Yardley London Bath & Body Skincare Collection And Flower Arranging With Jane Packer

I recently spent a most wonderful afternoon with the Yardley London team at the Jane Packer Flower School for a lesson in flower arranging. It was such fun and one of the most therapeutic things I have ever done, I highly recommend it!

We learnt how to create a hat box arrangement from scratch. Having been shown by an expert who made it look so easy, we were then let loose on our own hat boxes and vases of flowers. It was left up to us how we arranged the flowers we were given to work with - We had pink Roses, white Gerbera Daisies, dried Lavender and green foliage. These are some of the flowers used in the Yardley Bath and Body Skincare Collection.

I have to admit when I started arranging the flowers in the hat box I had no vision of how it was going to look at the end, it has to be said I am not the most able when it comes to making things but I was pleasantly surprised at the end result, what I achieved and how much I enjoyed learning and being creative for the afternoon.

The lesson in flower arranging was to introduce the new Yardley London Bath and Body Skincare Collection which will be supported by a stunning advertising campaign this Spring.

The collection consists of five ranges - English Lavender, Lily of the Valley, English Rose, Peony and Royal English Daisy. Each range has a Body Wash - £3.50 for 200ml, a Body Lotion - £5.99 for 250ml and a Hand & Nail Cream.


Each product is infused with the delicate scent of the floral fragrance it represents and contains the ingredient Q10 which is known to strengthen skin and keep it soft and toned.


I have been using the English Rose collection and the scent is not at all overpowering, the hand cream is light but perfectly moisturising. I was also given the Royal English Daisy hand cream which is a stronger sweet floral scent, apparently this scent was inspired by the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine Middleton and launched around the time of the Royal Wedding.

My finished Hat Box creation 

Facebook Competition/Promotion Rules

I see lots of brands (not just cosmetic ones) almost on a daily basis holding competitions and giveaways on Facebook that are breaking the Competition Rules and Guidelines that Facebook have created. If you do not hold a promotion that follows the rules and Facebook discover this, then potentially they can and will close down your page!

Not so great when you have built up hundreds if not thousands of followers..

I thought it would be useful to link to the Facebook Promotions Guidelines for reference and clarification as to what is allowed and what is not as this may come in handy if you decide to hold a competition too using facebook..

Click here for the Facebook Promotions Guidelines

Were you aware that these rules existed?

BUYAPOWA BLOGGERS WEEK - My Choice

Over at BUYAPOWA this week it is Bloggers Week. This means that all the co-buys featured and available to buy at a lower price than usual have been selected by beauty bloggers as some of our favourite beauty products.

I chose my favourite highlighter to feature on the site - Benefit Watt's Up. To find out why I picked this highlighter above anything else, you can read my original review here.

Pop over today to see what other fab products the bloggers have chosen and take advantage of some great deals. Mine isn't available to buy just yet so don't forget to sign up to the email to alert you when the deal goes live or follow me on twitter.

Each co-buy will last for up to 48 hours but will disappear sooner if the product is sold out.

For more details on how BUYAPOWA works please click here 

Green People Vitamin Shampoo - Review

One of my New Year resolutions was to focus more on the condition and upkeep of my hair. The aim being to always have healthy soft, manageable and shiny hair.

My hair has recently been looking quite dull and frizzy and sorry for itself and I want to return it to its former glory. I remember when I went to the Daniel Galvin Salon at the Corinthia Hotel and had their detox treatment, how bright my hair looked afterwards so when I was sent the Green People Vitamin Shampoo for review I was looking forward to seeing what it could do for my hair.

The Vitamin Shampoo is a detox/shine product that is designed for use on dull, lifeless, dry hair or one that has been affected by the sun, salt or chlorine. The blurb on the back states 'Detox your hair, add shine and nourish your scalp'

It is an organic shampoo that contains no parabens, is SLS free and ingredients include organic avocado and mandarin.

The shampoo smells slightly citrusy, if you have tried Green People products before you will be familiar with this pleasant scent. It comes out clear and foams quite nicely which as we know a lot of people associate with a product that is doing its job, in this case cleaning the hair.

I found this shampoo to be soothing (it contains Aloe Vera) and non -irritating on my scalp, this is important to me as I suffer from scalp psoriasis.

