Oribe / Space NK Haul!

Space NK recently emailed me about an online offer they were running.  If you spend over £40 you get £10 off - they said this was so you could try a new product.  How can I say no to an offer like that?

Of course I ended up spending a bit more to qualify for free delivery but I kept telling myself I was getting £10 off so really it was all a marvellous bargain - ha!

Recently I have been reading loads online about the haircare brand Oribe and many times I have looked at the products when browsing in Space NK but they are expensive products and I have never been sure what to try first.  So I did a lot of online research before I ordered the following items:

First off I had to try the Dry Texturising Spray, I plumped for a small bottle which still costs an eye watering £18.  I read a great review of this stuff on Vivianna Des Makeup and I was sold, here is a link if you want to read it: http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com/houston-we-have-an-oribe-problem/  I am hoping this stuff will give me some body and a slight tousled look.  As with all the products I will post a review once I have used it a few times.

Every summer I love to use a sea salt spray to get that surfer girl look!  I have fine hair but it does have a slight wave to it so these sprays tend to be great on holiday for after I have washed my hair, I just spray and go - perfect!  I have been religiously using Philip B Maui Wowie Beach Mist which I do think is fantastic and has the best ever smell.  However I am always up for trying a new spray so am really excited about trying Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray.  Again I bought the smaller size which is also £18.

The final item I went for was the Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray which was £25.  I read great reviews online say it gives great volume and smells gorgeous - that was enough to sell it to me.  I am going to try this out tonight when I wash my hair and I know its sad but I am really excited about trying it! 

I love the packaging of the Oribe products, they look slick and expensive.  I think its a gread idea that they do smaller bottles for some of their products too meaning you can pop them into your handbag and they are travel friendly.

I also want to say how fantastic Space NK's delivery is.  I've had a few problems with couriers delivering online shopping recently but Space NK were fantastic.  They delivery quickly and on the day of delivery the courier firm text you to let you know what time the delivery will be and they give you the option of delivering to a neighbour or changing the delivery to another day.  They delivered at the time they said they would and I was then really impressed by the packaging, Space NK managed to get everything into a small box yet it was well packaged and nothing was damaged.  Other companies take note please!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Birchbox April 2013

Yesterday I received my first ever Birchbox, I have signed up to receive boxes and if I like them I will subscribe and if not I will walk away and stick with Glossybox (which has been great recently). 

First off apologies for the not great photos, I took them late last night in bad light as I wanted to blog today about the box but hopefully they are good enough for you to see what the items look like!

The first item is a soap by La Societe Parisienne De Savons, its full size and retails at £8.50 but I am unsure where you can buy this in the UK.  It smells fresh and pleasant but I don't really like using soaps, I find them a bit drying and prefer liquid soaps and body washes.  I will either put this in the bathroom for guests or give it away.

The second item is Weleda Skin Food (10ml sample size).  Its an intense moisturiser that would be good for heels, elbows and indeed any dry skin.  I have used Weleda body washes before and wasn't overly impressed but I will give this a go on my elbows and give it a chance.

The third item was sample of Gerda Spillmann Renaissance Age Serum.  I hadn't heard of this brand but after looking on the Birchbox website have found its a Swiss brand and is quite pricey so I will give this a shot at some point.

The fourth item is Natio Renew Radiance Foam Cleanser (20ml sample size).  I have walked past the Natio stand in Debenhams many times but have to say I've not taken much notice of it!  So I was open minded when I got this cleanser.  However I have read the description and its "lightly perfumed" and I am currently wedded to my Dermalogica cleanser which is working well for me so this item has already gone on Ebay!

The fifth item is the Mirenesse Glossy Kiss in the colour First Kiss and this was the item I was most intrigued by when I opened the Birchbox and when I first looked at it I thought the colour looked nice, it was a reddy pink.  However I looked online and saw swatches and then wasn't so keen - it has a small amount of sparkle in and I just didn't like that effect and I know I would probably wear it once and then go back to my other products (I love Lipstick Queen and Jelly Pong Pong lip crayons) so this too has been put on Ebay!

The final bonus item is a small mirror which would be handy for your handbag.....except that I got a small mirror in a Glossybox a few months back and use that.....ah well I can keep this one in my desk at work, I am sure it will come in handy at some point.

