February Favourites

I do love February, it's the month of love and the home to my anniversary. So there are always lots of fun memories to be made. Naturally I'm always sad to see the end of it, nevertheless, I do I have a bundle of favourites to share! Enough waffle, lets see the products at the top of my list this month.

Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuer Perfume 
I dedicated a whole blog post to Roger & Gallet's Fleur de Figuer fragrance range this month. You can read it (here) but it's safe to say I'm pretty darn obsessed with it all. The perfume is the latest addition to my collection and I've been loving wearing it. It's light but fruity and very pretty!

Real Techniques Nics Picks
I'm a huge fan of Real Techniques and I own a lot of their brushes! However, this month I've been obsessed with two particular brushes from the 'Nics Picks' set. After attending my little makeup course in January I've been loving experimenting with eye makeup. The 'Angled Shadow Brush' and the 'Base Shadow Brush' have been making working with eyeshadow really easy. The 'Angled Shadow Brush' is incredible at blending dark colours into the outer corner of my eye or through the crease! 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara 
This mascara had a full feature on my blog yesterday. However, in case you missed it I'm a huge fan of this mascara. It's jet black, it gives curl, volume and length AND it doesn't clump! The brush was multi length bristles (six different sizes in total) which means it picks up every single lash! We're talking amazing lashes in one coat people!

Nailberry Raspberry & Essie Avenue Maintain 
For nails this month I've been loving two particular colours. One is bright blue and is Essie's Avenue Maintain, this is SO pigmented and the colour is stunning. The other is a beautiful purple shade which is Nailberry's Raspberry. The great thing about Raspberry is that Nailberry polishes are formulated without any nasty chemicals!

What have you been loving in February? Let me know below!

Sensational Lashes from Maybelline

For me, mascara makes my makeup complete. If my mascara does not feel right, the chances are that the rest of my makeup doesn't either. I'm blessed with quite long lashes, so I'm always on the hunt for volume (and lots of it)! Yes, it's safe to say that I quite like dramatic lashes. 

When I spotted the Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara on Superdrug's website, the beautiful rose gold packaging initially drew me in. The packaging really is quite pretty, I love the black and gold together and it feels really nice to hold too. However, inside the packaging, something rather special waited for me.

The Lash Sensation mascara is a curved brush and it reminds me a lot of the L'Oreal Flutter mascara. The wand actually has SIX lengths of bristles, which is not something I've ever heard of because. The curved wand and the multi-length bristles are the perfect match and it shows, because it picks up every single lash! It's a plastic brush, which I know not everyone loves, but I'm personally quite the fan. The formula doesn't clump at all, you get perfectly spread out lashes, each with lovely definition. It's true what they say, you can get amazing lashes in just one coat, but two coats really give you lashes that wow! I use the shade 'Very Black' which provides a jet black colour - I cannot stand when mascara is more grey than black.

You can pick up Lash Sensation for £7.99 (here) and it's worth every penny! 

Starry Nights by London Road Jewellery

I have a weak point for stars, they are a little bit of an obsession for me. So as you can imagine, this 'Starry Night Pendant'* really tugs at my heart strings.

It's a gorgeous sterling silver necklace, which has a simple star pendant. It's everything I like a necklace to be; it's chic, it's simple but it's beautiful. It's made by a brand called London Road Jewellery. They were founded in 2009 with the aim of creating fashionable but highly wearable jewellery, all at a good price. They choose unique designs, pair them with different textures and metals. They have something for everyone as they experiment with rose gold, silver and yellow gold, all in on-trend designs. 

What I love about the necklace is it comes on a long 16 inch chain, which can be extended to be 18 inches. I really like to wear necklaces that have a long chain as they are so comfortable to wear. The pendant itself is beautiful, it's super shiny and the quality is fantastic. It's hallmarked so you know that the silver is authentic and it feels quite weighty in your hands - it's definitely not flimsy. 

Lets take a minute to discuss the packaging for this, as it really oozes sophistication. It comes in a black box which has gold detailing in the form of the London Road logo. It has a pink band round the outside, which just gives it a pop of colour. I honestly think this is kind of packaging that makes your heart skip a beat. It feels so special and so unique in your hands, that you know something exciting is inside. 

If you want to get your hands on this necklace, you can pick it up from Jewel Street (here). Before this necklace I'd actually not heard of Jewel Street, but they are actually an online marketplace for jewellery boutiques. They have thousands of items, which range from £20 to £5000. So you can really get lost on there if you love jewellery like me! 

Valentines Day Glossybox 2015

Of course February is the home of Valentines Day, so many boxes have been taking the month of love as a theme. Glossybox is no different "This month we're celebrating all things love... introducing you to all your beauty soul mates". Glossybox boast that we've received four full sized items in the boxes. As far as Glossyboxes have gone in the last few months this is not actually too bad. Recently I've opened boxes and been pretty upset with the contents, but this month was not full of total anger. 