The results -

I have been using this shampoo for a few weeks now and noticed from the first use how it seemed to cleanse my hair, removing build up of product use, making my hair and in particular my highlights brighter. I would like to see more shine but I suspect this might be achieved by using it in conjunction with the Vitamin Conditioner.

Previously I may have been a bit sceptical of 'detox' products for the hair but I am convinced now that they have a place in my hair care routine.

Green People Vitamin Shampoo costs £9.95 for 200ml


*PR Sample

Nails Inc Neon and Nude Collection Boxset

I love this box set from Nails Inc - Neon and Nude Collection 


The Neon and Nude collection features 6 mini sized polish shades that are ideal for this Spring/Summer's contrasting trends of nudes and neons!

The 3 nude classics -


Jermyn Street - perfect taupe polish

Porchester Square - muted mushroom polish

Cadogan Square - classic camel polish 

3 brand new shades -


Portobello - neon coral polish

Notting Hill Gate - neon pink polish

Westbourne Grove - neon yellow / orange polish

The majority of the time I favour nude shades on my nails but every so often I love a pop of colour and this is just perfect.

Nails Inc Neon and Nude Collection costs £22

My Perfect Red - Lord and Berry Vogue Lipstick in Shade Cupid

Lord & Berry Vogue Lipstick in Cupid has to be my favourite red lipstick that I have tried so far. I was lucky enough to win some Lord & Berry products in a blog giveaway and this was one of the items included as the prize. It must have been fate as Cupid is the one red lipstick that I find the most wearable out of all the ones I have in my collection.

I definitely receive the most compliments when wearing Cupid and as I had quite a few people asking me what I was wearing in the Chanel Perfection Lumière review I thought I would write a post about my perfect red.

This is a semi matte finish lipstick that is an extremely flattering shade of red. I find it glides on smoothly and feels soft and velvety once on. I don't find it drying at all which some lipsticks do, my lips feel nice when wearing it.  It is paraben free, fragrance free and ingredients include anti-oxidants and beeswax.

With Flash

Cupid is just a strong and uber glamourous shade of lipstick that brings a sparkle to my eye and when I am wearing it I feel full of confidence!

Chanel Perfection Lumière Long Wear Flawless Fluid MakeUp Foundation - Reviewed

Chanel Vitalumière Foundation has been a long time favourite of mine so when I heard that Chanel were launching a new foundation - Perfection Lumière, being the foundation junkie that I am, I had to try it out. I went along to the Chanel counter to get colour matched for a sample, although it was suggested I tried shade 20 when I got home I realised that I had actually been give shade 30 Beige.  There was a sachet sample in the March issue of Red magazine which was also shade 30 Beige so I am guessing that this is a generic will suit quite a lot of the population shade.

Chanel Perfection Lumière has the same fresh peachy type scent that Chanel has in its existing skincare and foundation ranges, which I find really pleasant.

Perfection Lumière is described as providing 'multi-faceted radiance, colour, comfort and a matte finish'. Its Perfect Skin Affinity complex ensures a second-skin effect and perfect foundation hold for 15 hours.
Perfection has never been so simple.

My thoughts - 


The counter assistant at Chanel described this as comparable to Estee Lauder's very popular Double Wear Foundation.

This is a light, fluid textured foundation that gives good medium, adjustable coverage. It really doesn't feel like you are wearing a foundation, which for the coverage it provides is impressive and it does look really natural. Light and seamless.

In the photo below you can see how it covers the skin and how smooth the skin appears. This is most definitely a matte foundation, which seems to be the in thing at the moment with lots of new matte foundations being launched.

I really wanted to love this foundation and had visions of being blown away by it but I have two concerns with how it performed on my skin.

1. It didn't really conceal the redness I have on my cheeks which Double Wear does instantly. I had to go over that area adding foundation to it a few times, but I wasn't entirely happy at the end result.

2. I wore it out to dinner on Friday night, I applied it at around 5pm and at about 9.30pm I noticed that the foundation had faded and sunk into my t zone, which meant that now I wasn't entirely flawless...

As it has SPF10 you will get that whitening effect when your photo is taken with a flash, but I don't mind that.

Below is a picture of me wearing Perfection Lumière at the beginning of the evening, it looks nice and bright and I think looks good. What do you think?

To sum up, I thought it was ok but I didn't feel that it was a must have for me personally, right now I will stick with the Double Wear.


