Jimmy Choo GWP!

I am a little late in blogging about this, for reasons already explained, however I still had to share this gorgeous 'Shoe Case' (or a shoe box!) as it is great GWP. Normally free gifts with products don't draw me in at all but something like this is a brilliant and creative little extra. With normally GWP usually being weekend bag or tote bags, towels or the matching body products, so when this beauty came in the post I was excited to have a little bit of luxury to keep my favorite heels in when I travel. Although I am missing the pair of Jimmy Choo shoes to fit inside! I really like this. It is available now while stocks last with any purchase of a 60ml or more Jimmy Choo fragrance and if you were looking to buy someone a perfume for Christmas then this is the perfect excuse to snap one up.

My experience with Clinique 3-Step

Find out more about Clinique products from their website HERE!

This is a rather overdue post however given my recent health trouble and being in hospital, there hasn't been a chance to talk about my new found love with Clinique. Although Clinique's 3-Step system isn't new to me but it has been over 4 years since I had used a full routine from the brand, so when I was given the opportunity to go along to my local counter to have a consultation I jumped at the chance. Sitting down with the incredibly knowledgeable Clinique consultant I was overwhelmed with the information but in a good way, being able to ask as many questions about the wide variety of products meant I could really get to know what is best suited for my skin. She kindly took me through every product for me, custom fitting each one by using the answers I had given at the start using the brands unique 'Clinique computer'. I have to admit looking at the line-up of products was daunting, seeing everything together made me really see just how many products I use daily, now I see what my boyfriend complains about! 

After using the products morning and evening for over 5 months now I really have fallen back in love, I have just made a repurchase of most that had run out. It only took around 2 weeks for me to see a difference in my skin, it began to even out and become smoother, gone was my dull skin replacing it with a radiant glow. After about a month my skin was really beginning to brighten up and my breakouts were kept firmly under control, then after 3 months that was what sealed it for me. My skin before and after was completely different, I have been so pleased with how clear and bright my skin has become that I am completely confident most days wearing nothing more than mascara and filling in my brows (but I do still like to make an effort). For years my skin has been a real insecurity of mine due to breakouts and pigmentation, so having found an entire routine that has been able to change that and sustain it is something I am always looking for in my skincare products. The products that I have been using are: 

Take The Day Off Cleansing Milk 

Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips

Liquid Facial Soap - Mild formula

Clarifying Lotion 2

Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion 

Exfoliating Scrub

Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

Superdefence SPF25 Age Defence Moisturiser

Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturiser 

If I were to recommend just a couple of products aside from the 3 Step system, it has to be Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector and Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturiser, as I feel that those are two products that have really made a big contribution in my skins difference from before til now. I shall continue to use my 3 Step as a basis but I will be trialing some new products out, however I know I will at some point come back to the rest as I have loved the results. Being able to sit down at the counter was a valuable experience and I would definitely say that if you are looking to try Clinique products then pop down to book an appointment. Not only did we discuss my skincare needs, I was also walked through what makeup would suit me too and then I was shown exactly how to use the each product, starting with the skincare and the applying the makeup. After a month I was also invited back so that they could make sure I was getting on well with the products and if there wasn't something right then they can address the issue and swap products. This is a good service that Clinique offer and one that I haven't really experience with other brands, the service is very friendly and you feel like you are sitting down with a friend.

Do you enjoy using Clinique's skincare? Let me know your favorite product in the comments!

Origins Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Pads

Origins Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Pads 60 Pads, £22.00

Available from Origins counters or online HERE!

