FRONTCOVER Autumn/Winter Collection 2012

I absolutely love the concept of FRONTCOVER, they take the latest catwalk trends and turn them into ready to wear make-up kits. Each kit contains everything you need to create the look on the box, and include detailed step by step instructions.

This Autumn/Winter FRONTCOVER have really caught my eye, creating some fabulous books at affordable prices and you can be assured that the products are high quality and well pigmented.

Here is my pick of the limited edition collections

SPARKLER £16

Glitter, sequins and studs are huge this season and this kit contains everything you need to sparkle - 3 pots of loose glitter, 3 nail polishes, iridescent glitter gel and a double ended applicator featuring liner brush.

SMOULDER EYES £25

Smokey eyes are always fashionable and flattering, I love this kit which provides you with four ways to get smokey/smouldering eyes. I know from speaking to people that this is one of the looks they struggle most with so this step by step guide should do the trick.

TRUE COLOURS £25

This is my favourite kit - A selection of beautiful nude shades for eyes, lips and nails in soft and shimmering and velvety textures. Think delicate veils of colour and transparency. Just gorgeous.

Dark Arts £25

Fans of nail art will love getting creative with this collection - Includes Nail Polishes, Nail Stickers, Jewels, Glitter, glue, top coat and the tools you will need, it is all here!

Available now exclusively in the UK on QVC and www.frontcovercosmetics.com. Worldwide it is available in Sephora stores.

Monu Night Renewal Complex - Review

I have heard good things about Monu Professional Skincare so was rather pleased when this 20ml sample tube was in July's GlossyBox Festival Edition. 

I like the fact that no Monu formulation contains damaging chemicals, artificial perfumes, or synthetic colours.

I used this after cleansing as my night cream until the tube was completely finished.

Claims 

Suitable for Normal/Combination skin

A rich complex of actives to help smooth and firm the skin whilst you sleep.

Marine Collagen and Polysaccharides to help smooth fine lines.
Wheat Germ and sweet Almond oils to soften and replace lost lipids.
Vitamin E for its powerful antioxidant action.
Comfort is restored and the lipid content of the skin is improved. Your skin feels rejuvenated and renewed.

Thoughts 

This was quite a rich textured product but it went on nicely and did leave my skin feeling softer with continued use. However, I wouldn't purchase a full size pot of this as I found that in the morning my skin felt quite oily and looked relatively greasy. I also, try as I might, could not get past the fact that the product smelt to me of Dill (a herb). As my mum makes a fish dish with rice that has dill in it, I just kept getting connotations of this unfortunately.

Monu Night Renewal Complex costs £36.95 for 50ml

Product Disappointment - Dr. Nick Lowe Age Correct Eye Serum Review

My eyes are one of my major skincare issues - I am more pre-disposed to having dark circles due to genetics and years of rubbing my eyes due to Hay Fever has sadly taken its toll and created more wrinkles around the eye area than I care to admit.

This means that a good eye cream is a must for me and I enjoy trying out products and seeing what works and what doesn't.

I purchased Dr. Nick Lowe Age Correct Eye Serum quite a while ago having read about it in a magazine and it seemed ideal for my requirements.

Claims 

Instant lift and tone effect! A lightweight, ultra moisturising eye serum boosted with a unique peptide complex to instantly firm, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and moisturise the delicate under eye area. Also designed to help reduce the appearance of dark circles.

Clinically proven multi-peptide complex to instantly reinforce firmness and skin tone of the eye area
Pomegranate and Raspberry to help protect against damaging free radicals
Ferulic Acid to offer ultimate protection against UV damage
Vitamins A, C and E
Dermatologically tested
Ophthalmologically tested
Allergen fragrance free

My thoughts

The serum is nice and light, slightly creamy in texture but absorbs instantly. Although it is fragrance free the scent is nutty which I wasn't too enamoured with and found a bit off putting. I liked the pump action bottle which made it easy to dispense the correct amount that I needed (similar to a grain of rice)

I didn't have any reaction to this at all which is always a plus, however sadly I also didn't see any improvement in my eye area at all. As I try not to chop and change my products, I stuck with this eye serum, applying twice a day for almost 3 months, with no visible signs of change this left me really disappointed.

