Monthly Beauty Favourites | May 2017

I didn't expect to have many favourites this month as I went from enjoying my final days off to starting a new job and wanting to rely on products that I was familiar with but as I glanced around at those that had been reached for repeatedly I found I had a nice selection for you.

First is a product I wish I had stuck with my enjoyment of and avoided the trip to have my eyebrows threaded, Parissa Brow Shaper Mini Wax Strips*. I first tried these strips at the beginning of the year and whilst trying to adopt a thriftier lifestyle. As I shared in my full review of the Parissa range I found these wax strips easy to use and ideal to tidy up brows between threading appointments. Unfortunately in the days before I begun my new job I decided to 'treat myself' to having my brows threaded and the threader was rather overzealous and thinned them out a little too much than I would like. Apparently they were uneven! Now I'm debating whether to return (elsewhere!) for a tidy up and assist with the reshaping or tackling them at home with my Parissa kit.

One of the joys of working my way through my skincare cupboard has been rediscovering old favourites, one of which is the Trilogy Make Up Be Gone Cleansing Balm*. I first tested this product over a year ago and it had fell to the back of my stash in favour of oils, and a slight lax approach to my evening skincare regime. Interestingly during my time off work my evening regime became my favourite and reaching for the Trilogy Cleansing Balm has been a pleasure. I have not used many balm cleansers so I have little to compare this too but I find it removes make up and has a nice slip to move the balm around my face to add a little facial massage which again is not something I've been prone to do. Under £20 this is a balm that I would happily repurchase when the time comes and am pleased with it's make up removal.

Another cleanser that I didn't expect to favour so was Good things Stay Clear Purifying Cleanser* due to it's 'anti blemish' claims and it marketed for younger skin than mine. My skin does become oily in the Summer and I do have the odd hormonal spot at that time of the month but otherwise I'm pretty much in the 'normal' camp. Despite this, if only for the delicious smell it's become a cleanser I'm enjoying using as my morning cleanse and I can't deny this months 'visit' went by without my typical blemishes that would appear. Thanks to extract of mango, blueberry and willow-bark to purify and decongest the skin to manage oiliness it has actually come into its own the past week as I've battled the London Underground on one of the hottest weeks of the year. If oiliness or blemishes are an issue for you I'd recommend giving this affordable cleanser a try.

I reference The Hero Project and their Glow Drops* in my new in post last week and whilst I've not dabbled the past week with adding to my foundations due to the aforementioned Underground commute it's a product I was enjoying before my return to work and especially over the Bank Holiday when I abandoned make up and felt that just wearing the drops gave my skin a fresh radiance that meant make up wasn't necessary.

Two make up favourites were Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder and Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze and Glow*, the latter being another product I've never quite fallen in love with and been of the mind I could take or leave it. Starting a new job and again referencing that hot and humid weather and commute I wanted to look my best without piling on too much make up, and of course there were the early mornings when contouring to any degree was the last thing on my mind. Everyone loves the Filmstar Bronze and Glow palette and I've never quite understood the fuss. I won't go so far to say this is a must have but I'm certainly warming up to it. Using the bronze and glow adds enough definition and warmth without overkill and likewise the highlight is suitable enough for wear in the office. As I type I have no desire to swap this duo out any time soon.

Similarly the Coty Airspun powder is a product I picked up on a US trip due to many mentions by Glam Life Guru Tati. Typically I would use my Chanel Les Beiges powder but as you will see in a forthcoming post I need to replace and before I do so I wanted to tackle other products in my collection. Tati uses this to bake under her eyes and I haven't gone so far as that just yet but a dusting to set make up before a spritz of Mac Fix+ is working for me. The packaging is quite cumbersome and it's by no means suitable for anywhere other than the dressing table but it might add some longevity to my future Chanel powders, saving them for on the go.

