Glowing for Gold...

DOVE SUMMER GLOW NOURISHING LOTION 

Even though I have dark skin, I like to use fake tan. Yes, I know this is quite a strange thing to do, but during the summer, I just love having that deep golden, just walked off the beach glow. 

 Im not one to buy high street products, however, I recently purchased a bottle of Dover Summer Glow after a friend had recommended it. Its an everyday self tanning nourishing lotion which gradually, and subtly, enhances your natural skin colour, even if you are fair, like my friend.

I applied it over my skin, in a fuss free way, meaning, I wasn't really looking where it was going, or how much I applied, as it doesn't require a mitt, doesn't streak, absorbs instantly, and does not transfer onto clothing. This for me is great. Any reduction in time saving from my daily routine is a bonus. I do however, think people with pale skin might need to be more aware of where they are applying the lotion, and the quantities, to avoid any accidents.

 Dove Summer Glow contains the unique DeepCare Complex, with natural skin nutrients and rich essential oil to help gradually improve skin starting deep down. The lotion itself, smells nice, unlike other tanning products, and it's slightly shimmery, making the skin glow instantly. 

After about a week, I couldn't believe how amazing my skin looked. The colour is more bronze than orange, and considering I have been using it every day, it really does look natural. 

 Dove Summer Glow is so inexpensive, I have decided to stock up on it and continue to use it every day, even throughout winter as it is available all year round.

Available in shades - Fair to Medium, and Medium to dark.
From all supermarkets and Boots
£4.99

* Please note, wash hands immediately after use

Crush of the week...

MARC JACOBS

LOVEMARC - MATTE LIP GEL 

Lovemarc - Matt Lip Gel in Scandal (Limited Edition)
$30

My sisters went to New York last week and brought me back the most amazing gift ever - The Limited Edition Matte Lip Gel by Marc Jacobs.

I have known about Marc Jacobs makeup for a while, but unfortunately, it is not available in the UK. Annoying right? I asked for the lipstick without having physically seeing the makeup myself. Believe me, this amount of trust is unusual for me, but judging by how incredible the perfume collection is, I had no doubt that the makeup wouldn't be as equally as brilliant. 

The Lovemarc Matte Lip Gel packaging is what you would expect from Marc Jacobs; minimal and modern. The case is black, and matt, like the lipstick, with a magnetic glossy white base, so very 80s, but I love it! The lip colour comes in five limited edition shades, from vivacious brights to sultry nudes. Choose from lip colours - Shout, Scandal, Gossip, Pout, and flirt. I Love and want them all!

Mine is Scandalous, an unusually bright, and vibrant red, with a hint or orange. It is constructed from two primary ingredients: Kokum Butter to replenish lips with natural, hydrating properties, and Murumuru Butter, a natural source of fatty acids and Vitamin A to restore elasticity and increase moisturisation. This is what makes the lipstick demi-matt, giving it a more modern and effortless look. I have heard that glossy lips are back.  If you're not ready to go back to circa 2001, and binned your last Juicy Tube, then a demi-matt lipstick is for you. It glides onto the lips, and is so highly pigmented, you don't need to add another coat. Also, the hydrating ingredients that the lipstick contains helps to moisturise the lips unlike matt lipsticks by other brands like MAC. The Lovemarc Matte Lip Gel in Scandal can be worn both day and night, and works great with a tan, nude makeup, and maybe a touch of bronzer. 

If you do get a chance to go to the US, make sure you head down to Marc Jacobs or Sephora.

Are you GELous? Thought so. I guess the point of this post is really a letter and a very desperate plea to Mr Marc Jacobs, and his wonderful team...

Please can you bring your makeup to the UK...? 

Please :)

Crush of the week...

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 

Pre Shampoo Treatment

I know I say this a lot, but I have discovered the most amazing hair product ever! 

A few weeks ago, I curled all of my hair for a 70's themed party and was left with really damaged hair. I was so upset, and spent the rest of the week obsessing over my split ends.

After a week of panic, I picked up a bottle of Philip Kingsley Elasticizer and the results were INCREDIBLE! Following one application, and like magic, my hair went from straw to silk.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is a multi award winning pampering hair health treatment which was formulated 40 years ago by leading trichologists. It is the world’s first pre-shampoo conditioning treatment, and sold out three times over at its launch in Saks 5th Avenue in New York City.

Having never used any of the Philip Kingsley products myself, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it's always the brand that hair stylists recommend. It's probably the best hair treatment I have ever used. In fact, later that evening, I commented on how great my friend Natalie's hair looked, only to discover, she had just used it too.

The way it works...

