Ren Skincare

Following my recent visit to Space NK, I decided it was high time to start taking more care of my skin. I expect that it was pure sales patter which made me leave feeling like I should really be using eye creams and use expensive moisturising cream to maintain a fresh face but spending a lifetime washing my face with soap and going to bed with make-up on really cannot be good. With this cold, wintery weather fully on board, my usually dry skin has now turned into a parched, grainy landscape. Now is surely the time to delve into the scary world of skincare which has deluded me for so long. With sensitive skin, I felt it was important to invest in some good quality creams which are as natural as possible, this is why I have settled upon Ren.

So here it is, my new daily skin routine. Eye cream in the morning and evening, cleansing to remove make-up BEFORE bedtime and a rich moisturiser under my By Terry foundation on a daily basis. Fingers crossed this goes well.

 

By Terry

With the cold weather encroaching on us, my skin has started to feel really dry and scaly and my usual Mac Pro-Longwear foundation was starting to look a bit cloggy. As it was payday weekend, I thought I'd take a trip to Space NK to get some advice and find myself a luxuriously moisturising foundation to cure my lizard like skin and make it radiant and glowing! I tried a few different brands, but typically the most expensive one felt the best. I decided to settle on By Terry Sheer-Expert and Touche Veloutee. The Sheer-Expert foundation (in honey beige) glides on like silk and has a very sheer, dewy finish. The Touche Veloutee, just helps with grey under-eye areas. Both are very lightweight so don't provide heavy coverage, this is what I was looking for though, very pleased and highly recommended!

Davines

My new haircare regime, Davines Nounou Shampoo and Conditioner. Natural, organic, delicious and most importantly my hair feels so much softer and healthy.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

A real classic and must have for any make-up bag! Maybelline Great Lash Mascara...

Eau Thermale Avene

I am a little undecided abut this one. Eau Thermale Avene is (special) spring water in a spray can. As a dry, sensitive skinned person, I hoped this would be nice and soothing and do wonders for my skin. At the price I don't think it is the miracle it almost claims to be but it is jolly cooling on a hot day.

Glossybox UK - April 2013 Pearl Lowe Edition

Missing my monthly treat, I have signed back up to Glossybox so I can receive my surprise parcels yet again. Glossybox is a great find for anyone who loves quality make-up and skincare as you are able to trial both new and existing product from some top brands, including, Dior, Clinique, Essie and many more. Often there are organic, more natural products which I am always keen to try.

I was very excited when I found out that this April's box was a special edition Pearl Lowe collaboration. The box itself (which is always useful for storing, make-up, hair products, jewellery etc) is absolutely stunning with a Pearl Lowe designed floral all over pattern with a pretty peach background, definitely a keeper!

Also, the contents were great too, one of the best yet I'd say.

1. NIP + FAB Coconut Latte Dry Skin Fix Body Butter (sample size 50ml, £9.95 full size 200ml)
I really love this product, it smells delicious and the texture is rich and creamy. It feels so lovely on my dry skin and I would definitely recommend it. This is now half price on the website, great buy!

2. Essie Nail Polish in Sugar Daddy (full size, worth £7.99)
This is a very sheer polish which is great for those days when you want to be subtle. I would normally opt for a bright red nail varnish but I did like how this gave a lovely natural shine to my nails.

3. Yves Rocher So Elixir Perfume (sample size 5ml, full size £44 for 50ml)
This is quite an intense scent, but quite classy smelling. It comes in a lovely sturdy sample bottle so is great to carry about in your handbag when you feel like you need a freshen up. I probably would not opt for a full size, but perfume is a very personal thing.

4. A-Derma Lip Balm (full size, worth £7.95)
Gorgeous! This scent free lip balm has a wonderful, thick, non greasy texture, made with oat milk and works a treat on my dry, cracked lips. It is also full size which is a bonus too!

5. Sleek Make-Up Blush in Suede 921 (full size 8g, worth £4.49)
I have been wearing this all week and really love the colour, it is perfect against my olive skin. I would recommend this as a budget buy. The staying power was pretty good, although I wasn't too keen on the smell, to me it resembled the smell of dry poster paint, but at this price the look and finish of the blusher is pretty good.

So all in all this was a really good box with some great product, I am really happy I am back on the Glossybox and am already excited about what will arrive in May.

Chloe - My Favourite Perfume

So this used to be my staple perfume for years when I lived in London. I have since been seduced by Chanel Mademoiselle (which is really divine) and a couple of Jo Malone's (which personally, I don't find have that much staying power but do come in some great, unusual scents), but after catching a waft of someone in my old favourite, felt like it was time to return to form. So for I grabbed a Chloe gift pack from House Of Fraser (£55) which consisted of Eau Du Parfum and Moisturiser. It's like seeing a old friend after ages, it just feels right.

Ciate

All the girls in our office have come to love Ciate nail varnish. We were introduced to the brand via our PR agency and just can't get enough now. They have some fabulous colours and special effects and seem to last for absolutely ages. The latest additions to my collection are a delightful grey and metallic gold which I received along with a fine glass nail file. No excuses for terrible nails anymore, eeek!

Murad

I was so excited to find out that you can now buy Murad products at Marks and Spencers. After trawling online for their amazing Vitamin C Cleanser, I resented paying another £5 for postage on an item which at £34 was pretty pricey anyway. So I headed over to M&S at Cribbs Causeway yesterday and was actually very surprised to find the they now have an extensive range of great skincare brands (including Nuxe and Ren). I have used a sample of this cleanser before and it really was fabulous, leaving my skin feeling super clean and smooth. I would definitely recommend it and although it seems like an expensive buy, it should last a very long time.