And finally it's two tanning products I've shared with in their own reviews lately, St Moriz Dry Oil Self Tanning Mist* and Skinny Tan Ultimate Dark Mousse*. Both have found their way into my routines, namely due to how tired I may be feeling of an evening or how much effort I wish to put into my tanning efforts. Skinny Tan Mousse tends to form part of my Sunday evening back to work pamper routine and then adhoc through the week St Moriz mist works as any colour might be fading as I have to shave my legs whenever they will be on show. I was concerned the St Moriz mist might cause streaking from the Skinny Tan but so far I've been lucky and they appear to work in tandom perfectly.

What products have you been loving this month?

*this post contains press samples and affiliate links

Hello Kitty Party Time

Today's post is a little later than planned as I have been over at my brother's home celebrating my nieces 2nd birthday, but that also makes it rather appropriate that I'm sharing with you a fabulous bundle of goodies I received from Party Bags and Supplies*, a supplier of everything you need for your themed parties.

My first choice was to pick my parties theme and I was spoilt for choice. You will find every possible character you can think of to choose from; Disney, Pokemon and even Paddington Bear as well as your typical every day choices such as Dinosaurs or animals.

I decided on Hello Kitty under the guise of my niece would like that but really it's because I've always wanted to have a Hello Kitty party. I received the Hello Kitty Party Tableware Pack* for 8 guests which contains plates, cups, napkins and a tablecloth. I decided to share my Hello Kitty party with my nieces over the Easter weekend when we were enjoying lunch at parents. My nephew and I set everything up and it was so easy to just grab the box and set up and at the end of the evening throw everything away. Although my mum kept the tablecloth a used again another weekend so you'll get one or two uses from it.

Perhaps most exciting for my nice was her goodie bag and this is where I think Party Bags & Supplies excels is their pre-filled party bags. I've helped many friends over the years either buying or filling party bags for their little ones parties and it can often be an expensive task buying the random toys, which often the children will abandon for the sweets not to mention the time spent preparing them ready for the event.

I received the pre-filled Hello Kitty party bags* which for £1.60 each contain Hello Kitty Bubbles, stickers, a bracelet and some sweets so all you need to add is some birthday cake. I particularly liked that you can buy individually so whether your child is having a party for just one or two friends or the whole class you can ensure you have a bag for everyone without a number left over being wasted. Of course if you want to add one or two extras to your pre-filled bags of perhaps make your own you can always pick from the range of items available online.

In the ever competitive world of childrens parties sometimes it's nice to keep things fun, simple and anything that makes things less stressful for the parents has to get a thumbs up.

What party theme would you choose?

*this post contains press samples

Products I Used Up | April 2017

I have a mixed bag of empties from last month to share with you, including many that were a number of products all waiting to have their final dregs used up and had been hanging round longer than necessary. The first such products were the PRO:VOKE Liquid Blonde Colour Care Shampoo and Conditioner* which prevent any colour build up from those of us who like a little helping hand to have our hair looking sun kissed.

I hadn't reached for this duo for some time as I'd been testing other products but having left some time between appointments with my colourist as I waited for the start of my new job I was keen to ensure the blonde tones that were growing out were still looked after. I still have other products from the PRO:VOKE brand sitting in my bathroom but I will happily repurchase any of them when the time comes.

Radox has received so many mentions throughout the years on Florence and Mary, most often in these types of posts. Whether it's shower gel or bubble baths you will quite often find a bottle sitting in my bathroom in one for or another. My favourite is the 'For Men' (why?) Muscle Therapy Bath Soak, which despite my eye roll at it's name, I do indeed love for it's 'manly scent' a mix of peppercorns and ginseng. I feel that it holds it's own for filling my bathroom with any of it's high end competitors and for just £1 I will happily repurchase for many more years to come. That said stay tuned as I'm testing one or two other brands at bath time I'll be sharing with you in coming posts.

Another favourite is Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier Hand Cream* which smells amazing and I can guarantee whenever I apply someone in close proximity will comment and ask 'what the lovely smell is'. This is a hand cream I will definitely repurchase, in fact I'd purchase any of the products from the Fleur de Figuier quite happily. This handy size is perfect for throwing in my handbag and adds another layer of fragrance if you're missing your perfume.