You might be able to tell that I am a bit underwhelmed by my first Birchbox.  With beauty subscription boxes I know thats its the nature of the beast that some months will be like that so I am hopeful that I will be more excited by next month's box!  Plus I have still yet to test some of the items above - who knows - I may love them!

A small magazine is enclosed and I have to say I wish that Birchbox didn't both with the mag, I only flicked through it quickly but I did notice that have articles about products that aren't even in the box - I don't see the point.  I think its fine to include a small postcard stating whats in the box and how to use it but I don't think a magazine is needed.  Instead of focusing on creating a magazine they should focus on getting the samples right! 

I would love to know if you got the same items as me and also what the think about the magazine?

Review: Aromatherapy Associates Relax Room Fragrance

Life has been tough over the past six months for my family and I, we have been through a bereavement and have all been having problems sleeping and indeed getting motivated.  I know that time heals but sometimes the little things help a bit and I have found candles and fragrances around the home to be comforting.

Throughout the winter I have loved the Diptyque Feu de Bois candle which I reviewed back in December, it was a real warming winter scent.  However now we are moving into spring (at last) so I was looking around for new scents and whilst browsing on Cultbeauty.com I found myself looking at the Aromatherapy Associates Room Fragrances.

These are 10ml bottles of oils and come in Relax, Support and Revive.  I generally wanted an oil for the evening so I ordered the Relax Room Fragrance.

I put two or three drops of this on my electric ceramic oil burner (which I bought years ago from Neals Yard Remedies) and slowly the fragrance fills the room.  I absolutely love the scent, it reminds me of being in a spa! 

The oil contains only natural indredients including West Indian Bay, geranium and myrrh.  I have used this oil for the last four nights and its really helped me wind down and I have nodded off to sleep much quicker than normal....now can I say that's definitely down to the oil, I probably can't but it certainly hasn't done any harm.  

This is an item that I will definitely repurchase as I think its effective and a joy to use.  Its £19 at Cultbeauty and I did um and ah about buying this as it was expensive for such a small amount but I think Aromatherapy Associates use such good high quality ingredients and the bottle should last quite a while as you use such a small amount.

Have any of you used this room fragrance or any of the others in the range?  I would love to hear what you think of them. 

Review: Nars Orgasm Blush

I was in the lucky position of having £20 on my Space Nk N Dulge card and I was a bit bored of my Bobbi Brown Blush in Dessert Rose so I popped into Space Nk on Saturday to have a look at all the Blushes and pick a lovely new one for myself!

After browsing for about 5 minutes I still had no clue which one to go for and the more I looked at the various shades the harder I was finding it to make a decision.  So, I did what I often to when I feel flummoxed in a make up store/department and I found the shop assistant with the loveliest looking make up and asked her for help!

Thankfully the assistant was really helpful and friendly without being pushy.  I mentioned to her that I had read a lot about Nars Blushes so she suggested one of their most popular shades - Orgasm.  She said it suits a lot of people and would really give my fair skin some warmth. 

She applied the blush and I have to say I LOVED it!  Suddenly I thought to myself "ahhh I get what the hype is about".  The colour is pinky peachy and it just made me look really healthy. 

It was subtle when the assistant applied the blush but after playing around with this yesterday evening, I found that you can build the colour up for a more dramatic evening look.

This blush has really staying power too - on the two days I have worn it, its still been in place when I go to remove my make up last thing at night, I was so impressed by this as my regular Bobbi Brown blush disappears off my face within hours.

I think I have found my holy grail blush and I now really want to try other Nars shades.  Do any of you use Nars blushes?  Can you recommend any of the other shades?

Nars Orgasm Blush cost £21.50 at Space Nk.

Review: Elemis Freshskin Loving Lips Quenching Lip Balm

I received this lip balm free with Cosmopolitan magazine, I must admit I don't normally read Cosmopolitan but the free gift enticed me!  As a sidenote I don't think I'd buy the mag again, its a bit too "how to please your man" for me!

Elemis Freshskin is aimed at younger women, on their website they say its for teens to twenties.  This rules me out (sob) but hey I'm a rebel so wanted to try this lip balm and surely a hydrating lip balm is a hydrating lip balm at any age.

This balm contains passionflower oil, vitamin E and organic peppermint oil.  When I first tried it I was put off by the minty smell (I might be weird but I hate minty products!) but the minty smell disappears within a minute so I have found it doesn't actually bother me too much.  It feels lovely and smooth on the lips and leaves a glossy look. 

