy Pro Volume Hot Brush (£22.99) which I love! My friend Martina has gorgeous hair and the brush created great curls and volume. I didn't go too overboard with my hair as I wanted it straight for the next day (boring I know) but it gave me volume really quickly and easily, without my hair losing shine.

Thanks to Remington and Cirkle PR for a well hosted, original event at a cool venue. The vintage clothes weren't really my thing, but it was still a nice place to attend an event. I also loved the cocktails in the vintage tea cups!

The complete Keratin Therapy product range

Cocktails in vintage tea cups!

Beauty advent calendars

I am so excited for Christmas now thanks to my lovely beauty calendar from Latest in Beauty and YOU Magazine. Let’s face it, receiving beauty products every morning is waayy more healthy than chocolate! It’s huge and sits proudly in my window ready for 1^st December. I can’t wait to open the first window!

The calendars are on sale for £59.95 but contain over £210 worth of a wide range of beauty products from some top beauty brands including Benefit, ESPA, L’Occitane, Philosophy, Eve Lom, St Tropez, Dermalogica and many more. The products are also small sizes so perfect for taking away when you travel hand luggage only, like I do a lot!

The products you will find inside are:

·         Jo Hansford Intensive Masque (40ml)

·         Nicky Clarke Instant Calmer (30ml)

·         Bioeffect EGF Serum (3ml)

·         Balm Balm Organic Lip Balm (7ml)

·         Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation (7.5ml)

·         Philosophy 3-in-1 Cleanser (30ml) or Daily Facial Wash (30ml)

·         The Vintage Cosmetic Company Eyelash Curler

·         STEAMCREAM Moisturiser (75g; designs vary),

·         Aromatheraphy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil (3ml)

·         EVE LOM Rescue Mask (15ml)

·         Balance Me Radiance Face Oil (10ml)

·         St.Tropez Instant Glow Body Lotion (50ml)

·         Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ (2.5ml)

·         ESPA Lift & Firm Moisturiser (7ml) and Lift & Firm Intensive Eye Serum (3ml)

·         Yardley Refreshing Body Spray (75ml – fragrances vary)

·         MAVALA Rouge Rubis Nail Varnish (5ml)

·         Benefit They’re Real! Mascara (3g)

·         L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (10ml)

·         Richard Ward Volumiser Root Booster (50ml)

·         Dermalogica Favourites Pack (7ml,7ml,sachet, 5ml)

·         Bellápierre Eye Shadow (2.35g)

·         Mirenesse Lip Lift Moisture Shine (1.5g)

·         Mont Bleu Crystal Nail File (90mm)

·         AS London Candle. Contents may vary.

Liz Earle have also produced their own beauty advent calendar as well, which you can buy here for £100 if you want to stick to one brand. Selfridges also had one as well but that has sold out now.

What do you think of beauty advent calendars, will you be buying one this Christmas?

Clinique launch Chubby Sticks Intense

I was very excited to attend the Clinique bloggers Cocktail party last week to find out more about their new launches, including the new Clinique Chubby Stick Intense. I am a huge fan of the original sheer Chubby Sticks from Clinique and have a couple in my handbag at all times. You can read my review of the original chubby sticks here, which launched last year. 

The Intense Chubby Sticks launch this week, costing £16 each. The new range have the same crayon-like large barrels and offer the benefits of a balm but have a much more pigmented and fuller coverage formulation than the original shades. There are eight new shades in the range: Curviest Caramel, Chunkiest Chilli, Heftiest Hibiscus, Mightiest Maraschino, Plushest Punch, Roomiest Rose, Broadest Berry and Grandest Grape. I tried the Plushest Punch and as you can see by the swatch it’s much more intense and more like a lipstick when it comes to coverage. I did have a shock when I applied for the first time in the office, it was very bright!! They are so moisturising for your lips and really worth trying if you have dry lips and find lipsticks can dry your lips out. Personally I’d like to try a nuder shade, as I find reds and pinks too bright for every day use but still love the shades. Hopefully they will expand the range to more pinkier/nude shades in the future!

The Cocktail party itself was lovely and in the most stunning of locations in a penthouse overlooking London and right next to Selfridges! Here are a couple photos from the event, look how stunning the penthouse flat is!I also got to meet the lovely Dutchess Roz and catch up with other bloggers who I haven't seen in ages and try yummy cocktails! Thanks to Clinique for hosting a great event it was the nicest event I have attended for a long time.

Yummy macaroons!

