Wednesday 29 June 2011

Happy Birthday to you!!!



Hi everyone, long time no blog. I have been a naughty girl and not kept up with you all ! I consider my self told off!
The good thing is that this post is so very exciting!
Beautiful You Uk and I am sure all Bare Mineral fans want to say a MASSIVE Happy Birthday  to

                                          Bare Escentuals!!

The nations favourite Mineral make up brand have reached the fabulous age of 35 this month.
This is so exciting as Bare Escentuals changed the way we thought about our foundation first of all.
A mineral powder that was not powdery, orange or that caked where our skin was suffering. Wow!
Being a convert myself it was amazing to not worry about that tide mark at the jaw line that seemed the fashion when I was at school but something I never wanted. And to be honest the longer the make up is on the better it looks lol

A innovative company such as BE was not going to stop there of course, we then got Mineral Veil and a whole host of new goodies ranging from blushes to eye shades and of course the legendary Buxom lip glosses!
Recently BE have launched skincare of Which I did a review but the excitement keeps coming so keep your eye's peeled for more posts soon.

Lastly, again BYU wishes BE a very Happy Birthday and many more to come!!

You can shop for yours at http://www.bareescentuals.co.uk/
Sam x


image credited to theforumsite.com


Thursday 23 June 2011

Bobbi Brown beach collection take 2

On Tuesday I posted a review on Bobbi Brown body wash from her Beach collection, safe to say I loved it and have unfortunately realised so does H2B lol.
Well no one will be getting their hands on the complimenting body lotion. As much as I loved the body wash I love the lotion 10 times more!
Look at the classy bottle!! Love it!

My last post was all about bringing the holiday's to us as we as a country are not taking our normal summer jollies. Well this lotion certainly follows that brief.

I found it to be the perfect lotion. Not sticky what so ever, so in hot weather( fingers crossed ) you won't feel even more clammy. Sinks in at almost lightning speed, major thumbs up.
It has all the moisturising property's that you need including Aloe Vera and jojoba. The other great thing and staying on the beach front ( haha ) it has Green Tea and Vitamin E and all these things together makes a lotion that keeps your skin soft, keeps the peeling at bay if you have caught a few rays and prolongs your tan, that you got responsibly of course!

As not being that much of a sun worshipper which is odd as I was born in Oz, I will be using this as my daily moisturiser because I love the smell and it's sink in ability.
Right now I can certainly see Bobbi Brown skin care becoming as great as her make up! I must say that now I am a Bobbi Brown girl I won't be straying far!

Massive thumbs up!!

Get yours @ www.bobbibrown.co.uk 
200ml for £21

Sam x

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Testing Bobbi Brown Beach collection

According to reports us Brits are going on less summer holidays than in years passed, in fact more than 17 million of us are staying at home to save money. So we have to find ways to bring the holiday atmosphere to us! Hopefully we will get some sort of hot weather so we can pack in some lovely sunny weekends, eating outside and going for a nice walk some where new. I think for us girls though the holiday feeling goes further. When I pack to go away it's my cosmetic bag that I always pack first, to be honest it's the same for my wedding, I already know what I will be putting in my freshen up bag!
There are certain things that transport us back to sunnier climates, foods we have eaten, drinks that we have sipped or downed depending on your tastes lol To me I have scents and lotions, even make up that I pop on to transport me some where else, especially when I'm having a bad day.

Being a HUGE Bobbi Brown fan I was really excited to be given the chance to test out some of Bobbi's body care. Bobbi's skin and body care is possibly less talked about than her iconic make up so it was interesting to see how the skincare matched up.
For the summer of 2010 Bobbi released her Beach collection and some of these products have followed through to this summer. I tested the Beach shower gel and body lotion.
The packaging whilst quite plain is really classy and in true Bobbi Brown style.
I used the shower gel first, you only need the tiniest bit to get masses of lather and the smell just filled the bathroom and lasted forever. To me the smell is pure summer.It's nice that there is not a coconut smell to it as this is what companies normally base their summer products around, instead you can smell the sea, it's a bit tropical and floral at the same time. I think if you are lucky enough to go on holiday this year this shower gel will make it in to your summer memories.
It makes sense that it smells like the sea as one of the ingredients is sea kelp. The gel is fantastic for the hot weather as it's moisturising as you wash and it comes in a handy tube so there is no waste.