Healthy hair stretches when wet before returning to its original length when dry. However, hair in poor condition snaps and breaks when stretched. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer adds instant moisture, suppleness, and elasticity to the hair’s cuticle without weighing it down or coating the hair. The result is soft, manageable, strong, and super glossy hair.

I applied Elasticizer to the mid-lengths and ends of my hair, and left it for 20 minutes before shampooing, and conditioning as usual. It is meant to be used once a week as a minimum for best results. Also, for very dry or damaged hair like mine, it can be applied to damp hair and left on overnight before shampooing in the morning. 

If you have damaged, or coloured hair, this product will change your life. I even combed my Tangle Teezer straight though my hair without any problems. Now thats a first...its amazing.

Available from www.philipkingsley.co.uk

£15.00 for 75ml

*Suitable for all hair textures. Fragrance free. 

Crush of the week ...

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer

Its June. Where's the sun???!!! If you want to defy the rain and look like you've been away on holiday, you have to try the Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer. It's incredible. It will transform dull and lifeless skin into a golden glowing picture of youthfulness and happiness, making you look as if you've lived in California your whole life.

I am very loyal to the brands I use daily, especially when it comes to my base, which is the part of my makeup that I have spent years perfecting. So when it came to trying out a new primer, I was very sceptical. I have to admit, it took me a couple of days to get used to, because Im not used to having dewy looking skin, but once I got over that, I realised how great it is. 

I have found that having healthy and glowing skin is an unattainable desire. As soon as I find the most perfect product, my skin starts getting used to it so it stops working its magic, or it becomes discontinued.  For the moment, this primer is definitely a keeper, as its perfect for the summer when you want to wear less foundation, and you need your makeup to stay in place. 

Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer contains skin loving ingredients such as Vitamin A, which is a powerful antioxident, Vitamins E, and C, which have nourishing and elaciticity benefits. The formula also contains powerful anti-aging and skin fortifying benefits, and is suitable for all skin types. 

The liquid itself is an amazing gold, and when applied onto the skin, it evens out to give a very subtle sheen. It is a primer, so it will keep you makeup in place and will also even out skin tone. You can wear it alone, or with a tiny drop of foundation or tinted moisturiser. Thats what Alexa Chung does (using other brands), and her skin always looks amazing. 

The only negative comment I have is that I found that using this on a dull day didn't work as well as a hot sunny one. Maybe its because the light reflects the colour. However, some of you might find it as a great skin pick-me-up on a grey day.

The next few months for me are going to be all about flawless and radiant skin - the Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer is going to be my crush of the summer.

Available at pixibeauty.co.uk, £20.50

Dove: Poetry Workshop with Hollie McNish at Selfridges Beauty Project

I have recently had an accident with my eye involving the sharp end of a broom, so apologies about the lack of blog posts.  I wanted let you know about the talks and discussions taking place as part of the Selfridges Beauty Project, in association with Dove until 12 June. If you get a chance over the next couple of weeks, you should definitely check them out. I have been to a few of these discussions, but I am writing about my first experience, which was the one that was truly thought provoking and inspiring.

One Friday, a few weeks ago, my evening plans had suddenly changed, so instead of heading home with a bottle of Gin, I thought I would sign up to the Selfridges Dove Poetry Workshop with Hollie McNishone. 

Too be honest, I was having a bit of a bad day so I wasn't paying any real attention to what the poetry workshop entailed. The evening started with Hollie reciting some of her poems. Wow! She was incredible! If you are not familiar with her work, Hollie McNish is a published UK poet and spoken word artist whose poetry albums, Touch and Push Kick, and a first collection of written poetry Papers have all received critical acclaim. I found her poems to be an incredibly witty and candid account of modern day femininity. She spoke (in an almost rap) about motherhood, the female role in society, and  generally what its like to be a woman today. Some of it was scary, and cringeworthy, especially the way she describes the way the body changes during pregnancy. But fear not, she leaves you with a warm and happy feeling at the end.

After Hollie had made us laugh, and almost cry, we were asked to explore our own creativity, and challenge our own ideas of beauty by writing our own poem... Now hold on a minute, I hadn't read that part of the memo... 

As I began to look for signs to the nearest emergency exit, I was already partnered up with the lovely Maria.

To compose our own poem, we were asked to complete three tasks -

1. We had 5 minutes to draw our partner on a large piece of paper

2. Write three descriptive sentences about certain features of our partners face, in real depth

3. List four boring facts about our partner 

Finally, we were asked to mix up the facts and descriptions and list them on the back of our 5 minute masterpiece.. et voila! The poem was complete.