Origins always impress me with their new product launches and I have raved many times about them on my blog, their new Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Pads are another winner. The Origins Super Spot Remover has to be one of my favorite products for getting rid of pesky blemishes, so when I heard about these I was very excited to try them out. In each pot you get 60 pads, taking one you simply sweep across your problem area after cleansing morning and night, then continue with your routine. After a couple of days of use I saw a big improvement in my skin, the redness was gone and the blemishes were visibly smaller, the results were really quick. With daily use I have found that they are doing a great job at helping to maintain my clear complexion and get rid of any problem spots quickly. With Salicylic Acid to open your pores and clear any blackheads/spots, then the Clove & Oregano help to unclog the pores further and Saw Palmetto which helps to minimize any excess oils you have on the skin (aiding the prevention of future breakouts too) and will gently sweep away any dead skin cells that cleansing didn't remove. Now that I have managed to clear up my skin with the help of the Origins Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Pads I am going to just use them at night to maintain my skin, then when I have breakouts I will go back to twice a day and of course use my Origins Super Spot Remover blemish gel too. These are a brilliant buy if you super from blemishes or blackheads as they are a speedy a treatment, not only to get rid of breakouts but they are also great at keeping your complexion smooth and clear. I really do love them.

Have you tried the Origins Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Pads yet? Let me know how you keep your skin blemish free in the comments.

Long time no speak..

Hello guys! I thought I would pop up a little post explaining what has been going on recently with me, as I been absent for 5-6 weeks and a few of you have asked if I was ever coming back. About 6 weeks ago I had to have surgery but sadly much like my last operation it didn't go as planned and a few days later I became really sick. I'm glad to be home now recovering here as spending over a month in hospital isn't fun for anyone, so I'm enjoying my time at home before I have to go return in two weeks for another operation to fix the problems and clear my body of the septic infection that is still running about inside me. So that is basically why I have disappeared and there has been a complete silence from me, however I'm going to spend the next couple of days ensuring I have plenty of blog posts/videos uploaded so that I don't have to worry. However over the next couple of months I am going to be in and out of hospital a fair amount and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get some 'guest bloggers' to post on my blog once more. If you are interested then please email me a link to your own blog, along with your idea for the guest post or you can email me the entire post (with clear pictures) if you would prefer. 

Thank you to everyone who has tweeted, emailed and messaged me with kind words and well wishes, it means so much to me and certainly puts a smile on my face. 

Love xo

Burberry Body Eau De Parfum Intense

Burberry Body Eau De Parfum Intense from £44.50 available from The Perfume Shop

Burberry Body Eau De Parfum Intense is a deep and rich long lasting scent, with a warm combination of ingredients. Top notes of illuminating peach fresh green absinthe and delicate freesia. At the heart there is rose absolute, iris and warming sandalwood. Then the base consists of woody cashmeran, creamy vanilla, musk and amber which is a favorite of mine. Much like the first seductive Burberry Body fragrance this has the luxurious depths of the amber and woods, mixed with the feminine rose and peach, creating perfume that draws you in with the heady experience. Burberry Body Eau De Parfum Intense is another hit and I've been told this smells very 'Louise', Burberry is one brand that I have continuously worn since I was young. With the brands 'Weekend' being a firm must have of mine since it was the first perfume I was ever given and to this day when I smell it I am overwhelmed with emotions and memories. The packaging is very sleek and chic, it comes beautifully presented in  a soft suede finish nude drawstring pouch to ensure the perfume is protected from the sun so you can enjoy it for longer. 

Have you tried the Burberry Body Intense fragrance? Do you have a perfume that evokes happy memories like me? 

Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in Lush Nectarine

 Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour 'Lush Nectarine' £20.50 from Laura Mercier counters or SpaceNK

This is one blusher that I have to rave about and it's been a true love of mine for some time now. Laura Mercier's Second Skin Cheek Colour in Lush Nectarine, this is one product from the brand that a lot of us in the beauty community love and adore, which isn't so hard when it is so darn pretty right? I bought this a few weeks ago after been won over by the natural soft formula that also comes in an array of wearable shades, something Laura Mercier is known for as they, in my opinion, create products across the brand that are very natural and behave like skin. It is a peach blush that has just the right amount of pink and through it there is slight golden shimmer - it is the golden shimmer that create the natural sheen and glow to the cheeks. Like I said above the formula is very natural, giving a soft believable flush of colour and it will stay all day too. Lush Nectarine is one of those colours that I am just drawn in by, this shade works beautifully with my skin tone and it practically lives in my makeup bag now. I can't say a bad word about this blusher and I have finally found a blusher formulation that ticks all my boxes, now to branch out and try new shades. 