Chanel Perfection Lumière costs £36 for 30mls and is suitable for all skin types.

Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - Intense Black

I have been looking for a good black eyeliner that will not budge or transfer to the crease line on my eyes, so far my search has not brought up anything worth talking about, until now.... I mentioned on twitter what I was looking for and got a lot of recommendations for Bobbi Brown's Gel Eyeliner, as I don't often do dramatic eyes using black I saw this gel version from Maybelline and thought I would purchase this first to see how I got on with it.

Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Intense Black

Described on the Maybelline website as their first Catwalk-inspired liner:

Benefits -

• Oil-free formula holds concentrated pigments in a clear gel base.
• Smudge and water resistant.
• Up to 24 hours.
• Our most intense line for lasting drama.
• Safe for sensitive eyes and ophthalmologist-tested.
• Contact lens safe.

My review and thoughts - 

I have always used pencils and more recently tried pen liners. I find pen liners extremely easy to use but was so far disappointed to have not been able to find a black that didn't budge. I was looking forward to trying out a different textured format and my first gel liner, I have to say this one from Maybelline is fantastic and I was incredibly impressed by the results.

The product comes in a screw top pot and included in the price is a brush applicator. The brush is soft, I found it was easy to apply product to the eye line using the brush. Whether you are looking to do a thin line or a more dramatic, thicker winged line, it works perfectly. The gel is well pigmented, a good strong black shade and it literally glides across the eye with no drag at all. Effortless. It dries to a matte black.

To ensure it didn't transfer just because it was still wet, I waited maximum 2 minutes for the gel to dry and then observed it at various intervals on my night out to see if it had budged. I wore it for 8 hours and it did not fade, smudge or budge and most importantly I did not have that tell tale black double line on my crease line which has happened with every single black liner I have ever tried. 

Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner really works and is reasonably priced. A product to add to your makeup kit.

Maybelline EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - Intense Black costs £7.99

Lips Of The Day - Daniel Sandler All For Eve Red Lipstick

Absolutely love this red lipstick on my sister, to think she has only just started wearing lipstick! I think she has been missing out all these years.

This is a fab and long lasting red lipstick.

Daniel Sandler's All For Eve Red Lipstick costs £10.50 and is available tp purchase from here http://www.allforeve.co.uk/products/brands/daniel-sandler

*Lipstick was included as part of this Glossybox

Terre D'Oc Natural Mascara 32 Black - Reviewed

After my recent post on beauty brands whose entire product range are entirely paraben free I was contacted by  the PR company who represent terre d'Oc and asked if I would like to try something from the range.

I opted to try the mascara as firstly, I have found it hard to find information on which mascaras do not contain parabens and secondly,  I was curious as to how it would perform against mass market mascaras.

The brush is a traditional brush style

The product feels thick and gloopy when it comes out of the tube, but applied on the lashes feels quite dry and subsequently dries quickly on the lashes. The mascara brush size is good and I find that it separates the lashes nicely. 2 strokes achieves optimum lashes, a third at a push but that is when I started to notice that it became a bit clumpy.

This mascara really excels in two areas -

1. The colour is a really nice rich black.
2. Once it has dried it stays put, no flaking or smudging and no drooping. The lashes look as fresh as first applied until you remove the mascara.

Before

After

I think that the mascara gives good length and makes the lashes look plentiful. All in all I was really impressed with the results of this natural mascara.

Dermatologically tested. Suitable for all skin types.

The terre d'Oc range is made with Certified Organic and fair trade plant oils, butters and vegetable pigments, using a minimum of 95% natural, 20% organic, 85% plant and 100% cruelty-free ingredients. Made without parabens, petrochemicals, talc, mineral oil, carmine, nano-particles, artificial preservatives, colours or fragrances.

terre d'Oc Natural Mascara 32 Black (Noir Bengal) - 8ml costs £17.95 and is available from www.terredoc.co.uk

New Clarins Ever Matte Skin Balancing Foundation - A Review

A sachet sample of the new Clarins Ever Matte Foundation was included in the March edition of Red Magazine which I have just taken out a subscription to. I must admit I don't naturally veer towards anything that says matte - I love to have the 'glow' but I was curious enough to try it out.