Sponsored post - Tulisa's new fashion range from Bank

 Stealing the latest fashions has never been easier. Look in any magazine or website and you will see celebrities and pop stars showing you how to create the look of today. Unlike in previous years, today’s fashion icons are not (always) wearing expensive labels that are unaffordable to most people, but they are wearing high street and affordable names that we ourselves can follow and take pride in. Celebrity fashion collaborations at high street prices are also becoming more popular, think Kate Moss for Topshop, Amy Childs, Peter Andre (yes really) and Rihanna for River Island which is out June 2013.

The latest celebrity range launches this Thursday. Tulisa from the X Factor is launching her own fashion label called ‘TFB’ (The Female Boss), across Bank Fashion stores in the UK and online. It is set to feature "colourful statement fabrics, edgy detailing and luxe materials.” I must admit her choices of fashion attire have been *slightly* dubious in the past and not my cup of tea. However, there is no doubting it that on the X Factor up against the gorgeous Nicole Scherzinger (who would look good in a bin bag); Tulisa has been holding her own and looked fabulous this weekend! I love her pink dress in the photo below.

You can join Tulisa on Thursday 18th October @ 6pm at Westfield White City as she launches her TFB Collection. She’ll be live on stage and fans will also get the opportunity to ask questions in a live Twitter Q&A, plus be the first to shop her collection in the BANK pop-up shop! If you can’t make it, BANK are streaming the event live on their Facebook page here and every day this week fans have the chance to win items from the TFB collection on Instagram. Snap yourself doing your best Tulisa pose and upload with the hashtag #TULISAFORBANK @BANKFASHION. I’ll be intrigued to see the full collection (sneak preview below) and how edgy it is, I expect it will be popular with younger shoppers but looking forward to checking it out all the same!

What do you think of celebrity ranges, are they your thing or do you prefer not to look like a celebrity?!

T-H-X hair launch event

Last night I attended the T-H-X range launch party at Ice Tank Studio in London. I went along with my sister and turned up at the same time as Danielle Lloyd so managed to get papped ha ha! Louise and Millie from Made in Chelsea also attended, plus Marie Fowler from TOWIE. The new T-H-X range has been created by Tesco (although they aren’t using the Tesco name but it was introduced by a person at Tesco!) and the products are professional quality at affordable prices. The range covers all the basics of hair styling and contains a range of ten tools, including a male hair straightener which launches next year! There are six products in the core range and three products in the professional range, with the most expensive product £59.94 which is a lot less than other professional brands such as GHD!

Everything in the T-H-X range uses the latest technology to allow them to heat up quickly and make use of ionic and tourmaline to reduce static and calm frizzy hair. Each device features an automatic switch off for safety which my Cloud Nine straighteners have as well. You can check out the whole range of products on the T-H-X website and check out the videos showing you how to achieve salon looks! I’ll be testing out the straighteners to compare to GHDs & Cloud Nines (my favourite brands) so will keep you posted. If the products are as good quality for these low prices (plus clubcard points!) then they will be serious contenders in the market. 

Check out my photos below from the event, sorry for the bad quality they were on my phone and it was dark!

Moroccanoil vs Aldi Miracle Oil

If you have coloured/heat damaged hair like mine you may use Moroccanoil after washing as a conditioning, styling and finishing tool. I bought my Moroccanoil for £30 from Look Fantastic and it has lasted ages but it’s still pretty pricey. I was contacted last week by a PR company asking if I would like to try Aldi’s Miracle Oil, which is a bargain £3.99. I was intrigued how this product would compare to the pricier Moroccanoil. I am always looking to find cheaper products that offer similar benefits to save money where possible! I reviewed an Aldi dupe ‘Lacura Concealer pen’ for the YSL Touche Eclat a few years ago and love that so have had good experience so far of Aldi beauty products. 

Here is a little more about Moroccanoil/argan oil if you are unaware of the product. Moroccanoil blends perfectly with other products and even speeds up drying time (always good as I get super hot when drying my hair!). This treatment for hair completely transforms and repairs as its formula transports lost proteins for strength; fatty acids, omega-3 oils and vitamins for shine; and antioxidants for protection. It absorbs instantly to fill gaps in hair created by heat, styling and environmental damage. It makes your hair feel super smooth and really shiny, I get lots of comments now on how shiny my hair is now thanks to using this product. 