To my surprise, the poems everyone had written were incredible. I didn't know my partner beforehand, but it was amazing how I could pick up her personality traits just by looking at her features in more depth, and combining them with a mundane fact. It was really fun. Reading the poem in front of the class was not so fun, but it was nice to hear other peoples poems to get an insight into their lives.

What I learnt was that beauty really is individual and subjective. We should appreciate and embrace all of the unique colours, shapes, sizes, and features to each individual, and look beyond the conventional norms and ideals. We're all expected to have the same eyes, nose, cheekbones and smile seen on the covers of magazines and on celebrities, and we all strive for this perfection, but if we all looked the same life would be so boring. 

I left positively enlightened and happy.. And lets just say, I had an amazing weekend! ;) 

For more information, please visit Selfridges 

Crush of the week...

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+

I have had a few late nights this bank holiday, but luckily, my skin doesn't show it, as I have been using the amazing  Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant +

Mirander Kerr recently revealed that the secret to her luminous glow is Rosehip Oil, so as you can imagine, bottles of this concentrated miracle oil have been flying off every beauty counter all over the globe.

Trilogy sells a bottle of its award winning £16.50 rosehip oil every 90 seconds!

This wonder product which originates from the seeds of a rose plant found in the Andes, brightens skin, evens out skin tone, smooths out fine lines and wrinkles, increases elasticity and firmness, and reduces the appearance of scars and burns. If you don't suffer from the latter, or are not too concerned with wrinkles, it's still an amazing product to use at night to achieve glowing skin, especially after a weekend of very little sleep.

 After using night creams for a few years, I wanted to try out a beauty oil as I have been reading that they are the next big thing in anti ageing. I had heard about the original Trilogy Rosehip Oil, so was keen to try out its newly launched power-house version, Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ which is a powerful beauty oil for healthier, younger looking skin. It contains nourishing essential fatty acids combined with super antioxidants, lycopene and phytosterol. The  unique formulation Rosapene™ provides intense hydration plus daily antioxidant protection is deeply moisturising while helping to protect against environmental free radical damage. 

I have been usingRosehip Oil Antioxidant+ for a few weeks now and I can really see the difference. I apply a couple of drops of this magical oil to my face at night and wake up with fresh faced skin. My skin definitely looks more radiant, softer, healthier, and even younger.

It is a dry oil, and can be used day or night, but as its so concentrated, I would recommend using it before bed, so the magic happens while your skin goes into recovery mode.

 On that note, I am off to apply a few drops now.. Bonsoir! 

xx

Ingredients -

Rosa Canina (rosehip) seed oil, Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) seed oil (and) caprylic/capric triglyceride (and) vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) seed oil (and) helianthus annuus seed oil (and) tocopherol, Lycopene, Euterpe oleracea fruit oil, Avena sativa kernel extract

Available from Debenhams, £26.50 

Selfridges - The Beauty Project

SELFRIDGES - THE BEAUTY PROJECT

1 May - 12 June

Bright eyed and busy tailed, I managed to make it the Selfridges Beauty Project launch this morning. From 1 May, Selfridges are celebrating all definitions of beauty with an unprecedented campaign - The Beauty Project. 

The six weeks programme of inspiring events and interactive debates in association with Dove are taking place throughout the London, Birmingham, and Manchester stores.

Book them here while you can.

In a culture where we are obsessed with body perfect body image, and the rise of the Selfie... 

Selfridges has provided customers with an extraordinary, and beyond-shopping experience, in store, and online with a thought-provoking exploration on the definition of beauty and what it means in today’s society.

Over six weeks, and with exclusive contribution from over 100 speakers and experts, such as beauty editor Sali Hughs, and supermodel Elle McPhearson.  The Salon will tackle big questions such as History of Beauty and Ugliness, How to Look Good at 100, Male Grooming, and much more.

Selfridges Windows

And for those like me, who cant leave Selfridges without pulling out their credit card..

The Beauty Project beautifies

Selfridges offers customers to explore their own beauty with treatments and services such as - Male Grooming, Travel sized products in the Travel shop, The Rude Boyz Barber Shop, and the Tattoo and piercing parlour. 

My favourite has got to be the Jo Malone Screen Printing. 

The Fragrance Lab 

Allows you to create your own fragrance in association with an exclusive 

collaboration with the famous trends forecasting consultancy, The Future Laboratory

(Review coming soon...)

And for Foodies...

Beauty and the Feast 

You are what you eat. For the Beauty Project, Selfridges’ food buyers have sourced the best brands and produce to provide customers with edible solutions to their beauty and well-being ambitions. Most everything good-for-you will be on offer including a whole selection of sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free foods and dieticians on call.

See you there ;)