So whats inside? Well if you ignore the really annoying part; another So Susan product (this time a cheek/lip quartet) it's not too shabby. There is a the spoiler item which is the Royal Apothic Tinties Balm. This looks really nice in the packaging but it's getting some really rubbish reviews, I'll try it and report back! The Got2b All Star 10-in-1 Styling Treatment (£4 here) is next. This is a treatment from Schwarzkopf which claims to provide 'shine, fullness, strength, thickness, smoothness, suppleness, protection, anti-frizz, anti-humidity and shape'. That is a lot of promises but I'll definitely be giving it a go - I like testing hair products. 

Next is the Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow - this actually looks really pretty. Seems like it's pretty pigmented and I like experimenting with eyeshadows (even if they are Glossybox's favourite thing). The next thing I noticed was a little pack of Love Hearts (cute and they actually fit the theme). The last thing in my box is the Wilkinsons Sword Hydro Silk (£10 here) razor, which I'm actually really excited to try! It sounds silly but last time Glossybox included a razor I fell in love with it (I still use it now)!

If you read my blog regularly you'll know that I recently unsubscribed from Glossybox, so this is the last one you'll see featured on my blog for a while. However, this really isn't a really bad box. For me I'm just sick of seeing brands like So Susan time and time again. They've lost their touch a little but I hope they get it back soon! 

Little Treasures

This sweet little heart has been hanging in my new home since Christmas. I thought it was about time I shared it with you all! This is a gorgeous little wooden heart, decorated with a map, made by 'Little Treasures'. 

Little Treasures is a local business ran in Cambridge and it's actually the baby of a friend of mine at work. She makes these little map hearts (amongst other gorgeous items) and from day one I've loved them! The premise of the idea is that you pick a place you love; your home town, holiday destination, anywhere you love. She finds it in a map or atlas, cuts it out and then she places it on a little heart! She makes hanging hearts, framed hearts, even notebooks (her Instagram page is full of delights) - I've seen them all in the flesh and they are gorgeous.

If you're looking for a little gift, please go and check out Little Treasures. It's a beautiful little local business, ran by an even more beautiful lady! Head to her Facebook page here and let me know what you think! 

Nails by Mavala

Mavala are not really a brand I'd experimented with before. However, after trying an incredible top coat, I got the bug and I needed to try some colours. So I headed to Feel Unique and picked up a little gift pack filled with beautiful colours.

I have three shades; Ruby, Berlin and Marrakech and I've been really impressed. The quality, pigmentation and formula are all on point. They are really easy to apply and dry very quickly. By far my favourite is Berlin; it's a really lovely grey shade, I've been loving grey nails at the moment!

I have to say I adore the packaging too, they are lovely little bottles and I'm a fan of the detailing on the lid. They are the perfect size, they are not too big which makes them really great for travelling. Which is good news as I'm actually in Germany this week! Mavala claim that the colour will not dry out before you reach the bottom, I'm excited to test this out! 

The best bit? Mavala nail polishes are formulation without toluene, camphor, dibutyl phtalate, colophane, formaldehyde and added nickel. They are also really affordable; this set of three only cost £9 and are under £5 each. 

Have you tried polishes by Mavala?

Favourite Palettes

I've been wanting to do a blog post about my favourite palettes for ages, but I've just never got round to it! However, today is the day - I'm bringing you palettes for all budgets and all purposes.

The 'Cult' Classic
When it comes to palettes, it doesn't get much more famous than Urban Decay. The Naked palettes are one of the most raved about products in the bloggersphere. I have the Naked 3 palette which is the most pink toned of the three. Everything people say about these palettes is true; the eyeshadows are buttery and blendable. The Naked 3 palette comes with a double ended eyeshadow brush which I love and the packaging is a sleek gold casing. You can buy the Naked 3 palette here for £37. 

The Luxury Option
The Marc Jacobs palettes certainly are not cheap, but they are gorgeous! Pictured here is 'The Innocent' - a beautiful three shadow set. It has a taupe for all over the lid, a dark brown eyeshadow for in the crease and a stunning gold glitter. There is no denying that you can find dupes for these on the high street, but if you like high end makeup, this is for you. This palette costs $39 and is available from Sephora here. 

The Budget Option
Moving from super expensive to super affordable; we have the Collection 'All About The Eyes' palette. Now this palette is actually endorsed by Little Mix, which isn't really my thing. However, you have to give the palette a chance because the quality is incredible. The best thing? It costs £2.99 - no investment is required but perfect eye makeup is somewhat guaranteed. You can pick up this palette from Superdrug here. 

The Palette For Contouring
Ever since I bought the Urban Decay Flushed Palette I've been obsessed with it! I have the shade 'Streak' which is perfect for my skintone. The bronzer is a perfect shade for contouring and the highlighter is really something special. I love taking this away with me when I travel as it has everything I need. You can buy the Urban Decay Flushed palette here for £21. 

The One That Was Limited Edition
Now I do feel bad about mentioning this, but I cannot do a favourite palettes post and not mention it. This is the Tarte Pin Up Girl Palette, featuring five of Tarte's famous blushers. I use this palette a lot and I love having these blushers in my collection. Now you cannot buy it anymore, but I have a couple of key takeaways for you. First of all, Tarte release these palettes at Christmas time, so if you want one, keep an eye out then! Second of all; the quality of Tarte blushers (and all their products) is incredible. Test a few things, you won't be disappointed. You can shop Tarte makeup at Sephora (here) and QVC (here). 