The Miracle Oil is on sale at Aldi now for £3.99 and will only be available whilst stocks last.  Apparently last time everywhere was sold out within days so don't delay purchasing it. It is a very similar product and leaves your hair super shiny and for a tenth of the price it's an absolute bargain. Don't miss out!

Exclusive - River Island Autumn/Winter video

Is it me or the weather seems to suddenly have changed to Autumn? It actually feels quiet cold today and all the shops have their AW collections in store now.

I was contacted by River Island’s digital team if I would share the video on their new collection. Take an exclusive look at what Autumn/Winter 2012 at River Island has in store for you, as the camera goes behind-the-scenes on their new ad campaign shoot.

From the shadows of Futuristic Goth, the streets of Downtown New York and the opulent textures and fabrics of the Baroque era, River Island creates a lavish and distinctive look for autumn/winter 2012. The collection encompasses a wide range of unique hero pieces reflecting this season’s trends with accessories remaining a focal point, fusing together all the elements necessary for the season ahead.

Think Downtown with its relaxed styling, with oversized swagger coats layered over geo printed and graphic intarsia knits. Baroque with its tough leathers and wet look fabrics and Futuristic Goth with it's  medieval inspired black velvet, delicate lace, sheer and chiffon pieces. With River Island Autumn Winter never looked so good!

I am refusing to accept Summer is over, as lets face it, it never really got started! However, I did take a sneaky peak at the River Island collection online and *may* pay a visit sooner rather than later!!

Enjoy! 

Clarins Autumn & Winter preview bloggers event

I was lucky enough to attend the Clarins Autumn preview event last week in London, checking out their upcoming launches for the rest of the year. I love Clarins events as they always make them personal and small enough so they can explain to you individually about all the upcoming product launches. They are also one of my favourite brands so I always look forward to their events!

This one didn’t disappoint. We were shown the new Ambre Minerale Autumn make-upcollection, plus some compacts from the Christmas Odyssey collection which are inspired from the Greek gods. As you know I am a sucker for packaging so I love this new launch particularly due to the stunning packaging. The Oydessy Eye Quartet (£30) is my favourite and includes a variety of brown eyeshadows plus a stunning gold colour that can be applied wet or dry. I love Clarins eye shadows as they are very pigmented and last all day, you hardly need to apply much to your brush or fingers. They are so smooth they can be applied easily with your fingers. A tip from the Body Shop’s Chase Aston which I haven’t forgotten, your (clean) fingers are your best tools for applying eyeshadow!

The  stunning Oydessy Eye Quartet (£30)

The yummy cakes!

I also love the Limited Edition Colour Accents Face and Blush Palette (£30) which compliments all skin types and tones. You simply blend the shades together for a luminous sheen or use individually for a highlighted effect and even reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines with the Light-Optimizing+ Complex. I don’t normally wear blushers as I have quite a red skin tone anyway, but this is lovely as it’s a mixture of bronzer and blusher so something a bit different. 

We were also colour matched by the lovely Marie (below) for the new Clarins Skin Illusion Mineral & Plant Extracts Loose Powder Foundation which I haven't tried yet but will keep you posted. The loose mineral powder contains Pink Opal Powder and Pink Algae Extract to boost radiance and hydrate. It costs £28 and will launch on 6th September 2012 at House of Fraser and everywhere else from 24th October 2012.

Thanks to Clarins for the invite to the event, I had a great time and was lovely to catch up with fellow bloggers Natalya, Leanne, Sarah and Hayley. I am really impressed by the new collections and feel Clarins has stepped up their efforts in their make up collections rather than focusing on just skincare. 

What do you think of the new collection, anything that catches your eye?

Win a year’s supply of John Frieda Sheer Blonde products

I have an exciting competition for a Friday afternoon! Thanks to John Frieda you could win a year’s supply of John Frieda Sheer Blonde products. The winner would receive 12 bottles of the range of their choice, one for every month! The winner may pick one of the following categories from the Sheer Blonde range: Lightening, Tone Correcting, Moisturising or Enhancing. To enter, watch the John Frieda exclusive Hair Bow tutorial video shown below and answer the question.

What does the third twist of the hair band do?

 

The John Frieda You Tube Channel is really useful as you can pick up some great hair tips for free. Visit www.youtube.com/user/johnfriedauk to watch the videos and try out the hair bow style!

Giveaway Info & Rules

- Leave the answer to the question as a comment on this post and you may enter as many times as you like but please leave a few hours between each answer - nobody likes spam!