I decided to pack Champneys Heavenly Days Sleep Pillow Mist* for my holiday to St Lucia and on my return carried the habit of spritzing my pillows before bed until the bottle made it's way into my empties bag. More costly than the Ragdale Hall Pillow Spray I have repurchased many times I expected to continue as I was. In fact I've found that the Champney's Pillow Mist is perhaps worth the higher price tag as I've found myself missing it and the Ragdale Hall offering a little too overpowering and synthetic for my liking. It's currently buy one, get one half price so it seems like a good time to make the investment.

Moving onto skincare and the vials of KYPRIS' serums and oils I was sent to review back in February. As I said in my initial review depending on your needs and more importantly if you have the budget the various offerings were a pleasure to use. My favourite was the pictured Moonlight Catalyst and I found it complimented my skin.

The next two products, Sarah Chapman Skinesis Intense Hydrating Booster and Bobbi Brown Hydrating Gel Cream were as you can see only samples so I have no lengthy time period with which they were tested for review but I both found them enjoyable to use. Sarah Chapman is a brand I'm keen to explore more and I used the Hydration Booster during my flight to St Lucia and I'm happy that I look far more refreshed than I felt and that my skin benefited from it's use. Bobbi Brown is better known for her make up than skincare but I found this Gel Cream sample in my stash and decided to use post my holiday to ensure I didn't suffer from skin drying out as my tan faded. It's certainly lightweight on the skin and make up, as I would expect, sat nicely on top but I don't feel a need to buy full size, nor able to say don't because I only received a couple of uses from the small size.

Interestingly as I went back to some earlier posts featuring Radox and labelled them appropriately I saw that the YesTo Cucumber Facial Wipes* featured way back in 2014 and as I said then they were a perfect flight accompaniment which was indeed their purpose in 2017. Whilst I didn't wear any make up on my outbound flight by the time I was ready settle down for my a film and post-lunch snooze I wanted to freshen up and the YesTo wipes were perfect for that, and saved the day when my friend, jealous of my in-flight pamper routine was disappointed she had worn make up and I was able to say 'I have just the thing'. I know wipes aren't the best thing for our skin but they are 'allowed' on flights and whilst I wouldn't rely on them as part of my cleansing regime I will certainly ensure a stash is available for when needed in a pinch or on my next flight.

Two very sad additions to the empties bag were a vial of my Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume and L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation, both having holy grail status. Spoiler alert the final vial from my Chanel travel set will also be making it's way into my empties next month and I will be using as an incentive to use up many of the other perfumes in my collection. Coco Mademoiselle was always my favourite perfume, and I'm sure it's one I'll continue to repurchase although I like to change with my moods these days rather than adopting the 'signature scent' approach. And on the note of Chanel, you'll see Suddenly, Lidl's interpretation of the scent which I don't think is too bad. Of course for about £4 you cannot expect much but I used to have it sitting on my desk at work to touch up perfume when I felt I needed a refresh for the journey home but rather not waste the 'real thing'. On the note of the Lidl scents I picked up the Chanel No 5 dupe for my mum recently as I was more impressed with that. I actually sprayed in the store on entering, carried on with my shopping and kept getting a whiff of 'my mum' that I had to buy for her to try.

Back to my favourite foundation, which despite a back up in situ and numerous other foundations to pick from I am still squeezing every last drop out of this tube. I wear the US version and find the coverage flawless and one that will last well for me throughout the day, even tested yesterday for my first day back to work.

Another old office favourite was the Maybelline Lips in Cherry. Purchased as it compliments my often worn red lips whilst allowing added moisture. This has been repurchased and is waiting for the appropriate moment to be added to my new office stash.

Final word goes to the pricey but fabulous By Terry Terrybly Growth Booster Mascara* which became a regular after it accompanied me to Center Parcs. The brush is big, thick and coats lashes that boosts volume that as I type this I want to hit buy now as I realise I'm missing it.

What products have you used up this month you wish you hadn't?