The One That Doesn't Get Enough Coverage
The last palette on the list is the Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette, which I actually named by top palette for 2014. It's an incredible palette; it's packed with amazing shades and the quality is out of this world. They are pigmented, they apply well, they blend beautifully. You name what you want from an eyeshadow and these have it. The worst thing is that this palette doesn't seem to get the coverage it deserves! You can buy the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette here for £32. 

What are your favourite palettes? I'd love to hear all about them!

Nuxe - The Best For Winter Lips

When it comes to lips in the winter, I only use one product; the Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm. This stuff to me (and many others) holds holy grail status and it's 100% justified! It's packed full of amazing ingredients that solves chapped lips and it solves them quickly.

I've had my old tub of Reve De Miel for a while, so it was time to upgrade. This time I went for the Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Edition. These pots were released last year to celebrate 20 amazing years since the product launched! They come in three different colours; yellow, red and green.

The Limited Edition Reve De Miel has the same award winning formula; plant oils, shea butter, grapefruit essence and honey! It smells incredible and it formula isn't greasy in the slightest. It's still free from preservatives, mineral oils and artificial fragrances; it just looks that little bit prettier.

Last week I picked up flu and it completely left me and my skin dehydrated. My lips needed some major TLC! So I applied this to my lips before bed and when I woke up my lips were practically perfect. Believe the hype on this product, it deserves it and your lips deserve it too!

You can pick up the Limited Edition Nuxe Reve De Miel pots from Escentual for £9.50 (here).

Reflection Perfection?

This is the first Illamasqua Eyeshadow Palette I've owned and this one is called 'Reflection'. As you can see, it comes in the standard, gorgeous glossy black packaging. I'm a big fan of Illamasqua packaging, it ticks all the boxes for me. Inside the compact there are four eyeshadows; Precipice (light white/lemon), Acute (which is the brown taupe), Graphica (the grey metal shade) and Dart (bronze/gold). What I love about the colours in this palette, is they are nice for a neutral look, or built up for something more dramatic. There are lots of ways you can go too; smokey, gold, taupe - it's all available!

Illamasqua say that these eyeshadows have a 'new water resistant formula' - I've never tried the old formula, but I can say that these definitely hold. I've worn these in the snow to work and back - they still look fabulous when I get home.

The formula isn't very pigmented, which isn't to everyone's taste. It is handy if you are not experienced with shadow (like me) - or you need to do your makeup quickly without blending for hours. So for me low pigmentation is often a plus! I'm a big fan of this palette, but I did get it in the sale. For the £34 price tag I think you can probably get better palettes; however it is gorgeous! 

The Reflection palette costs £34 and you can get it directly from Illamasqua here. 

See By Chloe

I love trying perfumes, there is something so satisfying about finding a new scent. See By Chloe is one of the most beautiful perfume bottles I've seen. It's a gorgeous bottle with a scalloped detail to the glass, resembling a bird cage. Bottle is topped with a silver lid with 'See By Chloe' embossed in pink around the front. The pink matches the bright pink of the box it originally comes in.

See By Chloe is a marketed as a fruity floral fragrance and it's exactly that. The perfect mix between fruit and floral. To me the fruit comes through more than the flowers; there is apple blossom, bergamot and jasmine. The base notes are sandalwood and vanilla, I don't normally like scents with vanilla but this is incredible subtle.

The perfume was actually released in 2012, but to many ladies it's a timeless classic. Previously I've been a huge Marc Jacobs fan, but I love the simpleness of this fragrance. It's very pretty and much less 'in your face' - it's subtle, it's sweet and it's really wearable.

You can buy See By Chloe from Escentual here, starting at £44.  

My Little Frenchie Box

It's easy to see why I've unsubscribed from other boxes when 'My Little Box' lands on my doorstop. This box has something for everyone, whether it's makeup, lifestyle or just great artwork. It's unlike any subscription box I've had in the past and really is incredible. The main problem for me is I can never fit all the goodies in one picture, it really is amazing.

This month it's the My Little Frenchie Box and I think it's my favourite one so far. Inside the box this month, the beauty stuff really rocks. There is a By Terry Kohl pencil, a L'Oreal Brow pencil, some DHC blotting papers and even a Skin Illuminator product made by My Little Box. The selection of products is fantastic; I love trying new brow products and who wouldn't want to try a product from By Terry?! 

The lifestyle products are good too! There is a gorgeous bottle full of little messages; My Little Box instructs us to open one each morning for a pick-me-up. There is also a really lovely smartphone case, which has a handy pocket for travelcards and things like that.

The box also comes with a gorgeous little bag which holds the beauty products, this months is covered in polka dots. There is also a magazine and a lovely poster which says "Life is never what it seems - and that's the great thing about it'. I'm going to be finding room for this piece in my scrapbook with all the other cute cards from the box.