- Include your email address or Twitter within your answer so I can contact the winner

- UK winner only

- Prize will be sent by John Frieda, so they are responsible for getting the prize to the winner

- Entrants under the age of 16 must have parental/guardian permission to participate

- The winner will receive a year’s supply of John Frieda products (12 bottles of each product)

- The winner may pick ONE of the following categories from the Sheer Blonde range: Lightening, Tone Correcting, Moisturising or Enhancing

Good luck! I will pick a winner next Friday 10th August 2012. 

Accessorize products - excellent dupes!

I know I am a bit slow to the Accessorize bandwagon as their summer collection launched back in May but I was unable to attend the event. Anyway I was shopping in Accessorize last week and saw their make up range and thought I would try out a couple products.

Accessorize products I purchased

I went for the ThailiaRock Star Duo Eye Shadow (£4) and Scandal with Love Merged Blush (£6). I love their product names, very original. First impressions are the baked products are very similar to the Baked to Last collection from The Body Shop but much cheaper. Baked for 8 hours, the texture of the products is easy to blend and natural looking and very pigmented. Normally in cheaper products you lose the strong pigmentation but not in these, they blend beautifully.

Thailia Rock Star Duo Eye Shadow - £4

The eyeshadows are £6 than The Body Shop versions, with the bronzer £11 cheaper so worth comparing. I didn’t try the bronzer but it looked very similar to The Body Shop one and the Prestige bronzers. I will definitely try that out next time and review.

Let me know if you have tried out the Accessorize range and what you think of the quality?

My holiday essentials: Suncare

Suncare is tricky. What brands do you buy, how much, what SPF, will it suit your skin and what do you really need? I get asked a lot by friends and family on what suncare products I use so I thought I would write about my staple products which I used on my last holiday. Some I have been using for years and others are new products. There are a lot of products out there you can skimp on but suncare definitely isn't one of them, it's vital to protect your skin and hair from the sun's harmful UV rays which we can't see. I would say you need to allow 1 bottle per person, every week of your holiday of suncream and make sure you have a specific face cream as well which will often be a higher factor. At least SPF 20.

Piz Buin Tan and Protect Oil SPF 30

A new product I tried on holiday this time and I love it! Normally oils don't offer much SPF protection so I am reluctant to use but SPF 30 is great. Safe tanning and accelerating, a great combination. I still have a great tan a month after returning from holiday which hasn't peeled or faded too much. The oil also is not too slimy and smells lovely, unlike some oils. When you use low SPF oils they just make you burn and peel as soon as you are home, so worth trying this one. It's better than half price at Superdrug at the moment, a bargain at £8.49.

Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Sun Protect Spray Conditioner

Don't forget your hair when you're on holiday! Like skin, hair exposed to the sun needs proper sun protection to avoid damage caused by UV-rays and the sea/chlorine. BC SunProtect Spray Conditioner is a lightweight spray that protects the hair against the harmful effects of sun exposure, seawater and sand abrasion before, during and after sun exposure. I always spray this on my damp hair after coming out of the pool/sea and comb through. It helps to protect my highlights and ensures my hair isn't straw like by the end of the holiday.

Guard your skin against signs of premature wrinkles and ageing with this lovely after sun for your face. I don’t like using after sun for your body on my face, as it is too greasy. It not only comforts skin with soothing Sunflower Seed extract, its revitalising skin care benefits help reduce the appearance of fine lines while protecting against free radicals that can remain active long after sun exposure. The Clarins after sun face care also helps prolong your tan on your face, as that is normally the first part of your body that fades!

Cinique City Block Sheer SPF 25

Protecting your face from the sun’s harmful rays is a must. Clinique’s City BlockSheer SPF 25 is a sheer, broad-spectrum UVA/UVB daily sunscreen. The lightweight formula helps lock out perspiration and absorb excess oil. I use the sun block every morning on holiday and make sure I reapply after swimming or every four hours to avoid sunburn and wrinkes! It’s also really good as an invisible makeup primer worn under foundation if you are on a city break. It does make me cringe when I see people applying sun lotion to their faces, as normal sun cream is too greasy for your face so important to use a face specific cream. I also recommend the Maybelline BBCream for holidays as that has an SPF 30 in it, plus hides blemishes so perfect for a little more protection on the beach. 

You must try this aloe vera after sun gel from Ambre Solaire, it’s amazing on sun parched skin. My top tip is to keep in the fridge and use when you get out the shower straight away to sooth sun exposed skin, I also carry on using after sun at least a month after my holiday to help preserve my tan. People always tell me I look brown long after my holiday so it must work ;)  Get down to Superdrug as they have Ambre Solaire products better than half price at the moment, they really must be struggling to shift them in all this rain!

