Burberry Beauty Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection

I have said it before but I love the whole Burberry Beauty Look.  There is something so effortlessly polished, understated and wearable about the products and shades.

This is an advertising shot for the new A/W 2012 collection, once again fronted by Cara Delevingne


The look

Effortless smoky eyes with rich velvety brown shades.
Flawless matte skin with a soft focus velvet finish and gently contoured cheeks
Natural dusky pink lips.

This Autumn sees the release of the Velvet Foundation which is described as a long lasting matte foundation with a soft velvety finish (available in 8 shades)

Also in the new collection

Burberry Eyes

Sheer EyeShadow  in Dark Sable No.23
Sheer EyeShadow  in Mulberry No.24


Burberry Lips


Lip Cover in Mocha Glow No.31
Lip Cover in Sepia Pink No.32

Available on counters from August 2012

Glamp It Up!

The August issue of iN Magazine is available to view online now!

Clink the link below to my beauty page and see which gorgeous products are my must haves for your camping/festival trip. Also, don't miss the fab Olympic Inspired beauty finds :-)

http://issuu.com/in-magazine.com/docs/inmagazineaugustdigi/29#share

Nails Of The Day (NOTD) L'Oreal Color Riche Perle De Jade

My current favourite shade of polish is featured as my nails of the day. L'Oreal Color Riche Perle De Jade.

It takes me ages to get through a bottle of polish so I do like the idea of mini bottles.

A gorgeous minty green shade not too dissimilar from the iconic Tiffany Box. I am in love.

Best worn with silver/platinum jewellery or jade for max effect.

L'Oreal Color Riche Perle De Jade (602) costs £4.99 for 5ml. 

London 2012 Olympic Make Up Look

Did you know that Max Factor make-up artist Caroline Barnes has created an official make-up look for the London 2012 Olympic Games? This look is for the volunteers, medal bearers and escorts. All of the volunteers have been gifted with Max Factor make-up and P&G Beauty goody bags so that they can recreate the look that will be worn at the Opening Ceremony this evening.

Products used to create the look

Face

Lasting Performance Foundation


If additional coverage is needed

Miracle Touch Foundation
Masterpiece Concealer


On the cheeks


Miracle Touch Creamy Blush ( I love soft copper)

Eyes

Eyebrow pencil (for extra definition)
Max Colour Effect Trio Eye-shadow in Coco Crazy (sweep the pale shade across the eyelid, then place the darkest tone in the socket and underneath the lower lashes to make eyes appear bigger)
Masterpiece Colour Precision Eye-shadow (in the inner corner of the eye to add brightness)
Liquid Effect Pencil in Violet Voltage (on the outer corners of the top and bottom lashes, blend outwards for a feline shape)
False Lash Effect Gold Mascara 

Lips and Nails

Max Colour Effect Lip Gloss in Romantic
Max Colour Effect Mini Nail Polish in Ivory

I love it, what do you think?

Will you be recreating this look?

Butter London Commemorative Olympic Heavy Medal Collection!

Get into the London 2012 Olympic spirit with these three fab metallic shades from Butter London.

The Heavy Medal Collection is a limited edition set and features the following colours -

The Full Monty - Full on molten gold

Diamond Geezer - A proper platinum, silvery and shiny

The Old Bill - Burnished copper

Get your medals without lifting a finger..almost!

Available to purchase from Harvey Nichols and www.butterlondon.com costing £30

The Friday Column - Oral Allergy Syndrome

Ah the innocuous apple...

Sadly for me and many others not so innocuous it would seem. Just like Snow White one bite causes me problems.

It wasn't always this way. I absolutely love pretty much all fruit and when I was younger would eat copious amounts of it.

Something odd happened in my late teens. I would eat strawberries and noticed a tingling/itchy sensation in my mouth and throat, then the same thing happened with apples, kiwis, tomatoes, plums, peaches and nectarines, pears, apricots and cherries, the list goes on. As I got to my mid 20's if I took one bite of a gorgeous juicy peach my lips would swell up and resembled someone who had had collagen injected in them.

I first discovered apples being a problem when I was on holiday in San Francisco and there was this gorgeous chocolate shop selling dipped chocolate apples. The window display tempted me and my dad bought me an apple dipped in chocolate (it may have also had chopped nuts on top). Big mistake! My lips swelled, my throat itched and it dried my skin out and made it so sensitive I couldn't wear any make up for the rest of the holiday :-(

However, my worst reaction was after picking and eating a handful of mixed nuts (hazelnuts, almonds and others which I do not remember) from a bowl at my parent's house. I started coughing which went on for ages, my throat was incredibly itchy and I was finding it hard to collect my breath. Id did at this point get extremely worried..