My Little Box - I'm impressed and so I should be! This box is beautiful and I'm a huge fan of it! If you're a fan, you can subscribe to My Little Box here for £11 a month. 

Nailberry

This month Love Me Beauty had a whole host of Nailberry polishes to choose from. To be honest, I couldn't resist them and I filled my box up and waited for them to arrive. I opted for three colours; Baby Blue (here), Raspberry (here) and Grosielle (here).

Nailberry is a UK company formed by french born and raised Sonia Hully. She stands for four key pillars; quality, affordable, speed and hygiene, which are key aims for her brand. Nailberry polishes are created with a fantastic 4 free formula; free from Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP and Camphor (by the way - they are also cruelty free).

The nail polishes come in a gorgeous square bottle, which has a simple white label on the front. The brush itself is a thin little brush, which I normally hate but it was surprisingly easy to use!

When products are free from all the nasties, I often expect there to be a drop in quality. However, the Nailberry polishes are really impressive. The first one I tried was 'Baby Blue' - a fabulous minty green pastel shade. I think you can tell a lot about a nail polish brand by the quality of a pastel shade. Let me tell you; it's really impressive. It wasn't streaky, it wasn't too thick and it was really pigmented. I moved onto Raspberry which just looked incredible on the nails and still performed impeccably.

I can see that I'm going to be addicted to this brand, which colour should I try next? You can buy them direct from Nailberry (here). 

Afternoon Tea at The Landmark

When my best friend surprised me with Afternoon Tea at The Landmark London, I was a little over excited. She'd spoken a lot about it and how amazing it was; finally I was getting to try it!

The atmosphere inside is just amazing and I cannot express how relaxed and chilled I felt. We opted for the Champagne Chocolate Afternoon Tea and kicked things off with a glass of Pink Champagne. We were promptly topped up with tea and the eating commenced. We opted for the Landmark Blend which was the most incredible tea I've ever had. I'm actually really upset that you couldn't buy it to take away!

The tea followed with refillable sandwhiches and for once all the options were really nice! We had; organic egg mayonnaise, free range corn fed chicken with tarragon crème fraîche, Lapsang Souchong smoked salmon and classic cucumber. You could have as many as you like and the staff were not afraid to offer you more and more! 

Of course the next course were the scones, at the Landmark they serve chocolate chip and fruit peel scones. We had the tradition clotted cream with came with a FRESH strawberry jam. The chocolate afternoon tea came with fancy chocolate spread and also lemon curd. 

My favourite part were the french pastries that followed, don't they look incredible in the picture? By far my favourite items were the Chocolate Coconut Macaroon and the Espresso Chocolate cup. They were amazing! 

All in all, it was an incredible experience! I had an amazing time and it's so worth every penny. If you haven't tried it before you have to go, it's the best Afternoon Tea I've ever had! It was such a perfect Birthday present, thank you Amber.

If you're interested in trying Afternoon Tea at The Landmark head to their website here. 

My Current Skincare Routine

I've mentioned this a few times; but before 2015 I never had a skincare routine. I did not take good care of my skin and it showed. However I made a promise to myself that starting January 1st, I'd implement a full routine and see how I got on. I've seen a dramatic improvement in how my skin looks and feels, so I thought I'd share with you the products I've been using.

For the record I have quite oily skin which is very blemish prone, it also gets dry in places so it needs moisture but as little oil as possible. Let it be said that this is no means a perfect routine, I have a lot to try and learn, but this is working for me so far.

I share the routine by cleansing with Micellar Water, I use the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. I've used a few micellar products and this is by far my favourite (for me I prefer it to Bioderma). I apply this to the Boots Double Faced Cotton Pads and wipe it over my face. If it's the morning this is just a quick freshen up, but in the evening I use it to remove the bulk of my makeup. 

Next I use the La Roche Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel, I dampen my skin, put couple of pumps to my hands and apply to my face. I then grab my Magnitone Cleansing Brush and use the one-minute timer on my skin. 20 seconds on my forehead, 20 seconds on my cheeks and the 20 seconds on my chin and nose! I remove the cleanser from my face with a muslin cloth, I really like the ones from Liz Earle. 

I follow the cleanser with a spritz of Serozinc, I close my eyes and spray it twice on my skin. You then leave this to settle for a good few minutes, patting off any excess if it has not dried in. My last daily step is to follow the Serozinc with the Garnier Anti-Blemish Moisturiser. I've used this moisturiser for quite a while and it's a huge favourite of mine, my skin loves it!

My last step of this routine is to use a mask once a week. If I have time I'll use one mid-week but normally work gets in the way! At the moment I'm using the Glam Glow mask, I had a few tester tubes that I've been using up. The bad news (for my bank balance) is I LOVE it, this stuff is genius!

At the moment that's my full routine - I'd love to know if you've used any of these products or if you have any recommendations! 

Luscious Lips

When it comes to lips, I don't really do lipstick! Wearing bright colours has never really been my thing (even though everyone says it really suits me). What I do love is lip products that provide a nice natural colour, but also have a no fuss formula. These are three products that I love; they all are easy to wear, easy to apply and I feel comfortable wearing them.