Are you a fan of Lush Nectarine? Let me know your fave Laura Mercier product in the comments

RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum

Sorry about the stock photo Blogger doesn't like my camera today!

RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum £37.00 available from Boots

This post is well and truly overdue, but I have had good reasons, however it's time to share with you a product my brows cannot live without. RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum was launched a while ago now but I've been using it for the past few months and I simply don't know why it took me so long to try it. My brows before I started using this weren't terrible, they were a little patchy through the front and they struggled to grow a the ends of my brows in terms of fullness, so I had to rely on a brow pencil everyday (New CID does an amazing one - review will be up tomorrow!). Having used RapidBrow for around about 4 months, I have noticed those pesky patches that I had previously have filled in and where I struggled to grow hair it is slowly growing in fuller. The formulation uses a eyebrow loving mix of peptides, biotin, keration and apple fruit extract to help strengthen and regenerate the hairs. Applied with the brush twice a day, they say in around eight weeks you will see results, I started to see results at around week 5, amazing! I will admit that I am a massive fan of the brands Rapid Lash and have been for over a year now but when I heard about this launch it was a mixture of excitement and doubt. Though RapidBrow  has well and truly proved my doubts wrong, I have so much thanks for this little tube, my brows look so much better now. Where before I wouldn't leave the house without my lashes and brows done, I feel totally fine just popping on some mascara and jumping out the door. If you have any problems with your eyebrows, patchy areas or no hair at the ends like me, or maybe you just want to have fuller brows  then I highly recommend RapidBrow  and I'm sure you will love it too. 

Have you tried RapidBrow  or RapidLash? Let me know why you love them in the comments! 

Friday

Quick review: Argan+ Dry Body Oil

Argan 5 Dry Body Oil 200ml £14.99 & 100ml £9.99 available from Boots

The launch of the Argan 5 range was one I was highly looking forward to trying out, I know a few bloggers love the range too easy to see why. this was the first product I wanted to try and it has been a favourite since (I have 2 back up bottles). I love oils whether it is for my face, hair or body, the formulation makes this oil sink in very quickly. No waiting around for anything to sink, it really is a 'dry' oil so you can get dressed straight away. My skin is kept hydrated and nourished all day long, feels very silky afterwards and the gorgeous warm scent lingers on the skin too. The blend of oils Argan 5 use as a base in their products are: Moroccan Argan Oil, Baobab, Kukuin Seed, Moringa and Sacha inci oil, full of fatty acids and anti oxidents to protect, nourish and repair the skin. The other way to use this is by pouring one-two cap fulls into a hot running bath and let the aromatic scent fill the air, whilst the oil sinks into the skin creating a mini spa like experience at home.

This is definitely worth the money, I haven't found another body oil that locks in moisture all day whilst feeling so lightweight and smells fabulous.

Have you tried any of the products in the range? Let me know your fave!

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant priced at £30.80 from Dermalogica retails or Lookfantastic

This product review is definitely well and truly overdue, it immediately fell into my skincare routine and sometimes special products just miss out on the blog in the start. Better late than never though! I have been using Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant for around 6 months now, I use it between two or three times a week, depending on what my skin feels like. You can use it daily, hence the name, but don't always use the product how the retailer recommends judge it by what your skin needs. I love the feeling of this on my skin, you really feel it buffing away all those nasty dead skin cells and revealing glowing, soft skin. The rice based powder that contains, papain and salicylic acid all help to unclog the skin and dissolve dead skin cells and the licorices and grapefruit help to brighten the complexion. If that wasn't enough goodies in a skincare product, oatmeal, ginkgo and green tea help to calm the skin down, so even those with sensitive skin should be ok, my therapist uses this on my mum and she has a lot of redness on her face if it works for her I'm sold. My skin always comes away clearer, more radiant and clean - obvious perhaps but this really does take squeaky clean skin to another level. 

It comes out of the bottle as a white powder, you simply wet your hands and mix it into a paste and again you can add more water to make it creamier or less so it's a little thicker. I like it a little thicker so I really feel the particles, when it comes to scrubs I like to feel like they are working hard. Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant last's a really long time too, I've had my mine over 6 months and it feels like I have over half left, so if the price puts you off I would say you will easily get a year out of this. My skin has loved this products, I'm left with a smooth texture and glowing skin, that will make my moisturiser work harder and leave me feeling more confident. 