I didn't seek help in those days, I just avoided the offending items but after the nut incident I did some research on the net and found out that what I was experiencing had a name! Oral Allergy Syndrome.

What is Oral Allergy Syndrome?


Definition from Allergy UK Website -


Oral Allergy Syndrome is the medical term for an allergic reaction to food which is limited to the lips, mouth and throat.

Symptoms include:
Itching and/or swelling of all or part of the lips
Itching or tingling and/or swelling of the mouth
Itching or tingling and/or swelling of the throat

This Spring on holiday I discovered that even food prep can cause issues - I peeled an apple for my little boy and then started getting hay fever symptoms - the itchiest eyes you could ever imagine. It then dawned on me I must have touched my eyes with the hands that had the juice of the apple on it.. I try to avoid peeling now or wash my hands immediately to avoid cross contamination and take an antihistamine tablet.

It turned out that this allergy is related to Hay Fever.  

Again taken from Allergy UK

The key to understanding the problem is the association of groups of food allergies with seasonal allergic rhinitis or ‘hay fever’. Hay fever symptoms precede the onset of oral allergy syndrome, sometimes by some years. It has been shown that pollens from trees, grasses and weeds contain proteins of similar structure to those present in certain fruit, vegetables, nuts and even spices. These proteins are found in several different plants as they have essential roles in plant growth and defence against disease. These proteins are recognised by the immune system of a hay fever sufferer, and can trigger an allergic reaction in a susceptible person. Fortunately, in most cases the allergens are easily inactivated by cooking, processing and digestion. The result is the symptoms tend to be limited to the mouth and throat.

So that explains it.

There is an excellent chart on the Allergy UK website that lists which pollens cause which allergies - looking at  what I suffer from I can see that the offending pollen is tree pollen. This does make a lot of sense, my hay fever is worse at the start of hay fever season when tree pollen is at its highest and reduces as the grass pollen season starts.

Recognised associations between pollen and food allergies

Pollen	Fruit	Vegetable	Nuts	Spices
Tree Pollens
Birch, Hazel, Alder	Apple (raw) Peach Pear Plum Cherry Nectarine Apricot Kiwi	Carrot Celery Potato (raw) Beans and Peas Mange Tout Soya and Soya Milk	Hazelnut Peanut Almond
Grass Pollens
All	Apple Peach Plum Cherry Melon	Tomato Beans and Peas Gourds	Peanut
Weed Pollens
Mugwort Ragweed	Melons Banana	Celery Carrot Parsley Fennel Gourds Cucumber		Coriander Cumin Aniseed Caraway

I have a suspicion that my strawberry allergy is unrelated however and most of the time I can now eat them without any or a very mild reaction.

Although some raw fruits are a no go for me, I can eat them if they have been cooked. This is important as a) I love fruit and b) just think of all the goodness I would be missing out on!

Apple Pie anyone?

For more details on oral allergy syndrome visit the Allergy UK website

Origins A Perfect World SPF25 Age Defence Moisturiser With White Tea Review

I have been wanting to try Origins A Perfect World SPF25 for some time now and have finally managed to get hold of a sample. This was given to me at the counter in John Lewis Oxford Street a little while ago.


Origins Claim


This lightweight moisturiser contains world-famous Silver Tip White Tea, Vitamins C and E plus French Maritime Pine and UVA / UVB sunscreens.Designed for everyday use, this oil-free moisturiser builds an invisible bubble of protection around skin to help minimise the appearance of damage including lines, wrinkles and age spots.

My thoughts


I dug this out at the first sign of the scorching weather because of the fact it contained SPF25


First I should mention that these are my initial thoughts as I have only been using this moisturiser for 4 days now. However I have liked it enough to want to share my thoughts. The sample pot is quite generous and I reckon that I have probably got about a 2 week trial in there.

It is a lovely light fluid consistency that is so easy to apply to the skin without any drag. Colour wise it reminds me of looking into a tin of magnolia paint, but as pretty much all of the walls in my house are magnolia I am not complaining! It sinks into my skin immediately and leaves it feeling lovely, soft and smooth to the touch. I love the fact that it is a high factor product of SPF25 but it really doesn't feel like you are applying a sun lotion or leave any tacky residue on the skin. My combination skin feels comfortable all day.