Unfortunately this product wasn't for me.

Dr. Nick Lowe Age Correct Eye Serum costs £17.35 for 15ml

Hydrating Naturally With Vita Coco - 6 Flavours Reviewed

The lovely people at Vita Coco recently sent me these 6 flavours of Vita Coco packaged in a way that made it look like they were sent from overseas in a crate :-) For the past week I have been drinking one a day.

Now I am already a huge fan of  the original Vita Coco coconut water, I am convinced that I feel so much more energised and have a sense of well being that I just don't have when I don't include it as part of my diet.

As much as I love skincare and makeup products I am a strong believer that good skin (to an extent) and overall well being come from a good diet and exercise. I do my best to follow these principles, so when I read about the benefits of coconut water I went straight out and bought a carton of Vita Coco.

What is Vita Coco?

Taken from the Vita Coco website 

Vita Coco's all-natural, super-hydrating, fat-free, cholesterol-free, nutrient-packed, potassium-stacked, mega-electrolyte coconut water.

Review of the flavours I was sent 

Natural Coconut Water with Passion Fruit 

Out of the 6 this was probably my least favourite - I found it a bit bitter but as I have never eaten a passion fruit I am not sure what I was expecting, probably quite a sweet drink.

Natural Coconut Water with Peach & Mango 

I liked this flavour, the mix of peach and mango was pleasant, subtle and refreshing. 

Natural Coconut Water with Acai & Pomegranate

This flavour was the only one that had a colour, a murky purple shade. The combo of acai and pomegranate makes this feel like you are drinking a real superfood drink! Certainly an interesting taste but I found it strangely appealing, I was expecting a slightly tart taste but this didn't have it. 

Natural Coconut Water with Orange

Out of all the blends I felt that this worked the best, it was lovely. A nice hint of orange.

Natural Coconut Water with Pineapple

A healthy Pina Colada ;-) 

Natural Coconut Water

If you are expecting a real coconut flavour you will probably be disappointed as this is not what you get with coconut water. Some may say it is an acquired taste but I was hooked from my first chilled sip. Refreshing to the extreme.

So there you have it, 6 flavours of Vita Coco drunk and reviewed. 

All are made with natural ingredients, with the blends these are made with puree of the fruits. I would say that the flavours are like a 'hint of'. I love the brightly designed packaging as they make the product very enticing.

My only criticism would be that in the ingredients information I would have liked to see the percentages of the fruit against the coconut water.

Have you tried Vita Coco?

Face Of The Day - YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation

Make up used

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation - BD20
Burberry Warm Glow Natural Bronzer  - Summer Glow 04
MAC Semi Precious Rose Quartz Mineralize Skinfinish - outer shade as blush, inner as a highlighter

Eye Shadow - Cult GD Lazy Days, 17 Trio in Enraged (darkest shade in the crease)

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense - Intense Chocolate
Benefit They're Real Mascara
Clinique Long Last Lipstick - All Heart Soft Shine

This was my make up yesterday. We were off to London to celebrate our wedding anniversary and as the sun was shining and the sky blue, I opted for a bright lip and defined eyes to take me from afternoon to evening. 

Guest Post - Afternoon Tea and Vintage Inspired Homewares

Today I am handing over the reigns to my lovely School friend Carol, a fellow afternoon tea lover. She is also a very talented lady who makes pretty Vintage-inspired, handmade designed products for the home.

Like many of the women I know, I love afternoon tea. I love the prettiness, the tradition and the fact that, for many of us, it’s a rare chance to take time out of a busy schedule to meet with friends, spoil ourselves and do something refined and relaxing.