Glittery Nails

Armed with a £2 off voucher for Essie nail polish, I headed to Boots this weekend where this glittery, glimmering silver nail polish took my fancy. Essie have some great shades which they are constantly updating with the latest seasonal trends. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

A Lovely Lippy

I've been hearing a lot about the new Revlon Lip Butters, so i thought I would give them a try. I initially bought the Macaroon colour which is a lovely nude shade, then I thought I should try one of the brighter shades so also got some Tutti Frutti! This is a vivid, coraly red shade on the actual lipstick but once on it just gives a subtle hint of the shade. These lipsticks are really lovely to wear, they almost feel like a cross between a lip balm and a lipstick, leaving a slightly greasy (but pleasant) feel on your lips.

Monu, what a delight!

I recievd this moisturiser in my last (organic-eco theme) Glossybox and I absoultely love it! It's called MONU and is a delicious smelling, moisture rich Collagen Cream. I use it evey morning before aplying make-up and it feels like it is doing the world of good to my super dry skin.

The Harrods Glossybox - A Review

Let's say I was pretty excited about the arrival of the March Glossybox. There was much hype over this special Harrods edition and so expectations were even higher than usual. The box arrived, this time in glossy white with Harrods branding embossed on the box lid. This opened up to reveal a classy black tissue package tied together with the trademark green and gold Harrods ribbon. Here is what I found snuggled inside...

And here comes a little lowdown on each of the March Glossybox's contents.

1. Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum (25ml - this is full size and worth £16 - yay). Hair serums are like the holy grail when it comes to my course, thick and uber dry hair (too much straightening over too long). Finding good ones is pretty tough. I did like this product, applied to damp hair. It definitely added softness, however i did prefer last months Paul Mitchell Ginger hair oil much more as it not only smelled amazing, softened my hair, it also gave it a lovely gloss and was nicer to run my hands though.

2. Burberry Lip Cover Soft Satin Stain Lipstick in No. 04 Rosewood - This was actually quite a good neutral colour for me as my lips are naturally a bit darker. It has a lovely smooth texture and did not dry out my lips. I am into bright reds and pinks at the moment when it comes to lip colour so it's not going to come out too often, but is nice for those subtle days.

3 Fan Di Fendi Eau De Toilette perfume. 4ml - This has a really lovely refreshing, citrusy smell. Not one of those ones that smells ultra chemically or like bathroom cleaner but a subtle fragrance perfect for the Spring to be worn during the day. I love it! Its always nice to get a small perfume sample as it fits in your handbag and is just the thing for those little fragrance top ups throughout the day. 

4. Clarins Extra-Firming Body Cream 30ml - This is a decent sized sample and I do really get on with Clarins products. I have dry/sensitive skin and the face day and night creams from the February box have been quite simply amazing! I'll be honest I've not really tried this one yet but it smells good and from past experience, I'm sure it will be!

5. Erno Laszlo, The Hollywood Collection - I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this one as it looked like the kind of freebie that would annoyingly fall out of a magazine! However, reading the blurb on each sachet made me more interested. Apparently a brand much loved by the stars of the Silver screen (I'm suckered in at this point) with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Ava Gardner all apparently fans, each of the different creams was custom made for their requirements. I should really try them all but I know they will be too expensive at the full price for me to use on a regular basis!

An interesting box, not bad at all. Can't wait for the next one!

xoxo

Glossybox UK February - a little review x

It took a little longer than normal, but last week my February Glossybox finally arrived! I think that overall, I am pretty pleased with the contents. After seeing quite a lot of reviews slating this months box I had prepared myself for a bit of dissapointment. The highlight for me was definiely the Becca Beach Tint. This came in a full size portion of 7ml which actually retails for £20 so there's the box more than paid for in one hit (£12.95 per month subscription)!

The February box came in the classic pale pink box with black tissue, dusky rose ribbon and black tissue shaving providing the bedding for the lovely treats to nestle in.

Here are the five products I received:

1. Como Shambhala Invigorate Shower Gel to cleanse and energise the skin with oils of eucalyptus, geranium, lavender and peppermint. I really loved this, with a fresh scent which clung on for a whole morning.

2.  Dr Bronner's Magic 'All In One' Organic Hand Sanitising Spray (Lavender scent) 59ml. This is not something I use on a regular basis but does come in handy every now and then, particularly during festival season! The smell of lavender is deightful and it doesnt have that highly chemica smell associated with other products in this vein. Overall a thumbs up from me.

3. Paul Mitchell Wild Ginger Styling Treatment Oil 25ml. Again quite pleased with this one, smells gorgeous like posh ginger biscuits. I am a real hair abuser so this worked a treat on my dry, frazzled locks. Best applied to the mid hair and ends rather than roots to avoid that greasy feel. Also as you only need a teeny bit at a time, this should last me a while.

4. Becca Beach Tint 7ml. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! The perfect colour for me, this left a wam rosy glow on my cheeks and a natural rose tint to my lips. It also smells delicious, like strawberry ice-cream. Very pleased with this and so happy I received it in my box! 

5. BM Beauty Eyshadow in Her Majesty (pink shimmer). This alarmed me a little as pink eyehadow would result in a tired eyes look on me usually. However when applied to the skin there is only a hint of pink an a nice subtle golden shimmer so actually very usuable!   

I now can't wait to receive my special Harrods edition Glossybox, on it's way to me in the post as I type!
xoxo