The scent is really rather fabulous, ever so slightly citrusy but one that really appeals to me.

So far so good, skin looks and feels nice.

Origins A Perfect World SPF25 costs £33 for 50ml

GlossyBox July 2012 - Festival Edition

This month's GlossyBox theme is festival essentials. The box I was sent was a decent mix of skincare, beauty and hair care. GlossyBox state that if you sign up you will receive 5 product miniatures. There was one full size product in my box this month.

The 5 products 


Bex London Londoner Urban Fragrance (full size £81 for 100ml) (There were 4 variations that you could have received -N6, W1X, SE1 or EC2)


I received a 2ml sample of N6 EDT. I actually enjoy receiving fragrance samples as it is usually of a scent I may have never heard of or picked up myself. It is a great way to discover a new favourite!

Being a north londoner at heart I was delighted to receive N6. It is described as capturing the elegant character of Highgate Village and the splendid wilderness of Hampstead Heath. Top notes consist of crisp bergamot, English fruit and pink pepper. Heart notes of rose, jasmine, caramel, amber and sandalwood.


This is a very nice and sophisticated scent, perfect for popping in your handbag/wash bag for a weekend away. However it doesn't grab me enough to say that I love it. I found it to be neither overtly masculine or feminine. Reading up on the description of W1X (the most feminine of the collection) it sounds like something that would appeal more.

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist (full size £9.35 for 100ml)


I love the Awapuhi Ginger collection but haven't tried this moisture mist. I received a 100ml bottle which is perfect for travel. The mist is designed for hair and skin. This has a pleasant, initially refreshing and then settling to a powdery scent and is cooling on my skin, perfect for spritzing in the heat.

Monu Night Renewal Complex £36.95 for 50ml

This is a 20ml sample and is designed for normal/combination skin. I was just about to purchase a night cream so will be trying this out from tonight. It promises to smooth and firm skin whilst you sleep. Watch this space!

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse £17.50 for 50ml

This is such a cute little bottle (10ml) of dry oil. Designed to be used on face, body and hair. Smells wonderful. I have never tried NUXE so looking forward to giving this a try.

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics Lip Frosting £10 for 15ml

This is a full size product. I received Irish Cream Pavlova. The scent is seriously sweet and yummy. Love the shade too. I love lip products so will definitely be using this. It can be used as a cheek stain too, will see how I get on with using it that way. Multi-purpose, gorgeous.

As a bonus also included in the box were sample sachets of Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing line.

I liked this box, plenty of new products to try out, fit the theme perfectly and are items that won't get left in the box.

What do you think?

*PR Sample

Dove Maximum Protection GoFresh Cucumber and Green Tea Review

I am a relatively recent convert to Dove deodorant's (see this post) and when the offer came in to try out Dove Maximum Protection I was interested to know whether it would perform and took up the challenge.

The claims


Scientifically proven protection against wetness.

Delivers all-day freshness through odour-fighting technology

Cares for your skin with Dove 1/4 moisturising cream

The crisp, nature -inspired fragrance of cucumber and green tea leaves a refreshingly light sensation for your underarms

How to use

Recommended dose is two clicks. For optimal effect, apply to underarms before going to bed (the directions say that the protection lasts throughout the following day even after a shower! I will try this out). Can also be applied in the morning.

I applied it first thing in the morning and gave it a while to dry before dressing

My thoughts 


Yesterday was one of the hottest days of the year, I was travelling to London by tube, dashing in and out doors and would be out most of the day. In short one of the best days to put Dove Maximum Protection to the test. As I was going to be meeting a lot of people I was a little apprehensive of trying something new...

As it happened the day was longer and hotter than I imagined. This was in part due to transport woes involving the tubes and buses and the added fact that the Olympic Torch was in the Borough of Enfield.

I found the cucumber and green tea scent to be very pleasant, light and fresh.

Does it work?

I can hand on heart say this is the best anti perspirant deodorant I have ever used. Despite the extreme heat and activity, I was completely dry all day and throughout the obscenely warm night and remained smelling wonderful. Yes it costs more than the average deodorant but its performance is far superior. Amazing.

Dove Maximum Protection costs £5.10 for 45ml and is available in 3 variants - Original Clean, gofresh Cucumber and Green Tea and gofresh Pomegranate and Lemon Verbena.