It’s believed that credit for this ritual goes to Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. Apparently, in the early 19th century, evening meals in grand houses were served late in the evening. In an effort to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner, Anna began ordering tea, bread and butter and cakes to be served, to stave off the hunger pangs. The idea soon caught on in drawing rooms up and down the country. What better excuse to invite your elegant friends to put on their best hat, and visit for cake and gossip?

Apart from a love of afternoon tea and pretty frocks, I don’t have a lot in common with 19th century aristocrats (more’s the pity). However, like the ladies of the time, I do like to sew. That, plus a minor obsession with retro fabrics and vintage china, meant that it was probably only a matter of time until I began making vintage-inspired homewares. It started with tea cosies, then matching tea towels, and suddenly I was creating one-off, handmade pieces that were reminiscent of the classic kitchens of the 1950s. Baby blues and pretty pinks, polka dots and ginghams and florals.

There’s something special to me about taking the time to warm a teapot, to put the milk in a pretty jug; cutting the crusts off the sandwiches and arranging cakes on a cake-stand; putting a cosy over the teapot and waiting until it’s brewed just right. Our lives are so busy that we often don’t get chance to indulge in frivolous rituals, to make things pretty, or to take our time. But somehow, since Anna first devised it, the custom of afternoon tea has survived.

So I keep making pretty, retro tea cosies and tea towels and, as I don’t believe coffee-drinkers should be excluded, I’ve started doing cafetiere cosies too. I like to think that I am sharing that moment in someone’s life; that few minutes of “me” time, when they stop their day and put the kettle on. I like to think that Anna would approve.

If you’d like to see more of my work, please visit me at www.etsy.com/shop/CreatedbyCarolUK or www.facebook.com/CreatedByCarolUK

As my grandfather would have said, “If in doubt, brew up”. I’m off for a cuppa.

Carol x

'Smudging' Technique With Clairol eXtreme'n easy

Further to my previous post on the vibrant extreme'n easy range of home dyes, I thought I would share this brilliant  How To video from eXtreme'n easy on a hair colouring technique called 'smudging' . This is essentially where you colour sections under the hair. Take a look, I think the effect is really quite stunning.. It can be as striking or as subtle as you like!

What do you think? I would love to know if you are going to try 'smudging'

Vibrant shades with Clairol eXtreme'n easy

Way back in April I was lucky to be at the launch event of the new vibrant hair shades range eXtreme'n easy.  As I have highlights in my hair I must admit that I get this done at the salon that I have gone to for many years now. However, when I did do home colouring I was using the nice'n easy range, a lovely caramel shade.

Home colouring has come on hugely since then, especially with people wishing to copy their favourite celebs (women with bold colours like Rihanna or Katy Perry) ever changing shades at home and achieve the same deep and shiny colours

I was really impressed with the results of this vibrant range (there were dummy heads wearing the different shades all around the room and we were treated to a step by step how to video of a model who went from bleached blonde hair to a gorgeous, vibrant and incredibly shiny red colour with eXtreme'n easy).

Rich, vibrant and multi-tonal this cream formula home colourant only becomes active on contact with the hair (as opposed to when the product is mixed) so that you obtain a stronger more striking colour that lasts (up to 8 weeks). In the box you will also find Colour Seal Conditioning Gloss to help seal in beautiful colour and intense shine.

There are 7 shades in the range -

Deep Violet 3RV
Ruby Red 5RR
Cherry Red 6RR
Expresso Brown 4WN
Vivid Viloet 5RV
Flame Red 7RR 
Arctic Blonde 01 (new!)

Clairol eXtreme'n easy costs £5.99 

N.B. It is essential to do a patch/allergy test 48 hours before you colour your hair. This applies every time you do it.

Neal's Yard Remedies Bee Lovely Bath & Shower Gel

I have been really enjoying taking a shower/bath recently and the reason is all down to the bees - This is a real product rave, bathing is a real pleasure when using this shower gel that this product has made it onto my beauty essentials page which as you will know..a product has to be pretty special and highly rated to feature here!