                               

The final suncare product I recommend (sorry there are a few!) which I use when I am back home in the UK is Clarins After Sun Moisturiser Self Tanning (£18). Warning this product does contain self tan so apply sparingly and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards! What I love about the Clarins after sun is although it is pricey at £18, it doesn’t smell of fake tan like other tan preserver products and it gives you a nice colour and helps maintain your tan. I’ve gone through a whole bottle of this after my holiday in June, oops!

Hope you enjoyed my essay on suncare products and what I love, let me know what your staple products are for a holiday. I have used all these products numerous times so they are well tested!

Post holiday update... I'm engaged!

 Sorry for the lack of updates the past month, I have been away on holiday for two weeks in Spain and Germany, had a netball weekend away to Butlins, a friend's wedding and been busy at work! However I am back and raring to go with lots of planned summer (hmmm not sure where that has gone!) posts and reviews of what I used on holiday if you are planning to go away!

The exciting news is while I was on holiday my lovely boyfriend proposed to me in Spain! We were out for dinner and he gave me the ring which was very sweet and romantic, sadly he didn't go down on one knee but he is German and that isn't tradition there - boo. Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know this and thank you all for the congratulation messages. Hopefully we will get married in Spain in two years time at this lovely church in Altea, near Alicante. Any tips on wedding blogs/ideas will be much appreciated! I promise not to go on about the wedding too much and forget the beauty aspect of my blog! I am also researching wedding planners in the Costa Blanca area, so again any recommendations would be appreciated as there seems to be a few. 

Anyway here are a few photos from my holiday I thought I would share with you :)

Beautiful church in Altea in Alicante where we hope to marry

My beautiful engagement ring, lots of diamonds!

My fiancé and I in Germany visiting his family!

Umberto Giannini Incredible Body range

Umberto Giannini has teamed up with the beautiful Millie Mackintosh from Made in Chelsea with their new hair range called ‘Incredible Body’. I do love Millie’s hair (who wouldn’t!) so was intrigued to try out the new range.  I am not normally a fan of products that give your hair volume, as I spent a fortune on keratin treatments to straighten my hair. However, I feel in love with the packaging (yes I am a sucker for packaging) and I knew my Mum and Sister would both be able to try out for me and review. I have also being using the Blow Dry Spray myself when I am giving my hair a bit of oomph on a night out and love it! My Mum is also really impressed with the shampoo and mousse and how they give her hair volume that lasts. So many products drop out after a few hours, but not these ones.

The Incredible Body range is made up of shampoo, conditioner, mousse and blow dry spray – four products key to obtaining ultimate volume. Prices start from £5.29 at Boots. They will also look amazing on your dressing gown and smell lovely as per all Umberto Giannini products. Overall I feel this is a great mid-priced range to try out if you don’t want to spend a fortune.

Let me know what you think – have you tried this range before?

Romsey Holistic Beauty review.....why I don't use night cream anymore!

I have been trialling a new skincare routine the past two weeks, after having a lovely facial at my local beauty salon Romsey Holistic Beauty, in Romsey, Hampshire. Although most of my readers won’t be anywhere near Hampshire, I thought a review of the Italian skincare products used would be interesting especially as they aren’t available yet to buy in mainstream salons in the UK.

The skincare products used for the Classic Facial which I had, are from the Italian brand C.A.P.S. Their philosophy is to use only organic active agents with low molecular weights for fast absorption. All the products are parabens free, mineral oils free, pegs free, glycols free, artificial colourants free. I have copied this explanation from their Italian website so it’s not the clearest translation! “With utilisation of pharmaceutical ingredients, in conjunction with Italian renowned cosmetic laboratory of Milan University, CAPS develops phytoceutical approach that combines both pharmaceutical and therapeutic principles in a safe way for skin care, respecting body natural balance and protection”.