Bye Bye Village Postman

I have lived in my village for about 8 years now and my postal delivery has been pretty damn perfect. The same friendly postman bar sickness and holidays. Post/parcels delivered before 12pm. I guess it is true, you don't know what you have until it is gone.

For the past few weeks I noticed that our postman hadn't been delivering to us. Some days post was being delivered at anything up to 5pm and if the postie had to knock to deliver a parcel, they knocked so aggressively it would make me jump out of my skin and scare my 4yr year old. I knew the village postman's knock and it was never threatening!

Then a letter arrived..

Purporting to be from the Royal Mail Delivery Manager for our area. It explained that changes were being made to our Royal Mail service as they needed to modernise the way they operated to maintain services. This meant that a re-organisation of delivery routes was necessary, post would be delivered for a longer period during the day and possibly a different postie to the one we had.

What this means to me

I am not averse to change, in fact many times if there is a better way of doing things I embrace it..

However, so far I have not seen an improvement in my service, only a decline.  I find having a different postie each day unsettling - the old postie got to know you, the route and there really was a personal touch. I have a door knocker, knock knock should suffice for me to hear you. Please refrain from the door knocking that resembles someone escaping from an axe murderer (seriously, I have never known anything like it!)

How is delivering me a parcel at 3.30pm on a Saturday an improvement ? Previous to the changes I knew roughly what time the postman was going to arrive and so if necessary I could plan around it. At the moment the delivery times are so random I have NO idea when the postie is going to visit. It has never arrived before 12pm since the changes.

I do accept that there may be a period of adjustment so we shall see how this pans out... meanwhile goodbye my lovely, friendly village postman, we are going to miss you.

London 2012 Olympic Torch Came To Stratford And I Was There!

Completely unplanned and a bit of a last minute idea but don't they always seem to work out the best..?

This morning my husband mentioned that the Olympic Torch was going to be at Westfield Stratford at 1pm and he was going to take the 4yr old. In my head I had already started planning what I was going to do with my unexpected free time.. perhaps a bit of pampering or maybe a bit of decluttering until he muttered 'you should come too'. Oh well it was good whilst it lasted! I wasn't in the slightest bit bothered whether I saw the Olympic Flame or not but the look of eagerness from the 4yr old meant that he really did want me to join them. 

Somewhat later than intended we finally managed to set off and in our heads knew there was a chance we were not going to make it. Just as we arrived at Stratford International Station we spotted crowds looking down at the street, no sooner we had joined them then an Olympic Torch runner went past. A good surprise but not the main event.

We rushed off to the Samsung store where we would wait to see triple jumper Phillips Idowu carry the torch. Don't ask me how we did it but we rocked up with seconds to spare and somehow ended up in the inner circle right in front of the stage where he was going to arrive!

Arriving to the tune of Chariots of Fire

Kissing of the torches

As we wandered around afterwards we saw a few other things that made us smile... I am so glad we went :-)

Standing to attention outside the Liberty pop-up store in Westfield Stratford City

Meeting some real life soldiers inside Westfield Stratford City 

Portrait of the Queen made entirely of Jelly Beans to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee (inside John Lewis)

The Olympic Stadium constructed entirely from Lego (inside John Lewis)

Go Team GB!

Hair Care - Pantene 2min Colour Damage Rescue Treatment Masque

I have been trying out a few hair masques since the beginning of the year. This has formed part of my New Year's resolution to take more care of my hair and during this time I have definitely found a few favourites.

Pantene 2min Colour Damage Rescue Treatment Masque is designed for coloured or highlighted hair. I use this once a week and it is great as you only need to keep it on the hair for 2 minutes for it to get to work. It is an intensive colour damage repair product that promises to restore smoothness and shine to hair.

The masque comes in a flip top lid container, has a deliciously fruity scent and texture wise is reasonably thick but is easy to apply to damp hair. My fingers dive into the pot, grab a generous amount and apply to the tips of my hair, before massaging it through. Remove by rinsing off.

The results


Once I rinse this off my hair I feel my hair is softer, smoother and more manageable. Personally I don't find that using this alone provides enough shine for me but I like to follow this by spraying the Pantene Instant Protection and Shine Spray (also for coloured hair) and these two products together leave my hair smelling gorgeous, looking healthy and shiny without weighing it down with product.