Bee Lovely To Your Body Bath & Shower Gel

Neal's Yard Remedies say  

Moisturising organic honey is blended with energising organic orange and mandarin essential oils for an uplifting bath or shower.

NYR state on the bottle that is it for all the family on the front and on the back clarify this and state that it is gentle enough for the whole hive aged 3 years and over.

My thoughts 

 A smart and stylish dark blue bottle with a yellow honeycomb print wrap around label, handy pump action bottle made this a winner before I had even used it. Of course I was delighted to find that inside contains one of the nicest scents in a bathing product and as reader's of BeautySwot.com know, how a product smells is all important to me.

I can only describe the scent as sweet and delicious, to me the fragrance is identical to those lovely orange creme chocolates that are found in a box of Quality Street or those tasty orange jellies enveloped in dark chocolate. Very, very nice indeed!

The product comes out as a clear gel and creams nicely, it is rich and incredibly moisturising. My skin is left with its gorgeous scent and I don't feel like I need to use a separate moisturiser after as my body is so incredibly soft to touch.

The Bee Lovely Bath & Shower Gel has the added bonus of containing organic ingredients and being SLS free, paraben free with no synthetic fragrances or colours.

Neal's Yard Remedies Bee Lovely Bath & Shower Gel costs £14 for 295ml

NYR are donating 5% of the RRP of every Bee Lovely product to a bee lovely charity or good cause. You can find out more in this post.

*PR Sample

Liz Earle Prince's Trust Limited Edition Rose and Lavender Cleanse & Polish

What a bit of luck, I was just about to run out of a bottle of my all time favourite cleanser, the original Cleanse & Polish, when this version popped through the letterbox.

This year Liz Earle have been working with Rebecca Taylor - a young entrepreneur supported by The Prince’s Trust - who is being mentored by Liz for the Tomorrow Campaign. The Tomorrow Campaign was created to inspire the next generation and paired six Trust-supported young people with iconic mentors to create a product that will be retailed nationwide to raise funds for The Prince’s Trust. Together, Liz and Rebecca have given the original Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser a new twist. Their award-winning formula has been updated to include rose and lavender essential oils and a fresh white pump bottle with an attractive design.

This special edition had a lot to live up to, I absolutely lovely the original Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and in particular the almost medicinal scent of eucalyptus. I have to say though that this has not disappointed.

Although the eucalyptus has been removed to be replaced with rose and lavender essential oils, it has a pleasant scent. I am not overly keen on lavender but the smell only becomes apparent when you start applying it onto your face, before that the scent when pumped out of the bottle is a faint rose fragrance which I do like!

It still has the same ingredients that has made the formula so popular including skin softening cocoa butter and rosemary and chamomile to tone and smooth.

This is a lovely rich and creamy cleanser that is to be used in the same way as the original cleanse & polish - 2 steps -

Step one - massage 1 or 2 pumps ( I find one plenty) onto dry skin in circular movements
Step two - rinse muslin cloth in hand hot water and wring out before gently polishing off the cream. Finish by splashing face with cool water.

This is an effective cleanser that leaves my skin feeling clean, soft to the touch and bright looking. Another winner from Liz Earle.

Liz Earle recommends using the original Cleanse & Polish for mornings and using this version at night because of its calming and relaxing properties and although I have used this both morning and evening, I have certainly felt the effects of a better night's sleep!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Rose and Lavender is priced at £19.75 with £2 from every sale going to The Prince's Trust. 

Available in store, online at lizearle.com, at John Lewis and on QVC.

This is a limited edition product so once it's gone, it's gone!

*PR Sample

CHAMPNEYS Spa Treatments Watermint Body Scrub

For an invigorating and awakening body scrub Champneys Spa Treatments Watermint Body Scrub has to be my favourite. This uber minty scented scrub just smells so incredibly minty and fresh. It has no less than three types of mint - watermint, peppermint and wildmint and contains jojoba beads to exfoliate. This is more like a body polish than a harsher scrub, which is my personal preference.I find that the mint provides a nice and pleasant cooling effect when applied to skin and leaves my body soft and smooth once rinsed off.