All in all this shower gel fits summer perfectly. Does everything a high end shower gel should do and brings Bobbi Brown luxury to the shower. Big thumbs up from me!
Now where can I hide it away from H2B?

£20 for 200ml
Exclusive to Selfridge's and online

Tomorrow... Can the lotion live up to the shower gel?

Thursday 16 June 2011

A quick mind emptying post

The time has come up on me. I started my wedding diet at the beginning of the year but since fell off the wagon with a massive bang! I have to start again and the day will be Monday. Yes I know it's a cliché to start on a Monday but my favourite farmers market is this Saturday and it would make me super sad if I could not go one last time to check out the cup cakes we have chosen for the wedding...after all it makes sense to see if they are consistently great doesn't it? That is my excuse and I am sticking to it!
 I can't resist these little beauties!

Plus I might be in luck and H2B may take me to my favourite place and our wedding venue ran by our great friends The Gabbitas's , The Wortley Arms. I swear if I am armed with enough pain killers I can sit there all day. The food is excellent and the staff feel and are friends, what more can you ask for? I can't wait till the wedding as The Arms will hold even more memories for us!

I will have to turn to some thing other than food from next week and I know just what it is. Make up!!
Yes I am going to reward myself with Bobbi Brown and Mally make up lol hopefully this will keep me going.

Keep popping in to read the review on a diet helping hand.

If you fancy having a nosey at The Wortley Arms here is the web site
http://www.wortley-arms.co.uk/

Sam xx

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Bare Minerals Skin care

Having tried the Bare Minerals foundations and Mineral veil kit and loving it, I thought that I would branch out and try the new skin care line.
After watching so many demo's on my favourite channel QVC I hit the red button and ordered the 30 day try me kit.
For £22.74 I got to try out 60ml of the Naturally Luminous Purifying cleanser
30ml of the Purely Nourishing Moisturiser for combination skin and
5ml of the firming eye treatment.
I swatched the creams for you, the top is the moisturiser and bottom you have the eye cream.

For the money the sizes are fantastic and after a months use are still going well.

They say the main ingredient is Rare minerals Active Soil complex, don't worry it looks and smells nothing like soil thank goodness!

Starting with the cleanser, I like it. You get a nice foam that feels luxurious and not synthetic, it cleaned my face really well and I did not break out using it. As the line promises no Synthetic fragrances and no artificial oils I would think it's suitable for all skin types really. 
You only need a teeny bit to do you whole face so I think this 60ml size will see me past my weeks break in July. My pores have been starting to look bigger on my face which I think is due to ageing but after using my face wash they did look smaller to me. With any skin care it is a good testament when people tell you how well you look when you are wearing no make up at all and this is what happened to me after using this.

The moisturiser:
I have changed, recently to anti-ageing moisturisers but I pushed them all a side to give this a go.
After using it for a few weeks I have actually come to the conclusion that for me, this moisturiser is great as a make up primer. It leaves my skin matte, yet still soft and my make up goes on and stays on longer when applied over the top of this. As I am on a lot of medication I need a bit more moisture than this gives me but it gets major thumbs up because of the primer effect.

Eye cream:

I feel at ease using this on my eye lid as well as under my eyes as it feels very gentle to me. I have not noticed my shadows going anywhere but this cream never promised that. I would love to go in to more depth on the eye cream but alas I can't as my H2B has taken and hidden it as he has secretly fallen in love with using it, but for me this shows that it's a great product because he wouldn't bother if it did not work!

All in all I am giving the Bare Minerals a thumbs up! I will be packing it in my bag for my break in Whitby and would recommend anyone to give it a go It is great value.