Pantene 2min Colour Damage Rescue Treatment Masque 200ml costs £4.69


*PR Sample

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne

When I visited the new John Lewis Beauty Hall I took a little trip to the brand new Jo Malone shop contained inside to see what new colognes had been launched. A friendly staff member quickly took me under her wing and showed me around. I mentioned that I had had English Pear and Freesia last year and she suggested I might like Orange Blossom.

Described as -

A shimmering garden oasis. Clementine flower sparkles over a heart of orange blossom and water lily, with warm undertones of orris and balsamic vetiver. This scent is a pure delight.

Now one of the things I have had a much better understanding of since writing about scents is what notes appeal to me and I knew that Orange Blossom is one of those notes so I was happy to give it a try.

She popped a sample bottle into a cute mini Jo Malone bag and off I went...

My thoughts - 

Orange Blossom is a deliciously fresh and fruity scent in which the initial spray is reminiscent of unpeeling a satsuma orange. I actually love that smell as it evokes many a happy childhood Christmas when we would have them in the house. Of course now they are far more readily available all year round! 

As the cologne settles, it is a soft floral (this will be the Iris, from the Orris) with a very, very subtle spicy scent. Extremely wearable and personally I feel that this is one best worn in the Summer.

Jo Malone Orange Blossom costs £38 for 30ml

Piz Buin Tan & Protect Tan Accelerating Oil Spray SPF30 - Review

Growing up, if we weren't pouring carrot oil all over us in an attempt to roast in the sun and get that all important deep golden tan we were wearing low level protection. Needless to say this was not the most cleverest of things to do and I don't actually know if I have any lasting damage but in our defence in those days we were not as clued up or aware of the dangers of getting burnt and skin cancer that we are now.

However, this all changed when my brother had to get a mole removed and from that day on when I went into the sun I would wear factor 15+ protection  cue the 'did you go on holiday, was the weather no good?' comments which are really not that helpful are they ;-)

I have always loved using Piz Buin, it smells wonderful and provides effective protection you can rely on when having fun in the sun. 

This is my favourite sun protection product and one that I will be packing in my luggage - Piz Buin Tan & Protect Tan Accelerating Oil Spray SPF30.

The Tan & Protect Tan Accelerating Oil Spray has a gorgeous, subtle coconut scent that has that all important 'holiday scent' which transports me to a warm, sunny destination (even if it is just in my head!). The oil is really easy to apply,  absorbs fast and dries so there is no greasy residue or white marks left on the skin, it does leave a very slight glossy finish but this doesn't last.

As the name suggests the product contains a tan accelerating ingredient called Melitane which speeds up the natural tanning process meaning that you can spend less time in the sun to achieve your golden tan.. I was using this product a lot earlier in the year when we did have some fabulously warm and sunny days ( who can remember those now?) and I didn't burn and I am very certain that it does exactly what it says it will do. My arms do appear to be more golden and I never deliberately sit out in the Sun!

Good to know .. Some medicines increase your sensitivity to the Sun so it is worth checking with your Doctor before you go on holiday. Some ingredients in skincare products also increase sensitivity  to the Sun - look out for those products that list retinol, salicylic acid and alpha hydroxy acids and stop using them to reduce your skin's sensitivity when you go on holiday.

The new Tan & Protect range is available as a Tan Accelerating Oil Spray, Tan Intensifying Sun Spray (for increased hydration) and a Tan Intensifying Lotion in SPF's 6, 15 and 30.

*PR Sample

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! Liquid Foundation - Review and Swatches

One of the make up products that I am a little obsessed about is foundation. I feel that when you get the base right, everything else just sits nicely in place. Ever since that first Cover Girl sample when I was aged 15 was placed in my hands I have been trying and buying foundations. Each year the cosmetic companies have been feeding my addiction by launching new ones, improved formulas, your skin but better, dewy, matte, long lasting, you name it there is something for everyone.

I particularly favour liquid formula foundations, I think they suit my normal/combination skin the best and are super quick to apply.

Recently, I was very kindly sent Benefit's new liquid foundation to try - Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow!


As I was unsure as to which shade to go for I was sent two shades  - Ivory "I'm pure 4 sure" and Champagne "cheers to me"

Benefit say 

Our new oil-free brightening liquid foundation builds from light to medium coverage for a natural complexion you can believe in. It’s you…just more luminous & healthy looking.