Clarins describe Ever Matte Foundation as 'The perfect shine-control, balancing foundation for women looking for matte skin in any circumstance. Its plant-based "Skin Detox" complex regulates production of sebum and tightens pores. The fluid, lightweight texture perfectly melts into the skin, allowing it to breathe without any drying effect. The complexion is enhanced with an imperceptible matte veil which remains flawless from morning to night.'

This is a liquid foundation, it is really light in texture and light enough for you to feel that your skin is bare. Years ago I bought an oil free foundation designed to keep shine at bay that made my skin feel so dry when I was wearing it, this is lovely though as the skin remains feeling comfortable.

My skin is normal/combination and the sachet shade was Wheat 109 which was quite a good match to my yellow toned skin tone which is usually one or two up from the lightest shades.

Ever Matte provides medium coverage, which in reality means that if you have any redness or blemishes you will need concealer to cover it. My moles and freckles still came through which you can see in the last photo

Ever Matte Foundation shade 109 Wheat

Ever Matte is barely visible on the skin

Pleasingly, Ever Matte has that familiar fresh cucumber scent which I love (it is present in another of my favourite foundations - Skin Illusion).

As to its claims to keep you matte all day long, I can confirm that it works. I normally get a shiny nose a couple of hours after applying foundation but I wore this a whole day walking round a hot exhibition hall, navigated the transport system in rush hour, walked home from the station and then checked the mirror.. to find my makeup perfectly in place  and not a hint of shine. Now that is what I call fabulous!

In fact I was amazed at how fresh I still looked at the end of the day and made me realise matte does not always equal dull. Ever Matte with a highlighter (you may not need a highlighter, I just love them) works so well to leave the skin looking bright and radiant all day whilst keeping shine at bay.

If you are looking for a foundation to keep you matte then this may very well be one to try.

Clarins Ever Matte SPF15 Oil Free Skin Balancing Foundation comes in 11 shades and costs £24 for 30ml

Max Factor Elixir Lipsticks

I have mentioned before how much I love the Max Factor Elixir Lipsticks. I love the depth of colour and how you only really need one application to get great coverage and they last well. Non drying, they feel lovely and moisturising on the lips thanks to the Vitamin E and other conditioners. To me they are a real rival to my long time favourite - Estee Lauder Pure Colour Collection lipsticks.

 I was sent seven shades to try out and finally have all the shades in one place.

Max Factor Elixir Lipstick in English Rose

Pink, slightly frosted English Rose takes me back to when I was in my mid teens!



Max Factor Elixir Lipstick in Bewitching Coral

I am a huge fan of coral, this is a bright pinky/orange toned shade


Max Factor Elixir Lipstick in Chilli

I love Chilli, the shimmery finish ensures it is mulit-dimensional


Max Factor Elixir Lipstick in Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday is a bright red shade with cool tones, no hiding when you are wearing this!


Max Factor Elixir Lipstick in Mulberry

Mulberry is a gorgeous berry shade with a slight frost finish.


Max Factor Elixir Lipstick in Burnt Caramel

Burnt caramel is a nude shade that leans to brown, nice and creamy with a slight gloss to it. I find this a bit too brown personally, it is a shade I would have worn in the late 1990's but now I prefer brighter shades.



Max Factor Elixir Lipstick in Pink Brandy

Pink Brandy is my favourite, it has been the one that I reach out for the most. It is skin brightening, eyes whitening and just makes me feel alive. The perfect Spring shade.



Which Max Factor Elixir appeals to you?

Max Factor Elixir Lipstick is available in 15 shades and costs £7.99 

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

Twice a week as part of my skincare routine I like to use a gentle polish/exfoliator on my face to remove dead skin cells and give my skin a boost of radiance. The Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator is ideal for this purpose and a product that I really enjoy using.

Just like my favourite cleanser Cleanse and Polish, the Gentle Face Exfoliator has the same slightly medicinal Eucalpytus scent that I adore. It also has cocoa butter for softness and features fine jojoba beads for the exfoliation.

Contained in a handy pump action bottle, one pump is all I need. The Gentle Face Exfoliator is designed to be used after cleansing - lightly massage into the skin in circular movements, avoiding the eye area. This is really lovely, it has a nice creamy texture and the beads are so gentle it doesn't feel like it is scratching the skin at all which I have found with some scrubs/exfoliators. The exfoliation process will remove impurities, help clear out blocked pores and flaky skin.