Makes you feel good and soft to the touch, bathroom smelling lush, what's not to like!

Champneys Spa Treatments Watermint Body Scrub 200ml costs £6

Benefit See & Be Seen Sasha Eau De Toilette

Gorgeous, simply gorgeous. I absolutely love this fragrance and have been wearing it every day since it arrived in the post.

None of the other Crescent Row scents have grabbed me previously (I found them either too sweet or too musky) but I was smitten with See & Be Seen Sasha from the very first spritz.

The outer box is arty and attractive and the print on the cute cocktail shaker style bottle is stylish and fun.

As with all the Benefit Crescent Row fragrances it has an accompanying poem to describe Sasha's personality

Sasha…

modern, still life, florals a gallery of delights…

classic urban luxury her expression excites.

a work of art, Sasha transcends age

a vision, a showpiece “she takes center stage.”

Top notes: orange flower absolute, apricot, pink freesia Middle notes: ylang ylang, tiare flower, white peony, jasmine sambac Base notes: crystal amber, liquid musk, vanilla

A clean and fresh, light fruity floral, I find that I can really smell the Jasmine and there is a little nod to the original Michael Kors fragrance. This fragrance has captivated everyone I have introduced it to. Plus, it also has the all important husband approval!

A perfect transition from Summer to Autumn.

Benefit See & Be Seen Sasha Eau de Toilette costs £29.50 for 30ml

*PR Sample

Happy Anniversary!

Today is my 6th Wedding Anniversary :-)

Here is to many, many more to come!

Holiday Luggage - Spotting Your Suitcase On The Carousel!

I will admit it, I was until very recently one of those people that had to have matchy matchy holiday luggage and preferably in black,.but how many times had I stood at the luggage carousel with my husband and strained our necks wondering if the next black case out was ours ... The majority of cases coming round are either black or silver and I can't tell you how often I watched people pick up cases that were not theirs only to put them back on the carousel!

Well this holiday my husband politely suggested that I may want to buy another case for myself (we have been through a few) as he was happily going to fill the large one we had.. the smallest was going to our 4yr old which left me without a case.

Case shopping is not altogether that glamorous unless you are purchasing those gorgeous matching Louis Vuitton luggage sets but let's face it, they don't get handled with care so why shell out too much.

Out we went to find a medium sized case and yes in my mind I fancied a black one with four wheels, the ones that can be pushed in any direction and spin round.

I remember the days when my parents would have to lug our heavy suitcases about and we would watch in envy as the smart airline crew would pull along theirs on wheels, what a great idea we thought. Just as we upgraded ours to those ones with extending handles and two wheels we spot Japanese tourists with cases with 4 wheels in Hawaii and so the upgrades continue.

I digress, I spotted this bright pink and blue, Hawaiian print case with four wheels and something just told me to buy it. I added the blue Bombay Duck luggage tag with the letter B and off I went.

I am not lying when I say it makes people smile when it comes round the carousel, they giggle and point, say it is such a great idea and the men smile or perhaps pity my husband ha ha!

I have the last laugh though when mine is so distinctive and easy to spot.

I love it :-)

Holiday Makeup By Night

You may have already seen my 'by day' holiday makeup, pictured above are the items that I wore in the evenings.

I didn't have much time from leaving the pool or beach, showering and getting myself and my 4yr old son ready for dinner to sit and apply makeup at my leisure. I had to choose items that I knew would create the look I wanted to achieve as fast as possible with as few items as possible.

The look I was going for in the evening was radiance, illumination and a flash of bright colour on my lips - not a million miles away from my day look but just ramped up with more definition :-) A sun kissed and healthy looking glow is always a winner when you are on holiday in my opinion.

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation - My current favourite foundation. Coverage is light but even and radiant. I popped some into a sample pot so that I didn't have to take the full size glass bottle with me.

