Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Archive for May, 2013
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
2I was recently given the opportunity, by Lookfantastic, to review a product from the Elemis range – their Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm. Elemis is a brand that I constantly hear a lot of positive things about, but before this I had never used any of their products, so I was keen to give it a go, and I wasn’t disappointed.
When I first received the cleansing balm, I was immediately impressed by the generous size of the product. The pot is very large, and contains 105g of balm, and comes with a delicately soft cleansing cloth. I can’t say the packaging is anything special, but its simplicity is bang on trend.
According to the Lookfantastic website, Elemis’ Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is meant to ‘dissolve make up, dirt and oil from your skin’, as well as ‘deeply cleanse, smooth and hydrate your skin, leaving you with a glowing complexion’. The balm has a brilliant yellow colour to it, and is made up of a mixture of active natural oils, including starflower, elderberry and optimega, as well as rose and mimosa waxes. On top of this, the balm is scented with calming lavender and chamomile, and it really does smell absolutely beautiful.
The key ingredients work as follows…
- Padina Pavonica: A powerful anti-ageing active.
- Elderberry Oil: Firms and plumps your skin.
- Starflower Oil: Maintains the skin’s moisture levels.
- Optimega Oil: Improves skin hydration.
- Mimosa and Rose Flower Waxes: Softens and comforts your skin.
The balm also has an incredible texture which is soft and waxy, and is an absolute pleasure to use as it feels so luxurious. It glides onto the skin effortlessly and massages in well, and as you rub the wax warms gently for an intense cleansing experience. It’s easy to use too – all you do is massage a generous amount of balm into your face, neck and chest, with moist fingertips. You can then leave it on for a few minutes for deeper relaxation (this would be lovely during a pamper session in the bath), or wash it straight off using the cloth provided. I find it’s best to use the cloth when warm and damp, not soaking wet, as it makes it easier to remove the balm without making a drippy mess.
After use, I found that my skin felt slightly tight which worried me a little, but after a few minutes the tightness faded and my skin felt gorgeously soft, clean and refreshed, and looked far less dull. I have sensitive combination skin on my face (oily T-zone and dry cheeks), and the balm seemed to balance my skin, hydrating the dry areas whilst lessening the oil, and it didn’t cause any irritation at all, so it’s ideal for all skin types.
Overall, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm gives a wonderful cleansing experience and feels like a real treat every time. The huge pot means it will last for ages too, so the £39.50 pricetag is worth every penny. If you’d like to try it yourself, it is available here from Lookfantastic, and postage is FREE on all orders, worldwide.
Naomi x
*This Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm was sent to me by The Hut Group/Lookfantastic for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Pebble Grey LED Illuminated Cosmetic Mirror
1
5 years
I recently came across a great little interior design company called Pebble Grey, who specialise in contemporary mirrors and modern bathroom accessories, and they kindly sent me one of their newest products to review – an LED Illuminated Cosmetic Mirror.
When I first received the mirror, I was instantly struck by how beautiful its packaging is. The mirror comes presented in a sleek, dark grey presentation box which feels lovely to the touch, and comes with a velvet black pouch to store it in when you’re out and about, to prevent any scratches or scuffs. It’s obvious that a lot of care and thought has been put in to the packaging, and it gives the product a luxury edge that would make it perfect as a gift idea for a loved one, or even as a treat for yourself.
The mirror itself is matte grey in colour, and is adorned with the Pebble Grey logo on the front, and a feminine, swirly pattern on the back. It is elegantly slim, but very well made with a strong hinge, and feels very sturdy, so it won’t break easily like some cheaper pocket mirrors do.
Inside the compact are two mirrors with 2x magnification, one of which is studded with six powerful LED lights. The lights are very useful and make for effortless make up application, as they highlight the areas of your face that are often in shadow, meaning you can blend your make up perfectly with no unevenness. They’re also bright enough so that you can check your face in darker areas with no trouble. My favourite use for the mirror, however, is for plucking my eyebrows, as the magnification and LED lights make it easy to see any small, stray hairs.
Pebble Grey’s Illuminated Cosmetic Mirror comes everywhere with me, and is extremely handy, and several people have asked me where they can get one. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a high quality, versatile mirror. The mirror usually retails for £14.99, but is currently on offer for £9.99 on the Pebble Grey website, so grab yourself a bargain whilst you still can!
Naomi x
*This LED Illuminated Cosmetic Mirror was sent to me be Pebble Grey for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Meet Miggley and Mog!
5On 27th of April I brought home a couple of new additions to the family – two baby rats who I have named Miggley and Mog! At the time they were just 7 weeks old, very small and very shy, but in just over a week I managed to gain their trust (which took a lot of patience!), and they are now happy, lively, very quick and very lovely. And here they are…
Miggley
Mog
Aren’t they gorgeous? We used to keep a lot of rats as a family when I was younger, but these two are all mine and it amazes me just how much of a bond I have with them already. They love to sit in the bonding pouch that my mum made for me to carry them in, and they’re currently getting used to playing in the play pen pictured above. Ratties need free range time!
Here are a few of my favourite pictures of the pair…
Miggley and Mog are extremely adventurous, so expect more posts in the future all about their escapades! I’m determined to teach them how to swim so we’ll see how that goes.
Would you ever have a rat as a pet?
Naomi x
Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum
3
5 years
by Naomi in Fragrance
I’m a sucker for fragrances, especially those with pretty bottles, and I take a great deal of pleasure in trying to work out the different notes and layers of scents in my rather large collection of perfumes. So, when I was given the opportunity to review Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million EDP for Fragrance Direct, I happily took up the offer as I’d been wanting to try it for a while.
The perfume comes packaged in an unusual bottle which stands out from the crowd amongst all my other perfume bottles. It’s shaped like a diamond, with a glass, classic cut bottom and eye-catching gold lid, etched with the Lady Million logo. The bottle is designed to ‘make any woman feel a million dollars’, and it definitely has the look of being expensive, but without the price tag. My only issue with the bottle is that its squat shape makes it slightly difficult to handle, but it’s worth it for such pretty packaging.
Lady Million has a very complex combination of notes that combine to create a beautifully rich, yet feminine and sweet scent, which has real power and wow-factor. According to the Fragrance Direct website, the notes are as follows…
Top notes – Raspberry, Amalfi Lemon and Neroli.
Heart notes – Gardenia, African Orange Flower and Jasmine.
Base notes – White Honey, Patchouli and Amber.
Patchouli is one of my favourite scents as it smells heady, sensual and expensive, which really sums up the diamond-inspired story of this perfume.
The real test of a good perfume is how long it lasts, and Lady Million goes all day, revealing each set of notes over the hours for effortless, long-lasting gorgeous scent. As such, it can carry you through from your working day to an evening out, making it a very versatile perfume indeed.
Overall, Lady Million’s lovely appearance and even lovelier scent makes it a wonderful addition to any scented wardrobe. If you’d like to try it for yourself, it is available online from Fragrance Direct, and costs just £28.99 for a 30ml bottle, which is a saving of more than £7.50 – bargain! Or, if you prefer a bigger size, it is available in 50ml for £39.99, which is an even bigger saving of almost £10!
Do you like the sound of Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million?
Naomi x
*This Paco Rabanne Lady Million Eau de Parfum was sent to me on behalf of Fragrance Direct for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