Broad spectrum SPF25 PA*** protection (the highest UVA filter)
Oil-free formula
Natural finish
Hydrating benefits
Light diffusing properties

My thoughts 


Looking at the two shades in the box I thought I would be a good match for the Ivory, the Champagne just looked way too dark. So I opened Ivory first and although it seemed a little paler than I would normally use it was ok. However when I opened and tried Champagne, although again it wasn't a perfect match it was definitely not as dark as I had imagined and felt this was actually a much better match for me, particularly in the Summer months. I have included pics below which demonstrates what I mean.


Reading that the coverage was light to medium concerned me a little as I need decent coverage to cover the rosacea on my cheeks. However, I was pleasantly surprised, although this foundation is runny and light to apply, when on it provides nice, even coverage. I tend to apply foundation with my fingers and this was really easy to use and blend.

My redness and any flaws were covered but my freckles still came through. So in essence, it looks like my skin but nicer and with a lovely bright, healthy appearance. I really love this foundation.

As to how long it lasts.. I used this without a primer and it gave a good 6 hours before my nose started to shine and it faded evenly. This foundation really suited my skin and I found it so incredibly light that I didn't feel that I was wearing anything.

As you can tell this is a bit of a foundation rave, it has a high SPF, is light and leaves skin with a satin like finish. Benefit have wowed me with this foundation.

You can see Ivory looks quite pale against my wrist but the Champagne is a closer match

Here are the pics where I am wearing the foundation. I look really ghosted out with the Ivory. What do you think?

Excuse the lack of make up in the eye area, I have been suffering terribly with my hay fever in the eye dept that I decided not to wear any bar waterproof mascara..

Benefit Flawless Oxygen Wow in Champagne "cheers to me"

Benefit Flawless Oxygen Wow in Ivory "I'm pure 4 sure"

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! Liquid Foundation costs £24.50 for 30ml and is available in 9 shades.

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum - Review

The Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum (10 ml sample size) was included in April's Natural Edition of GlossyBox.

The serum is described as being for dehydrated skin. I don't know about you but the crazy weather this Summer is wreaking havoc with my skin, one minute it is hot and the next cold, one minute sunny and the next raining so although ordinarily I might shy away from a product such as this I was willing to to give it a go.

Caudalie say

A moisturizing bubble: The S.O.S Thirst-Quenching Serum continuously captures and diffuses water deep within the skin to restore its moisture balance and leave it feeling soft and fresh.
Apply morning and evening to a cleansed face and neck. Avoid the eye contour. Non-comedogenic.

My thoughts

This is an extremely light, runny serum that has a gorgeously fresh scent. It sinks into my skin instantly leaving no greasy residue (it is oil free) just soft and satin smooth to touch. I sometimes suffer with dry cheeks and occasionally my rosacea feels itchy but this left my whole face feeling balanced and moisturised, with no dry patches. 

Containing Grape Water, Hyaluronic acid & Grape-seed Polyphenols, this is my first product from French brand Caudalie and I am eager to try more.

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum costs £29

Unleash Those Summer Feet!

July's Issue of iN Magazine is out now - take a look at my beauty page where I am showing you how to get the perfect Summer ready feet

You can read the feature by clicking this link - http://issuu.com/in-magazine.com/docs/inmagjuly12digi/33

Happy reading and let me know what you think :-)

Melvita Fresh Micellar Water & Rose Extraordinary Water Reviews

More Melvita love today. In fact these are product raves.

As you are by now aware, scent is very important to me...a product could claim the world but if I don't like the smell I won't be using it long enough to find out!

Both the Fresh Micellar Water and Rose Extraordinary Water have a distinct advantage in that they smell absolutely wonderful and of one of my most favourite of skincare scents - rose.

Melvita Fresh Micellar Water 


Melvita claim


This fresh and delicately perfumed 3-in-1 formula removes make-up, cleanses and tones, thanks to the action of micelles, which trap impurities.

Enriched with wild rose petal extract (derived from roses that grow at high altitudes) andmoisturizing rose floral water, the Fresh Micellar Water cleanses skin perfectly without any drying effect. Within moments, skin is soft, fresh and radiant.

My thoughts 


I absolutely love this cleansing water, it is very effective at removing makeup and leaves skin feeling clean, refreshed, soft and smelling all lovely. I use it when I have been out late and my head just wants to hit the pillow. Super fast cleansing is a cinch with this product as you just apply to a cotton pad and wipe over face, no need to rinse off. As it cleanses and tones it doesn't leave my skin with a tight feeling. In fact one night I just applied this and went to bed, next morning my skin looked radiant. My only reservation is that it does sting my eyes so I cannot use it on my eyes.