Benefit They're Real Mascara - Rather than take the full size version, I took the rather travel handy mini version that came with the Anniversary set.. Another current favourite, love how black and defined it makes my lashes, real flutter worthy and they stand out a mile!

17 Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in Gold Bronze This shimmer brick made it into my evening makeup as it is so versatile and multipurpose. I used the different shades as eye shadows, the second one really made my eyes pop. I also used the lightest shade as a highlighter on my cheeks. Best bargain product of the Summer by far!

I took two lipsticks with me as I wanted to have alternatives depending on my outfit!

Lancome L'Absolu Rouge Lipstick 152 Rouge Mars This is a favourite Summer lipstick of mine, brightens the whites of my eyes and wakes up the whole face. Seriously, it is that good! It looks gorgeous with a warm tan too (I get mine with bronzer ;-))

Clinique Long Last Lipstick All Heart Such an easy to wear bright lipstick although it doesn't look that in the tube, it appears quite dark. In reality this is a very pretty and flattering pinky red toned shade.

Liz Earle Natural Glow Bronzer and Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in Nectar I was sent these items just as I was about to leave for my holiday so decided to take them with me and use them every evening, full review coming shortly...watch this space!

Just a final and quick mention for my holiday nails - I used Rimmel London 60 Seconds Coralicious on my fingers and toes! Bright and cheery.

Holiday Makeup By Day

In the days running up to our family holiday I was umming and aahing about which make-up items to take with me whilst trying very hard to keep it light. To a beauty lover this is no mean feat, but in the event I think I managed to achieve what I had set out to do...

The majority of the time we were going to be either in the pool, by the pool or at the beach so I didn't want anything too heavy during the day.

5 items made up my daytime 'look' but obviously I alternated the gloss so in reality it took just 4 items to look lightly sunkissed and beach ready.

17 BB Blemish Balm

Absolutely love this product,it is light in product and packaging, evens out skin tone and contains SPF25, perfect for holiday.

17 Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in Gold Bronze

One of my favourite products this Summer, so it was only natural this came with me on my holiday. Big brush, swirled across all the shades and applied across the cheeks provided a pretty and subtle beach glow.

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Mascara in Black (Waterproof version)

I didn't set out to buy this mascara, I was actually after a L'Oreal waterproof mascara but annoyingly Tesco pull down the shutters on their make up stands (who knew!) and the Rimmel London stand was the only one that remained open. 

This looked good from the description, came in bright orange packaging (won't get lost) and was temptingly cheap seeing as I was really only needing it for the week. It promises to have - Like the regular Scandaleyes mascara Max density brush is 50% larger to cover whole lash line and capture every lash. Triple collagen + Keratin formula plumps even the thinnest lashes -Waterproof- Lasts all day.

I really didn't like this mascara, the wand was so huge it wasn't ideal for my small eyes. I found it hard to coat each lash as I was just making mess everywhere, I found it clumpy and although it does provide volume, it didn't provide any length or definition which was disappointing but maybe unreasonable for me to expect it.. Most importantly it didn't perform well as a waterproof mascara. It smudged terribly and gave me panda eyes. Not good!

Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Juicy Apple

I have done a post on this previously but this is a fab gloss, sheer, nice hint of colour, it lasts and contains SPF15 ideal to protect lips.

Lancôme Juicy Tube in Mangue

Every makeup bag should contain a juicy tube! I like this one as although it looks rather scarily bright orange in the tube it comes out far more subdued but really brightens the face - perfect for Summer! Sadly this shade is now discontinued.

Holiday Skincare - What I Packed In My Travel Bag

I have just returned from a week's holiday in Ibiza. I wanted to travel light so tried to keep my skincare and make up items to the minimum but included a few pampering items as I didn't want to miss out!

This post is about the skincare items I popped in my travel bag..