Revlon Lip Butters
Lets be honest these were one of the most HYPED products I've ever seen. However, for me these were more than just a fling; these lip butters have a full time home in my beauty arsenal. They are perfect for this time of year, your lips are a little dry but you still want something to compliment your look. I can apply these on-the-go, without a mirror for a mid-afternoon colour pick-me-up. These retail for £7.99, you can buy them here.

Maybelline Color Show 
From one old hype to a more recent favourite from the beauty blogging world. These are marketed as a lipstick, but to me it's really a lipstick-balm hybrid. I picked this up completely on a whim before they were widely released and I'd heard nothing about it. They have a really creamy texture and this is a perfect 'my lips but better' shade. I have really small lips, so the tiny pencil really helps me get a perfect application! These retail for £4.99, you can buy them here.

LOreal Glam Shine Stain Splash
This is probably my favourite product of the three, I own a lot of shades! What I love about these is that they are a stain and gloss in one! For the first hour or so you get a glossy high shine gloss and then this wears off to a stain on the lips. These are perfect for when I'm at work filming tradeshows. I can reapply for a look that is a little more dressy or leave the stain all day and completely forget about it. These retails for £7.99, you can buy them here. 

What are your holy grail lip products? Do you have a product that you have multiple shades of? 

My First Zoeva Brushes

I've heard a lot about Zoeva all over the bloggersphere and I thought it was about time I tried something! There is a lot of choice out there when it comes to Zoeva brushes, so it's quite hard to narrow it down. The brush sets are really good value for money, but I didn't have a lot of spare cash, so I opted for two single brushes.

I've never tried a concealer brush and I've been looking to try one for a while. So when I spotted the 142 Concealer and Buffing Brush, it went straight in my basket. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this has revolutionised my concealer application. I've been using it to do pinpoint concealing and conceal red patches around my nose. It makes the finish really flawless! I've also been using it my liquid concealers under my eyes and it's amazing for blending. The brush is really soft but still quite dense, so it works without dragging or irritating the eyes.

Next in my basket was the 110 Face Shape Brush. Zoeva say that this is the perfect brush for precise and detailed contouring. I've been using this with Illamasqua's Hollow, which is a cream product and it works beautifully. Again this is a dense brush which makes light work of applying and blending contouring products. For me this is probably a little too small for contouring, I don't do very detailed contouring, so I prefer a slightly bigger brush! I imagine this is perfect for Kim Kardashian style contouring though! 

Zoeva brushes come in a little pouch, which makes a great carry case if you want to put them in your handbag! They also are made with Vegan friendly taklon bristles, which is very important! I picked my brushes from Beauty Bay (here), but there are a couple more UK sellers if you're interested in starting a collection! 

Look Fantastic Beauty Box | February

Inside this months Look Fantastic Beauty Box, we have a mixture of haircare, makeup and skincare! So there is a pretty good mixture, lets have a look at the contents in detail!

Morrocan Oil Hair Treatment

Surprisingly I've never tried anything from Morrocan Oil (I know, where have I been). My hairdresser uses this on me though and she swears by it! It's an oil treatment that is infused with argan oil. It's a tool for conditioning, styling and finishing. This is a 25ml bottle worth £13 and you can buy it here.

Bellapierre Lip Liner

These lip liners retail for £12.80, you can buy them here. Normally I would be a bit annoyed about getting a lip liner, as I don't really wear lipstick. However, there has been a lot of talk about using liners on their own as a matte lip. I'm definitely going to be trying this out! 

Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Soap

Next in the box is a miniature Sea Mud soap from Erno Laszlo! I've never heard of this brand or the product but it sounds lovely! The bar is made from 97% natural ingredients and it aims to detoxify, hydrate and restore your skin. It's also an exfoliant so it leaves your skin looking brighter. This is right at the top of the skincare drawer now, you can buy it here.

Dr Paw Paw Original Balm

I've heard a lot about Dr Paw Paw but it's a brand I've never tried. This is the Original Balm which is a 'weapon against all kinds of skin problems". It's a protector, moisturiser, nappy cream, lip finisher and hair conditioner. So it's safe to say it's a bit of an all-rounder! This tube retails for £6.95 here. 

Korres Citrus Bodymilk

In the October box we received the Citrus Shower Gel and now we have a bottle of the Citrus Bodymilk! It's a combination of almond oil, aloe and shea butter! It hydrates your skin and it sounds perfect for waking up in the morning!

Monu Illuminating Primer

Now this is a product I've tried before and I wasn't majorly impressed. The Monu Illuminating Primer is packed with SPF15 with a light reflective formula. It's really nice on the skin but it's a little too oily for my skin type! If you have a drier complexion I recommend trying this!

So that concludes the contents of the February Look Fantastic box! What do you think of it? I'm fairly impressed! I'm happy that seven months on, Look Fantastic are still making boxes that have excellent contents! The Look Fantastic Beauty Box isn't a subscription service, instead you buy each box from the website when they are released. Click here to buy February's box. 