*this post contains press samples and / or affiliate links

New In | May 2017

Without sound cliched one of the great things about blogging is not so much the 'free stuff' (because nothing is ever 'free') but the introduction to brands that you may not have been aware of or discovered otherwise. This month one such product was YOPE Verbana Natural Liquid Soap*.

I hate the dry feeling after washing hands and I'm always reaching for my hand cream to relieve that feeling so a liquid hand soap isn't something that would typically excite me despite a bottle of 'something' always sitting by the kitchen and bathroom sinks but YOPE has impressed me.

Firstly I love the scent of Verbena, a citrus that makes it perfect for me to freshen hands after the task I hate most, washing up although it was how my hands feel after using. In fact after the first time I used it I was waylaid by my laptop before sitting on sofa where I would usually reach for my hand cream and as I was typing away I suddenly realised that I had indeed not felt the urgent need to rehydrate my hands.

Housed in a hefty 500ml pump bottle with cute imagery you'll find 90% of the ingredients are natural, free from parabens, silicones but does include Vitamin B5 and allantoin which will soothe irritation and makes it great for sensitive skins, or indeed those who find they're washing there hands often.

UK reality starts are giving Kylie Jenner a run for their money with the release of make up products, one of those being Chloe Ferry of Geordie Shore range. In addition to sunglasses and eyelashes is a range of Matte Lip Glosses and I was recently able to sample the By Chloe Ferry Matte Lip Gloss* in shade Rose. When I hear gloss I think of something sticky and what I would shy away from and I would argue this is more akin to a liquid lipstick but it doesn't feel as drying and far more comfortable to wear. The shade Rose is great and perfect for Summer. For me it's a little to on the bright and almost neon side for regular wear, I wish I was returning to Ibiza in the Summer as I could see this being a staple and it'll certainly make an appearance over weekends but not quite suitable for the office. I'm quite keen to hit purchase on the shade Rouge, you know I love my red lip products and having recently decided the Sephora Lip Creams are not something I can wear this would be a great alternative.

Last month a new skincare brand hit QVC, The Hero Project* and I was sent a couple of testers from them to try out, one in particular The Hero Project Glow Drops* I am loving and interestingly it was the product I was less keen to try, the other being The Hero Project Hyasoft Instant Moisture Boost*.

Starting with the Glow Drops which is your typical facial oil to brighten your complexion thanks to Vitamin C but I wasn't excited enough to swap it out for the current products in my rotation but it was their recommendation to apply before make up that made me take the plunge and since then there has been no going back. I applied on my skin after moisturising and was impressed with how my skin literally 'glowed' but not in that usual way other oils can. I was interested to see how my foundation would apply and sit on top of the Glow Drops and it complimented my favoured L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation wonderfully and if you're smarting the L'Oreal Pro-Glow Foundation has not yet reached the UK shores this is a great way to create for yourself. If you have dry or mature skin this is a great way to regain that glow and it's priced at £20 which makes it one of the most affordable products of it's time.

As I alluded to The Hero Project Hyasoft Instant Moisure Boost made less of an impact on me, although a small sample isn't always enough to give a full impression or review. It's similar in consistency to Pixi's H20 Skindrink Hydration Gel, which I favour although I've had more opportunity to put to the test and you will pay about £10 more so it will depend on your budget.

Finally is a repurchase of the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper, a product I favour for quick and easy brows on a day to day basis. I find the brush is the right size for me to work with and it dispenses enough product to fill my brows without overloading them. I do find that this new product provides more colour and hold at it's early stage and as someone who plays with their eye brows do suffer some piling until it dries out a little but nonetheless it's a product that I appreciate the price and finish off when I'm not interested in using products to give a finer finish.

What new products have you been trying out this month? Do any of these spark your interest?

*this post contains press samples and / or affiliate links

Tried & Tested | Skinny Tan

It's hard to go on social media without seeing Skinny Tan* products popping up. It's the new favourite faux tanning brand doing the rounds with bloggers, myself included, and features everything from gradual tanners to your usual mousse as well one or two interesting products such as the Roller Applicator I have my eye on. 