Have you tried this out? Tell me your fave scrubs or treatments in the comment box too..

Clarins Bronzing Duo SPF15 Mineral Powder Compact

Clarins Bronzing Duo SPF15 Mineral Powder Compact, priced at £26.00 from Clarins, in 'Light/Medium/Dark'

When the Clarins summer makeup collection launched I was pleasantly surprised to see that the brand had introduced a couple of new bronzer's in their line. The new bronzing duo palette has become a firm favorite in my makeup bag, as it allows me to adjust my skin tone subtly with a sunkissed glow. It can be quite tricky to find a perfect match in a bronzer and now Clarins has created a product where you can mix both sides or just use one depending on what you need/want. The darker side has a very fine shimmer through it which when buffed in gives a gorgeous glow to the cheeks and in fact I have been blending both and using it as a blusher, I am obsessed with the 'light' shade for this. The formula contains 100% natural mineral sunscreen that will protect against UV damage, pollution and free radicals, as with most mineral powders the pigments in this compact create a lovely soft focused look to your skin. The finish helps create a diminished appearance to any fine lines, pores and imperfections, whilst perking up the complexion making it appear brighter. Both sides of colour have great pigmentation, you can layer them without fear of caking thanks to the fine pressed powder. 

The Clarins Bronzing Duo feels light-weight and silky on the skin, like I said depending on what I need that day I use this to contour, as a blush and to set my makeup in place to last all day. As with all Clarins palettes it comes in a velvet pouch and housed in a glossy gold/bronzed palette, with a large mirror inside for those on the go touch up's. Overall I have fallen in love, yet again, with another product from Clarins and it is one of the best bronzer's to have been launched this year.

 

Have you tried the new Clarins Bronzing Duo's yet, let me know what you think!

Especially Escada by Escada

Especially Escada by Escada available nationwide, priced from £32.00 for 30ml

"Especially Escada is the gorgeous new fragrance from the House of Escada; a luxurious and feminine scent inspired by the 

spirit of today’s joyful, spontaneous and glamorous woman. Her attitude is positive, she lives to have fun and her happiness is 

her strength but she always remains true to herself". 

This was a new launch at the start of the year for Escada and was launched with Bar Refaeli as the face of the Especially Escada perfume, I think she the perfect fit for the brand. With heart notes of rose and ylang ylang, top notes of pear and ambrette seeds, sealed with a base of mush, the overall perfume is light and floral. Striking the perfect balance of sophistication and a pretty feminine scent, it was love at first sniff and it is a great perfume to carry you from day to night. This lasts all day so you need only a couple of sprays, the rose comes across really well and is very true life, then it all settles to a warm rich musk. When it comes to perfume bottles I am extremely picky, silly perhaps but for me the packaging is everything and the simple yet elegant. With the subtle pink frosty glass bottle and finished with a gorgeous gold lid featuring the Escada double E logo. It's striking yet not in your face, which I think sums Escada up well. 

If like me you are a fan of flirty floral scents that have a richer base, then I think you will love Especially Escada too. Let me know if you are a fan or have this on your Christmas list already

#LFW London Fashion Week

Have you missed me guys? I'm finally back and I jumped straight into London Fashion Week, I took far too many pictures so I think they will slowly spill out onto my blog over the coming weeks but for now I wanted to share a small snippet. This season was definitely the best, the past few seasons where fab but being more involved and getting to go backstage made the whole fashion week experience that much better. I want to say a huge thank you to Handpicked Media, UGG/Halpern PR, Toni & Guy, MAC cosmetics, The Body Shop, Ted Baker and everyone else who made this week so fun for me, I'm hanging my heels up now and collecting my thoughts on the trends & shows I have seen. It was great to see so many familiar faces too having had the past few months away from my blog, that also meant I kept away from events in London so it has been lovely to have a cocktail and catch up with so many fabulous faces. 

Did you attend #LFW?