Models Own Chrome Collection

When the Models Own sale started, there was one collection right at the top of my list. It's the brand new Chrome Collection! 

The Chrome Collection features TEN metal nail polishes which are formulated to give the liquid metal effect. I'm really impressed with these polishes and they look amazing on the nails. The formula is quite thin, so it does show up the imperfections in your nails if you have ridges. The thin formula means that dries really quickly though, so it's really easy to layer it up. The pigmentation is surprisingly strong, you only need one coat to get the colour payoff, but I always apply two anyway.

I have to give a mention to the packaging, isn't it amazing?! I love the bottle and the brush is the lovely flat brush. Perfect for getting a flawless application. I have two colours from the collection; Chrome Rose and Chrome Indigo. You can see that the colours are both gorgeous! I've been loving wearing Indigo on it's own, and Rose as an accent to a manicure. 

There was a time that I thought Models Own were a bit of a rubbish brand. However, they've really upped their game recently and the polishes are sublime! You can buy the Chrome Collection directly from the Models Own website here. 

Valentines Day Gift Guide

There's not long until Valentines Day but you don't need to fret! I'm here to share my top Valentines Day gifts!

First up is my the Molecule 01 perfume, this has been on my wish list for so long and it's really quite special. The scent of this adapts for every person so it's completely unique to you! If you're looking for something brand new then the Rosie For Autograph Collection is perfect! Maybe perfume isn't her thing? In which case I love the sound of the candle, maybe the perfect addition to a romantic meal? It's £15 here. 

If you are considering buying a perfume for your loved one, you might want to check out Escentual. They actually stock the limited edition Moschino Toy Eau de Toilette (£80 here). It actually creeps me out a little, but people are going mad for it! Escentual actually have a special offer at the moment; if you spend £50 on fragrance, you can get £5 off. Just enter ESCENTUAL5 at the checkout. 

Next on the list is this super cute Heart Shaped Blackboard from Lakeland (£7.99 here) it's really pretty and would make a lovely finishing touch to most rooms. I ADORE these super cute tea/coffee sets from Twinings! I cannot believe how cute the spoons are, swoon! The Twinings Love Mug is my favourite set and it retails for £20 (here). 

One of my favourite brands at the moment is Roger & Gallet, all their products are beautiful and I'm a huge fan. My favourite fragrance is Fleur De Figuier, which is perfect for Valentines Day! I highly recommend the Fleur De Figuier Fragrance Water which you can buy on offer from M&S (here). 

Another brand I'm a huge fan of is Green People! They make amazing ORGANIC makeup which is really fabulous quality. They've created a special Valentine's Day Gift Pack which has two makeup items and a sharpener for £19.99 (here). It's great value and they've just introduced FREE UK delivery! 

Looking for something cheap but sentimental? I love the Message In A Bottle from M&S! Write your own message and make sure you make it something sweet! Best bit is it's only £3.50 (here). 

If you're looking for something that fits the theme perfectly, I love this clutch bag from ASOS. Nothing like a cute red clutch for date night, it's £25 (here). It also comes in black if red isn't really her colour (here)! Another great addition to a date night outfit are these Rose Gold Heart Earrings from Ted Baker, you can get from for £14 from Tucci (here).

Valentines Day With Lakeland

When I'm shopping for Valentine's Day, Lakeland has never been an obvious option to me before. However, they actually love tons of gorgeous items to chose from. I have a few favourites, but I love this Heart Shaped Blackboard*! It's only £7.99 (here) and in the flesh it's utterly gorgeous! I've actually been looking for something exactly like this for my kitchen. I think most ladies would love it too! 

We all know I'm a bit obsessed with baking, so when I found out about 'Share Your Heart' with Lakeland I had to get involved. Lakeland are challenging you to create hearts using their heart cutter* (here) in the most creative way you can find. I hot-footed it to Sainsburys and picked up the ingredients for Valentine' Day cookies. I used white and pink royal icing and some silver balls and confetti hearts! Now I might not be very creative, but I think they are very cute!

If you want to get involved, pick up a heart shaped cutter (here) and get baking. You just need to submit your entry via Facebook (here) before February 16th! Lakeland's favourite entry will get a £50 voucher and the Love Birds Baking Range. If you get involved let me know and share your pictures! 

Falling For Fleur de Figuer

When it comes to naming favourite brands, Roger & Gallet would be high up the list. Every product I've ever tried I've fallen instantly in love with. The products are always high quality and for me, they ooze sophistication. Fleur de Figuer has quickly become my favourite scent; figs, grapefruit and mandarin blended with musk and fig wood; it's heavenly! As you can see I've built up quite the collection of Fleur de Figuer products, all of which share center stage in my bathroom.

Fleur de Figuier Fragrant Water Spray 

This is a gorgeous fragranced water, it's so light and delicate to wear! I love spritzing this for work or for special nights out. It's the perfect scent! The best part is that 100ml retails for £32 (here), so it's fairly cheap when it comes to perfume. This is one worth keeping in mind for birthdays and Mothers Day! 