It leaves my skin really soft, smooth and my complexion appearing brighter and clearer.

Creamy!

You can see the tiny Jojoba beads here

I use this twice a week as mentioned before but it can be used as often as needed. It is suitable for all skin types except sensitive.

The ingredients of the Gentle Face Exfoliator

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator costs £13 for 70ml but it is available in other sizes and tube format.


*PR sample

The Cutest Collaboration Between MUA and Love Hearts!

This has to be one of the brightest and sweetest collaborations, Makeup Academy (MUA) and Love Hearts sweets have got together to create a fun collection of 6 shades of nail polish and 5 shades of lip balm.

I received some of the collection on Saturday and I couldn't help but smile. I love the Love Hearts packaging, Love Hearts appropriate names and wonderfully playful shades that will get you all set for Spring/Summer.

The lip balms are scented with yummy vanilla and provide a hint of colour

Swatches from L-R Sweet Kiss, Sugar Lips and Hot Lips

MUA Love Hearts Collection is available exclusively from Superdrug Stores and cost £2 each

Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes

I am not a regular user of face wipes, I save them for weekend's away and holidays when I don't have time, inclination or packing space for my usual cleansing items..All wipes are definitely not equal and when I do come across wipes that really work I have to share. I was sent these wipes in the Summer, forget to take a photo (hence the image) and used them when we were enjoying a particularly hot spell of weather.

The Yes To Cucumbers range is suitable for Normal to Sensitive skin, is 96% natural, SLS, Petroleum and Paraben free.

Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towelettes are facial wipes that I particularly love. They are wonderfully cooling have a gorgeous fresh cucumber scent that takes me back to my early teens when I used Boots Cucumber Freshen Up Pads during our hot Summers (I suspect I was imagining that it was hot and it was just a 'cool' thing to do at that age, I am not sure they even exist in that format any more!). 

The facial towelettes feel quite thick, are a decent size and are gentle and effective in removing most traces of make-up. They leave the skin feeling clean, soft and refreshed. With quite a few wipes that I have tried I have found that they sting or tingle my skin, these do not. Having a clickable lid, the towels will not dry out which if you are taking them to hotter climates is a real must.

The wipes contain Aloe Vera and Green Tea which soothes and treats skin at the same time. The wipes claim to be an exfoliator, detoxifier and rejuvenator in one. I was quite happy to use these over two weeks, usually after a few days I am dying to get back to my usual products as my skin is crying out for them. Whilst these would never replace my thorough skincare regime, these are perfect for my intended use and I would definitely purchase them.

Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes cost £4.99 for 30 wipes and are available from Victoria Health and other online stores.

*PR sample 

Love For Her And Love For Him From Bodhi

If you are looking for something different to treat your partner with this Valentine's Day you may like these gift sets from Eco luxury skincare brand Bodhi.

Love For Her Gift Set  - £25
Gift set contains:
Ylang-Ylang Incensa Sensual Bath and Shower Therapy

Ylang-Ylang Incensa Sensual Body Moisturiser

This is a heady and intoxicating blend of Ylang-Ylang and Patchouli.. It also contains Honeysuckle, Neroli and Pink Peppercorn.

I have been using it as a shower gel but also by just putting it directly into a warm bath as I would a bath oil and have it take over my senses. With a hint of spice, it is rather addictive. The moisturiser has the same heady scent, leaving the skin feeling soft and comfortable. A sensual combination.

Love For Him Gift Set - £25
Gift set contains:
Pep Noir Energising Bath & Shower Therapy 250ml
Pep Noir Energising Body Moisturiser 40ml

Pep Noir is a wonderfully potent infusion of Black Pepper, White Thyme and Bergamot which apparently is designed to be energizing and confidence boosting.

This smells warm and peppery. It is strong, manly and incredibly sexy. Pep Noir left the right amount of subtle scent on my husband's skin and he commented that he liked the design of the packaging, which he would happily have on display in the bathroom. Bath and Shower Therapy can be used as a shower gel or poured into a warm bath as an oil.

Bodhi products are free from harsh synthetic ingredients like parabens or sulphates.

Bodhi Products are available online at www.bodhi.uk.com, branches of Harvey Nichols and other selected stockists

*PR Samples