The C.A.P.S products and cleansing cloths I have been using

 The lovely owner of Romsey Holistic Beauty, Liz Cadogan Friedman, said that when you are choosing a skincare product you shouldn’t been able to taste the product for it to be good for your skin. I didn’t know this and it made me think of all the products I have chosen in the past because I like the smell and taste of them! Eeek! She also told me off for using too much products on my skin and drowning it, particularly at night. I have been using the CAPS cleanser with the cleansing cloths in the evening to remove my make up, with NO NIGHT CREAM. I couldn’t believe this as I religiously put night cream and serum on every night to look after my skin, but apparently I am drowning it! I have taken Liz’s word for it, as her skin is amazing. I love the CAPS cleanser and the cleansing cloths Liz gave me, which really cleanses and removes all traces of make up so you don’t need toner. My skin feels remarkably soft as well even though I am no longer using night cream and just the CAPS anti ageing day cream during the day. I definitely recommend using the cleansing cloths with your cleanser if you don’t already; it really cleans your skin. You can find out more about the products here online: www.revolutionline.it   

Romsey Holistic Beauty salon

The facial I had was the Classic Facial and was simply amazing. If you live in the Hampshire area I definitely recommend going to have one! I nearly fell asleep it was so peaceful and included cleansing, exfoliation, warm towels (steaming if necessary), facial massage and selection of deep cleaning or moisturising masks and a foot and shoulder massage. All for £40 and lasted well over an hour. Liz Cadogan Friedman is very knowledgeable and believes in good quality products and un-rushed treatments, which sadly isn’t the case in most salons today where you are rushed in and out in 5 minutes. Thanks Liz for a fab treatment and I look forward to returning soon to try out the other treatments the salon offers. 

Let me know what you think of my review – would you ever go without using night cream? Try it and see how you get on – your skin will thank you for it!

YSL La Laque Couture nail varnishes

 I am a big fan of Revlon and YSL nail varnishes as I find they don’t chip as quick as other brands plus the colours are gorgeous. I always go for the nude shades rather than really bright shades, more suitable for work and less obvious if they chip!

The new collection from YSL is called La Laque Couture and is simply gorgeous. Take a look at all 30 shades, including some lovely bright ones which are iconic YSL colours and inspired by their fashion collections.

My favourite shade so far is No 24 Rose Abstrait, which I wore to a wedding at the weekend. What do you think? I love it and it’s a perfect nude shade which is part of the ‘French’ look in the collection. The varnishes aren’t cheap at £18 but worth it for a staple shade this summer. They also don’t chip easily and feel smooth and shiny on your nails so thumbs up from me.

Who else has tried the new collection and what do you think?

Summer fragrances from The Body Shop

If you are a fan of lighter (and cheaper!) summer fragrances, you’ll be excited to hear The Body Shop are launching some limited edition summer versions of their classic perfumes.

They include my favourite 2009′s Love Etc…, 2010′s Dreams Unlimited and 1981′s White Musk. White Musk Sun Glow contains notes of lemon, peony, sandalwood and musk; Love Etc... Sun Kiss includes notes of bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood and amber; and Dreams Unlimited Sun Fresh has notes of watermelon, mandarin, orris and salty aquatic notes. White Musk reminds me of being 15 again so brings back good memories but I really love Dreams Unlimited and Love Etc. All the perfumes are £15 and are perfect for long summer evenings and holidays – can’t wait! Click here to check out the whole range and book online. 

Vaseline 2-in-1 Hand Cream + Anti Bac review

I popped in to meet the lovely Carly at Lexis PR on Thursday to find out about the new Vaseline 2-In-1 HandCream + Anti Bac and have a relaxing hand massage! The new Vaseline 2-In-1 is priced at £3.29 and combines hand cream with anti-bacteria gel which I believe is a new concept to the market.

I took a photo of the timeline on display which shows the activities that we do throughout the day with our hands that dry them out and gather germs. It totally freaked me out how much dirt you can pick up – like traveling on the tube, walking the dog and taking out the rubbish (yuck). Activities like this play havoc to our hands but which we don’t notice so that’s where there’s a need for a handcream that has both moisturising and anti-bacterial properties.

The timeline of our daily activities 

Tests have shown that the Vaseline 2-In-1 Hand Cream + Anti Bac reduces 99.9% of bacteria within 15 seconds of use (I like it!). The 2-In-1 also contains 5 essential moisturisers including collagen amino acids and glycerin so your hands feel mositurised, which is great as normally anti bac gels are really drying. The cream also seems lovely, a bit like an apple smell and will definitely encourage you to use it more because it is so moisturising! Maybe it will mean I get fewer colds in the winter as I am cleaning my hands more often?! Let’s see!

What are your thoughts on this new concept, will you be trying? For £3.29 I would definitely recommend as it keeps your hands clean most importantly and also mositurised. A must if you live in London and travel by tube or work in an office typing on dirty keyboards. Gross!