Facial Care 

Garnier Skin Naturals Fresh Essentials Vitamin Enriched Cleansing Wipes (25) -

I picked these up for £2 from Tesco. Contains grape extract, suitable for normal/combination skin and even removes waterproof make-up. I loved using these, the scent is gorgeous and it was effective at cleansing, left my skin very soft after and didn't irritate my skin. Whilst I would not use this as an everyday cleanser, for the holidays these wipes were ideal.

REN Trio  - These super minis came free with my Red Magazine so I saved them to take on holiday.

REN Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream

I used this in the evenings before applying my make-up. I wasn't overly keen on the scent so I wouldn't purchase a full size version but it did leave my skin feeling lovely and soft and feeling hydrated. The lotion was light and absorbed quickly. It is suitable for sensitive skin and is paraben free.

REN Active 7 Radiant Eye Gel

I was looking forward to using this as it claims to be a light gel with cooling properties to revive and brighten the eye area, unfortunately when I applied it, I felt a slight stinging sensation so I removed it and didn't use it again.

REN Vetiver v7 Hand & Body Cream

I used this as a hand cream and really loved it, although it had a similar scent to the face cream I didn't mind it so much on my hands. My hands felt soft and velvety smooth. The cream was not sticky and absorbed instantly.

Oral-b Pro Expert Toothpaste

My favourite toothpaste, this came free when I bought a toothbrush. Handy travel size.

Bath & Hair Care

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo and Conditioner Travel Minis

Asda were doing 3 minis for a £3 which I thought was a fab bargain - so I bought these delicious smelling products from Aussie. Miracle Moist left my hair soft, shiny and manageable. Winners.

Elemis Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream

Taking this shower cream was a bit of an indulgence on my part. I never like the free shower gels that come in hotel bathrooms as they feel too drying. This is an exquisitely floral scented shower cream (infused with Tahitian monoi and frangipani flower ) that leaves skin soft and delicately scented. The bottle came in a Christmas Gift Set.

Suncare

Piz Buin Tan & Protect Tan Accelerating Oil Spray SPF30

I have already reviewed this which you can read by clicking on the title.

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist® Hydrating Spray

Not an essential but a welcome cooling spray for when I felt too hot. You could find me spritzing this all over my hair, face and body as it smelt so nice! This came in one of the Glossyboxes.

Garnier Ambre Solaire Aftersun Refreshing Hydrating Spray 200ml 

Another winner for me, this was a bargain again from Asda, at half price. This spray was mist like, turning into a cloudy liquid when it touched the skin. It dried almost instantly leaving no sticky residue just cool, soft and moisturised skin. The scent just oozes holiday, great product.

Vaseline Lip Therapy Launches Pink Bubbly Version - New!

Now you all know how much I love my little pots of Vaseline Lip Therapy so I was excited to learn on my return from Ibiza that there is a new one on the block, Vaseline Pink Bubbly flavour!

This exciting and decadent flavour has a gorgeous rosé hue and is enriched with champagne grape extract. I love the classy pink and black design of the tin, will look great being whipped out of the handbag.

Cannot wait to try it!

Vaseline Pink Bubbly is out now and available at Boots, Superdrug and Selfridges priced at RRP £3.49 while stocks last.

Steam Cream Collaborates With Top Make Up Artists

Steam Cream the natural all in one mosturiser for face, body and hands are well renowned for their gorgeously illustrated tins and this September, to celebrate London Fashion Week, have teamed up with three top make up artists to create a bespoke collection.

Jemma Kidd

This tin features a portrait of Jemma against a backdrop of daisies and the words 'My all-in-one backstage kit essential'.

Ruby Hammer

Ruby's tin is a deep shade that echoes her name and features a paisley print. On her tin is written 'A tiny slick keeps eyebrows in shape'

Wendy Rowe

Wendy's tin comes in a gorgeous blue shade and features the words 'A great pre makeup base'

SteamCream is a lightly whipped cream infused with steam with a subtle lavender scent that provides long lasting hydration.

SteamCream limited edition Make Up Artist Tins £12.95 are out now and available from www.steamcream.co.uk Selfridges, Liberty and John Lewis.