Sam
x


Wednesday 8 June 2011

Detox with Vitox

Although I am blessed with naturally blonde hair it is not without it's maintenance. People with highlighted hair have to maintain it with regular hair dresser visits and also shampoo for coloured hair, I however have hair that could of come off a baby as in baby fine. Along with that comes the grease...Grease is the word baby!
My maintenance is a good Detox at least once a month and a mild clarifying shampoo EVERY DAY!
I am forever jealous of people that are able to have that day after wear ability, although I do wonder how hard it must be to shower without getting it wet or steamy under the shower cap, Yes I know I am sad!
The thought that I can't wash my hair on the day of my wedding is giving me nightmares, the hairdresser is just gonna have to spray the hell out of my hair  I aint skipping a wash!

Rant over I have actually found a product that will benefit both the highlighted beauties,  greasy baby hairs like me or indeed some one just wanting a pick me up.
Loise Galvin has come up with a great Detox or should I say Vitox for hair.


Apologies for the lack of photography, My camera is temporarily of action ...ooopppsss

Any way back to Vitox... As you can see from the pic you get three little bottles of liquid and three pots of powder. The fun bit is you mix them together in the big pot they come in, then you shake like a maraca. You then just pop the foam(of which there is masses) over damp but not wet hair. You leave it only for 3 minutes, so if it's a pep up before going out treatment this is ideal.
I might of left mine on for a little longer but that was just because I didn't have a timer. When I washed the foam off my hair it already felt clean before shampoo even touched my head.
Washed, conditioned (left on for a little longer) and dried my hair looked ok. It was a little pepped up and my natural high lights were a bit brighter so I was moderately pleased.
It was not until the next day that I saw the results that are important to my hair issues. Normally as soon as I wake up my hair needs washing, after using this my hair was as fresh looking as the day before! I did promise myself that I wasn't going to wash my hair but I am not going to lie to you, I washed my hair because that's what I do every day. After that second wash my hair shone!

I did test it on my Sister in law who does have dyed blonde hair that goes brassy after about two weeks after getting it done. Now on her hair it got rid of the brassy tones, brought the highlights out making them look fresher.I was concerned because her hair is dryer than mine that it could of turned it to straw but for some reason it did the opposite. I dried her hair and straightened it so I could say I was there till the bitter end, and it was all easier than normal and believe me I get called on a lot do her hair lol

What they said:



Louise Galvin has created a pioneering Vitamin C hair de-tox to brighten highlights that are looking lacklustre and remove environmental or product build up.  This gentle Vitamin C formulation is a natural highlight brightener to restore shine and clarity to your blonde hair.
 
Louise says “Vitox is also the perfect holiday hair pick-me-up for hair that may have taken on a khaki hue through swimming in chlorine. It can even be used as a clarifying process before under going a colourtreatment. 
 
The combination contains Vitamins C&E, powerful antioxidants for healthy hair, Vitamin B3, necessary for healthy hair growth, Vitamin B5 to maintain moisture levels and Vitamin B6, an essential element to maintain the health of your hair.
 
Whether you are preparing for your holiday, or already on holiday, Louise Galvin’s Vitox is the perfect detox for you hair.



 My final Thoughts:

                                  I think my rambles said it all. I was surprised in the end by this hair system. I will be getting it again in the run up to my wedding as I now totally believe in the power of the Vitox! Worth trying to pep up your hair!
FYI : Advised as not to be used on uncoloured grey hair




Get yours @www.louisegalvin.com
£25 for three treatments



Tuesday 7 June 2011

For all Soap and Glory fans




I just thought I would do a little post for all of us Soap and Glory fans out there.
The guy's at S&G head quarters have put their heads together and decided to give us all a little treat!


Turns out it's not so little! The famous The Righteous butter lotion is now available in a SUPER sized 500ml and it's yours for £10.
The Righteous butter lotion is lighter than the original tub but if you think you loose out on softening power your mistaken!
So for a tenner you get super smoothing, deliciousness to soften all your dry bit's ready for summer.