Fleur de Figuier Body Lotion

I recently shared my love for the Lait Sorbet body lotions in a separate post (here). They are really fantastic products! They have a melting formula and they really hydrate your skin. The Fleur de Figuier version is infused with fig pulp with is for softening the skin. The lotions all have different properties, this one is made for replenishing the skin. The Fleur de Figuier Body Lotion costs £13 (here).

Fleur de Figuer Oil

Last (but certainly not least) is the Fleur de Figuer oil. I've had this for quite a while and it's a beautiful non-sticky oil. You can use it in your hair or on your body and it's silicon-free. Instead it's enriched with fruit oils; grape, pomegranate, blackcurrant, apricot and almond. I loved using it in the summer and I'm still loving it now! The Fleur de Figuer oil costs £25.50 (here). 

I'm really loving using the Fleur de Figuer collection, next on my list to try is the Citron collection! I love lemon scented products! 

Inhibitif Body Serum

Sometimes you find a product that's a totally new concept and you have no idea what to expect. Inhibitif hit the shelves last year and it took the world by storm. Inhibitif claim to reduce hair growth so you don't have to shave/wax so often. 

I honestly had no idea what to expect from this product, but decided I'd give it a go. Basically you shave or wax and then apply this to your skin twice a day. You have to be quite dedicated to the cause as you have to do this for 2 months, but Inhibitif say you can see results from 2 weeks. The Body Serum feels exactly like a serum, in the bottle it looks like it would be quite oily, but it's not. It's actually a really nice texture and it absorbs quickly into the skin. It doesn't say exactly how much to use, so I just sprayed it 3 times and rubbed it in. 

I actually saw results very quickly, seven days into the programme and my hair growth had definitely reduced. My skin was also less tender and ingrowing hairs had reduced. Safe to say that it have my motivation a kick in the bum! I then went to San Diego and I didn't have room in my bag for this, my hair growth definitely picked up again but it wasn't dramatic. However, what I did see the difference in was my ingrowing hairs, they were coming back again with a vengeance! 

I'm back on the Inhibitif wagon now and I'm seeing great results again. My hair growth is definitely reducing everyday and my ingrowing hairs are disappearing. I'm looking forward to finishing a full 2 months of application and seeing the difference. I will definitely report back with my final results and how I'm getting on.

The Inhibitif Body Serum costs £30 and I think it's totally worth it. For me it's purely worth it for the ingrown hair reduction, let alone the hair removal. You can buy it directly from DECIEM here.

Have you tried Inhibitif? What did you think?

January Empties

Today I thought I'd share some of the products I've recently finished, with my thoughts and whether I'll be repurchasing them! They are actually all staples in my routine, so it's a good way of sharing my everyday essentials with you.

Garnier Micellar Water
I've been using this as my staple micellar for a while now. I actually prefer this to Bioderma, as I find it more gentle and it feels more like pure water. I used to use this as my sole cleaner (I know slap me on the wrist) but it's now my pre-cleanser. I actually cannot live without this in my routine, I've already repurchased and I have a back up! The best part is that it always seems to be on offer for around £3 - bargain! You can pick it up from Superdrug here. 

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation
I recently awarded this foundation with my 'best in 2014' title. The quality, finish and colour of this foundation is just perfect for me. It's so cheap too which makes it accessible to everyone. I've not had a chance to replace this yet and I really miss it! You can pick it up for £6.99 here.

Colab Dry Shampoo
The newest item to my routine is the Colab Dry Shampoo and I have no idea how I ever lived without it. I recently travelled with a miniature Batiste and it just doesn't compare at all! Well done to Ruth Crilly and the team behind this, it's sensational! You can pick it up at Feel Unique or Superdrug here.  

Aussie Miracle Hairspray
I actually use the Aussie Dual Personality Hairspray and class it as 'holy grail' status, and I picked this one up by mistake. It's a nice hairspray but it's not as good as it's Dual Personality sister. If you don't have a full fringe to maintain and just need a light hold - this is for you (buy here). If you like a high hold hairspray - go for Dual Personality (buy here). 

Super Serozinc

I was actually invited to the UK launch of Serozinc and I had an incredible time! I'd actually not heard about this product before then (I must of been living under a rock). However, many bloggers give this 'cult' status and have had all their prayers answered, as it's now available to buy right here in the UK.

Serozinc is a toning mist that you spray onto your skin after cleansing. It's made which just three ingredients; La Roche-Posay’s ultra-soothing thermal spring water, healing zinc sulphate and astringent sodium chloride. These three ingredients target blemishes and oiliness to help your skin "stay fresh all day".

I've been using this every morning for a few weeks now and I've really seen a difference in my skin. First of all, it's helped my skin stay oil free all day long. Normally my skin would start to look greasy and oily after lunchtime but there's been no sign of this. Secondly, my skin has had a lot less breakouts, it's been completely clear in my t-zone. Thirdly, I've seen a big difference in my pores, they are a lot less noticeable and my makeup hasn't been settling inside them. 

So really my skin has seen some dramatic changes, just by spraying this on my skin everyday. I've used a lot of toners in my life, but for me this one has really packed a punch! 