So who are Skinny Tan and how are they different? Skinny Tan is the first of it's kind to combine a natural tanning active with naturally derived skin smoothing actives that will tan, contour and reduce the visible appearance of cellulite. Guranan, a caffeine derivative that you'll usually find in firming and cellulite creams so to find it in a tanning product is revolutionary. 

I did acknowledge the name could be offensive to some but I understand why and whilst I won't say that I typically have my cellulite on show so no real need to improve it's appearance to the public I do feel that a tan flatters me. 

The first step within any tanning regime is exfoliating or as Skinny Tan put it, using their Pre-Tan Primer* and it really puts in you in the holiday mood thanks to is coconut scent. This is a lovely product, the formula is cream based and contains crushed walnut shells but it isn't harsh and it's one of the lighter scrubs I've tried and makes for a somewhat more pampering experience. Contained in a tube makes it easier to dispense the product and less wastage than using a scrub from a tub although you are paying for the privilege. Your Skinny Tan Pre-Tan Primer contains 125ml of product for about £9.99 whereas something like your Soap & Glory Scrubs are £8 for 300ml so it's down to personal preferences and hunting out offers. Superdrug currently has buy one get one half price on the Skinny Tan range for example.

Skinny Tan contacted me whilst I was in St Lucia and once we'd had a chat about my preference for mousse self tanners I bravely decided to give Skinny Tan Self Tan Mousse in Ultimate Dark*. Usually I'll go for the light versions of fake tanners but I thought having a Caribbean tan I'd want to fake as it faded now would be as good a time as any.

Now I am in now way a professional faux tanner. I dabble but it's not something I do regularly and also find the whole process a bit of a faff. Exfoliate, waiting for it to develop, do I risk leg saving, washing up, keeping moisturised it all feels a bit too high maintenance for me, hence a recent love for the St Moriz Dry Oil.

Skinny Tan has somewhat converted me and it's something I've been really impressed with, especially in such a 'dark shade'. It's typical to mousse tanners I've used in the past although much darker in appearance and you can easily see where you are applying. I was quite cautious on my first application but received positive results and a day or two later I bravely applied a more generous layer and now I'm at the stage where I'm not sure, and convinced that this is my natural skin colour as opposed to the help I've received from Skinny Tan.

Wearing the darker shade I find that I can obviously see where applying and once it's developed and apart from some dubious application on my feet (as I say I'm not professional) otherwise I have no streaking and it looks quite 'natural'. It's definitely something that I will and am using frequently and I'm pleased that I'm able to layer without it looking patchy.

The scent of biscuits usually associated with fake tanners is not evident with Skinny Tan and there's a slight tackiness as you would expect but nothing uncomfortable. Whilst my sheets didn't come off completely unscathed I found they actually came off better when I've used lighter tans so that is a definite bonus.

Perhaps one of the reasons other fake tans have no lasted so well on my skin is my lax attitude to body moisturising. It's something I'm much better of at the moment whilst enjoying time at home and I hope that when I return to work next week I'll maintain.

Skinny Tan After Glow Gloss* is designed to help maintain your tan and keep skin hydrated by adding a gloss for a 'model sheen'. The coconut scent is baked and pairs wonderful with Estee Lauders Bronze Goddess, my Summer fragrance.

The gloss should only be applied after the tan has been developed and when I used on my legs on one of the rare warm days in London last week I felt like J-Lo as I admired the sheen. As someone who considers her legs to be their 'weak point' seeing them bronzed and glossy was pleasing. There is slip to the legs and as I sat on the train with my legs crossed it was noticeable but again nothing to be concerned with and dried down soon enough.

My experience with Skinny Tan was very positive and it's definitely a brand I will repurchase and use in the future. If you've seen all the coverage I'd recommend you try it out, whether you want a gradual, one hour or overnight product there's certainly something for you.

You can find Skinny Tan stocked in Superdrug on the high street but you'll also find offers on the Skinny Tan website featuring gift sets which will save you a few pence - and they'll even tell you when it's cheaper to buy in Superdrug!

Have you tried Skinny Tan?

*this post contains press samples and / or affiliate links