Grab yours soon, I know I will be

Samx

Monday 6 June 2011

My confession

I have a problem, I thought I had it sorted with a purchase at Christmas but I have been a naughty girl and kept spending.
I am talking about where I put my oodles of make up and brushes etc. I started off with one make up bag and at the age of 27 ended up with 5 and a pot plus a bag for my brushes. I then swapped over to one of those plastic draw stacks but got fed up at my make up rolling about and tbh had a few casualties of smashed powders and they were all my favourites.
At Christmas I was watching QVC and a 'Make up storage system' as it was called came on. Now at over £40 including postage, it was a thinker and I also begrudge paying QVC postage as in my opinion it's always quite hefty at QVC. I procrastinated over spending that kind of money on what essentially  was a box, a pretty box but a box all the same.

Now as you can see it is beautiful and also quite a good size. The front lays flat and then the sides come out leaving plenty of compartments for compacts, bottles and pots. It looks big enough doesn't it? Pretty yep?


This is what has happened lol. Organised to start with and then through shopping trips and not throwing any thing out it is getting to the point where I need to buy another! Or shock horror I could throw some stuff out but I think that won't be what I go for lol I also have a separate roll for brushes!


How do you store your make up? Are you organised or a organised wanna be? Drop me a comment and let me know and I will let you know if I cave and buy another lol


For a total cost of £40.95

Saturday 4 June 2011

Eau de Sisley 3 Was it for me?

If you have read some of the posts on this blog you will know that I have a skincare addiction that spreads out to include Make up and hair care. I am also crazy for perfumes. I love the way that Perfumes and Aftershaves bring back so many memories of places and good times. They can also define a person, for example when I smell Creed silver mountain water my H2B pops in to my head and I smile.
I have many bottles of perfumes including a bottle of creed but there is also one that you go back to time and time again. You also find it difficult to stray from certain smells ie you are either a fruity person or citrus/floral . That's why I think it is always a mine field to buy people a bottle of perfume unless it is the exact one they wear.
So when I opened a parcel very kindly sent to me by the guys at Sisley included a bottle of perfume I was a bit worried on how I would write about it as it was not in the fruity spectrum that I normally go for.


I love the box on this perfume, simple yet distinctive, the bottle looks very ornate and a little bit retro in my thoughts. 
Now when I read the info on this perfume I was convinced it would not be for me.

This is what Sisley say:

Surprisingly Addictive,
eau de Sisley 3 is a seductive dress adorned with sparkling
red rubies. 


It intrigues by its joyous note of stimulating Citrus. Its strong tonic combination emerges from the subtle succession of fresh notes: precious essence of Bergamot, sparkles of Tangerine, bitterness of Grapefruit, and Tangy Lemon.

It dives, like an impulse, with lightness and elegance,into an exotic, sensual heart, happily fascinated by purple Ginger,softly voluptuous with an audacious hint of Chinese Osmanthus flower and traces of Peach and Apricot.

An elegant base note, fashioned by the force of Patchouli and Vetiver, the smoothness of Benjamin and Vanilla, and the softness of musk signs, with an enigmatic smile, the elegance of this scent. 


Teasing and aloof, eau de Sisley 3 is unexpected and whimsical.

What I thought:

I normally stay as far away from citrus scents as I can, I never feel that they are 'me' and they can be quite hard to wear.I tried this out on a Sunday lunch out with my in-laws and as soon as I sprayed it on I kinda fell in love with it. It reminds me of the luxury of Creed but is actually easier to carry off.
The citrus elements come in last when you smell it, I find that the warm notes come through first and by the time the citrus elements come through they lift the perfume so you don't feel the need to respritz. As soon as I came in to the room H2B commented on how lovely I smelled which says a lot that it was noticed, and the amount of compliments I got on that day not just from family, was amazing. The compliments have kept coming too.As cheesy as it is the perfume is Seductive and addictive.
I love spritzing this in my hair so when I let it down before I get into bed that lovely smell is there again. 
I thank Sisley for giving me the chance to try this perfume and it is a keeper that will be on my Lust for list for years to come.

Now the price of this is not in the normal Department store bracket but it is well worth not only the money but saving up for it too.

@ £94 for 100ml from Selfridges, Harrods and House of Fraser ect