Serozinc is currently exclusive to Escentual (one of my favourite beauty sites) and it costs just £7.50. I've been using this since Christmas and I'm yet to run out, so one bottle seems to go a long way! Click here to buy.

The View From The Shard

For my birthday last month, Chris and I decided we'd experience 'The View From The Shard'. I'm a little bit obsessed with London, I know in hindsight it's a smoke-filled, polluted city. But for me there is something a little romantic and magical about it. We booked our tickets online the day before and opted for the 'Champagne Experience'. Booking tickets online actually works out quite a bit cheaper than booking on-the-day (which is about £9 for the Champagne Experience). 

The Shard is London's highest view and you can view London from floors 68, 69 and 72. They claim that it's almost twice the height of any other viewing platform in London. It's really something quite special up there. You can see 360-degrees from The Shard and you can see up to 40 miles. 

It's quite fun wondering around and pointing out the landmarks, near and far! They also have interactive telescopes that give you more detail and point out things you might have missed! We were really lucky and had a pretty clear view of London, but if you manage to get unlucky with the weather you can be issued tickets to come back again for free.

We went on a Tuesday afternoon at 3pm and The Shard was empty. If you have the option to go on a weekday, do it! There are a lot of negative reviews that say that weekends are really busy and you get herded around like cattle. They also say that the staff are rude but we only encountered lovely staff on the day. Everyone is kind and polite, they even offered to take pictures for us!

If heights and good views are your thing I HIGHLY recommend visiting The Shard. We had an amazing time and it really is quite magical! 

Nails Inc Old Bond Street

Blue is quickly becoming one of my favourite colours to wear on my nails. I know it's supposed to be a bit of sad, lonely colour, but for me it always makes me feel happy! One colour that I've been wearing on a weekly basis is Nails Inc's Old Bond Street. I have it in the new 'gel effect' formulation which just looks incredible on the nails. 

Nails Inc say that the 'gel effect' formula contains 'plasticiser technology' which helps create flawless glossy finish. I have to agree that the polish is really glossy on the nails and it looks really impressive. 

I just apply two coats of this over a base cost and finish with Seche Vite. It's obviously quite a thick formula which can make it quite prone to peeling off. So I've been trying to apply very thin coats wherever possible. I love the brush that this comes with too, it's a nice wide brush with a rounded edge, which makes it really easy to apply.

Nails Inc Old Bond Street retails for £14 here.

Illamasqua Multi Facet Palette

When this beautiful palette was released pre-Christmas I fell instantly in love! I knew I wanted it but I managed to resist it all the way through the Christmas period. However, when it was reduced in the sale my strength failed me.

I'm so glad I caved though, as Illamasqua's Multi Facet palette is just stunning. I chose the shade 'Aura' which I felt was the most suited to my skintone. The best part of these palettes is that there is something for each part of your routine. 

There is 'Gleam in Aurora' which is the hyped highlighter. I actually have this in full size and it's incredible, so I'm glad to have it again in this palette! If that's not enough there is also the cult product 'Hollow' which is the cream pigment. Which is raved about for contouring cheeks! There is also the best-selling eyebrow cake in 'Thunder' and a handy eyebrow brush to match. I'm a huge fan of Illamasqua blushers, so having 'Tremble' in the palette is a big plus. Blushers from Illamasqua are really pigmented and blend beautifully. If all that doesn't tip you over the edge, the palette also has FOUR powder eyeshadows. This is the first time I've used eyeshadows from Illamasqua but I'm quite impressed - they are not super pigmented but they blend really well which is good if you're a novice like me.

If you're reading this before 12pm on Monday 2nd February - go and grab yourself one of these palettes. They are on sale for £13.50 and they are worth every single penny! If you've missed the boat on these, do not despair! You can grab all of these products in full size. I highly recommend Gleam, Hollow and the Illamasqua powder blushers. Have you tried anything by Illamasqua? What do you think of the brand?

January Favourites

It's January favourites time! Lets take a look at the products I've loved this month!

O.P.I Acetone-Free Polish Remover
This is a bit of a weird one but I picked this up in San Diego in duty-free. It was a completely impulse buy because I needed some nail polish remover. This worked out to be like £2 so it was a bargain. This does the job and it does the job well! The best bit is that it actually smells nice! 

Redken Curvaceous Full Swirl 
I shared a whole review of this last week - it's incredible! I've never found a product that I've loved as much as this! It's the perfect product for making frizz-free curls that survive any weather. It works in wet hair and dry hair, it leaves no residue in my locks and it smells amazing!

Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter
I've sung the praises of this highlighter many times but I've really been enjoying using it this month. Everyone needs a little sparkle in January and this gives you sparkle in bucket loads! You literally just have to dip your brush in this and you can highlight your whole complexion.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer 
This is something I unpacked when we moved house and I cannot believe it ever packed it away! This stuff is incredible for blemishes and uneven skintone, I simply apply it with concealor brush and it covers a multitude of sins! 

What have you enjoyed using in January? Leave me your must-haves below!