Rose Extraordinary Water


Melvita claim


This skin prep lotion is not extraordinary for no reason... Formulated with Hyaluronic Acidfrom soya and Organic Glycerine to lock in moisture, you will love its unusual gel texture.

Rich in Rose Essential Water, this delicately scented formula combines the anti-ageing and rejuvenating properties of Rose Floral Water with the firming properties of Marsh Clover. Marsh Clover or Water Clover is proven to firm the skin and improve the oval contour of the face.

My thoughts 


This comes under the category of a serum but is midway between a toner and serum. Apply after cleansing and before your moisturiser. Once again I adore the scent of this gel like formula. I apply directly to my skin using my fingers. It just melts into the skin leaving no residue.

I find that it leaves my skin bright, hydrated and super soft. Very, very nice product to include in my skincare routine.

I have long spouted the benefits of rose water and glycerine for maintaining soft, young looking skin and this product combines both and more in its ingredients.

From the Melvita Rose Range these are a welcome addition on the bathroom shelf and of course are organic and paraben free.

Melvita Fresh Micellar Water costs £14.50 for 200ml


Melivata Rose Extraordinary Water costs £14 for 100ml


www.uk.melvita.com

*PR Samples

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau De Parfum - Review

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau De Parfum is a gorgeous floral based perfume in a pretty daisy flower designed bottle. The parfum version comes in a black bottle with 3 gold daisies on the lid making it very attractive and giving it that all important shelf appeal.

This perfume version builds on the extremely popular EDT Daisy that is fresh, fruity and floral by concentrating the ingredients resulting in a luxurious, richer and deeper scent with top notes of wild strawberries, violet leaves and red grapefruit, heart notes of violet, jasmine and gardenia and base notes of white woods accord, musks and vanilla.

To my untrained scentometer the fragrance that really comes through on my skin is the unmistakable smell of  violet and the base notes. I have a hard time finding the wild strawberries although I do very much detect a sweet fruity scent which prevents it from becoming overtly floral.

Yet again this perfume features notes that really appeal to me so it is unsurprising that I enjoy wearing this scent on days when I fancy something floral, the depth of this parfum means that it can take me from day to night. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau De Parfum 50ml Spray retails for around £50


*This was a birthday present

My Perfect Nude Lipstick and Glosses

These 4 beauties live in my handbag, they are the ones that I can apply and chop and change any time as they will pretty much suit any make up that I am wearing.

As much I love to experiment with bright colours on my lips, most of the time I tend to apply nude shades as they are just so easy to wear and work for both day and evening. However, I have to say these four are definitely my go to shades and the ones I wear the most often.

Yes To Carrots C Me Shine Lip Gloss in Playful Nude - £5.99


I absolutely love this nude gloss, it is thick and creamy in texture, smells of mint choc chip ice cream and makes my lips look full, glossy and luscious. It is 95% organic, paraben free and has ingredients such as jojoba and shea butter to keep lips moisturised.

I like to wear this alone or on top of the No7 Lipstick shown in the picture above - Nude Rebel.

Flawless You Forever Couture Pout Mineral Lip Gloss in Adelina - $18


This is just gorgeous, the applicator is a long stick with a foam wand and the gloss is non sticky and applies evenly. It is sheer and has reflective tints which really do make my lips look fuller for that 'A' list pout. It has a beautiful gold shimmer that is incredibly flattering on the lips and I often get asked what I am wearing when I have this on.

Lord & Berry 20100 Shining Lipstick in Intimacy - £8


I am a great fan of the Lord & Berry Shining Lipsticks, which are really giant pencils. They are so soft to apply and well pigmented that you only need one application to achieve full coverage. Intimacy is one of my darker nude shades and leans to being pinky/brown in tone, which you can see in this FOTD post.

No7 Soft Matte Finish Lipstick in Nude Rebel - £9.75 (limited edition)

My all time favourite nude lipstick, it feels lovely on the lips and has a very soft sheen to it. Sadly it is limited edition from back in 2010 so very soon I will be hunting for a dupe!

Swatches of all four nudes in the order they are listed.

Without flash 

With flash

What are your favourite nude lipsticks/glosses?


*PR Samples except for the FYF gloss which I won in a twitter comp and the Lord & Berry which I won in a blog competition.