I have been using Loving Lips for about two weeks now.  In the morning I put it on before my lipstick and it does help my normally dry lips to feel and look better.  I apply it every night before bedtime too.

I had previously been wedded to my Trilogy Intensive Lip Treatment but I think Loving Lips is actually better.  I have been using Trilogy for years but honestly, my lips have been feeling softer and more moist since using this. 

My only criticism would be that there is a teen tiny bit of plastic that sticks out on the applicator meaning I hurt my lips the first few times I applied the balm.....now I know where the sticky out bit of plastic is so I apply using the other side.  I am hoping that I just had a faulty tube but I would check that the applicator is completely smooth before I repurchase.

Have any of you tried this balm or do you have a favourite balm?

Elemis Freshskin Loving Lips Quenching Lip Balm is available at Superdrug for £7.99.

Review: Essie Hip-anema

Today I decided to go bright on my nails, this extended winter we are having in England is making me a bit "meh" so I figured if its not bright outside it will be at least on my nails!

The colour I chose is Essie Hip-anema which is from the Spring 2013 range called Madison Ave-hue.  I assume the inspiration for this colour came from Rio's Ipanema.....in fact when I saw the name of this polish the song "Girl from Ipanema" started going round in my head - I am not sure that's a good thing!

This is a very bright red with a strong hint of orange.  Its so bright that I was worried it wouldn't look right on my very pale skin but I actually think it does work.  There is something very satisfying about the bright pop of colour!  I have already decided that I am going to paint my toenails this colour when I go on holiday at the end of next month - it will be perfect for the beach.

I should probably add that I am also wearing an Essie basecoat and the Seche Vite topcoat which I think is the best topcoat ever.  It leaves nails looking super glossy and seems to extend the life of the varnish.

Have any of you tried this colour or any of the colours from the Madison Ave-hue range?

Review: Spa NK Aromatherapy Associates Indulgence Massage

I was lucky enough to receive Space NK vouchers for Christmas and my birthday and whilst it was tempting to spend it on some of lovely products in Space NK, I decided to treat myself to a visit to Spa NK in Westbourne Grove in London for some pampering.

I chose the Aromatherapy Associates Indulgence Massage for an hour and a half (I normally just have half hour back massages so this was complete luxury for me)!  Booking a few weeks ahead over the phone was painless but you do have to leave your card details or voucher serial number to hold the booking which I think is fair enough.

I arrived 15 mins early as requested in my reminder text and was given a locker with my own key and shown to the lovely changing rooms, you also get your own fluffy towelling robe and flip flops to change into.

The changing rooms are equipped with Talika make up remover, Bumble and Bumble shampoo and conditioner, Space NK Life Uplifting body lotion, shower caps and a hairdryer - it feels like they have throught of everything.  Once changed into my robe and flip flops I headed to the chillout area to relax and drink some water.

My therapist then came and collected me.  The treatment room was large, dimly lit, warm and there was calming music being played.  The therapist had a nice chat to me before the treatment started and asked if there were any areas she wanted me to concentrate on or avoid and I was able to tell her all about my achey back and shoulders (lucky her!)  I then chose the oil she would be using by sniffing five different Aromatherapy Associates Oils, apparently you will like the smell of the one that your body is craving.  I chose Equilibrium which is said to be both comforting and uplifting during challenging times.  I have to say it smelt blooming lovely too!

The massage itself was amazing, thats the only way I can describe it, the therapist used medium pressure which was perfect as I wanted any knots dispensed with but at the same time I wanted the treatment to be relaxing.  The treatment included a scalp and facial massage and the scalp massage was nice but the facial massage felt lovely, I never thinking to myself "ooh I'd love a face massage" but it felt so relaxing and for the next few days my skin definitely looked plumper and clearer. 

I was practically asleep by the end of the massage and couldn't believe an hour and a half had passed so quickly!  The therapist then got me a glass of water and I went back to the chillout area and I was then bought a lovely pot of Tea Pigs tea which was lovely.  It was so nice to sit down with a hot drink in a comfy area and come to slowly.  There were books and magazines to leaf through if you wanted to sit there for a while.

I give Spa Nk a big fat ten out of ten!  The whole experience was truly lovely.  Most importantly the treatment was everything I wanted it to be - relaxing and effective, the therapist was excellent and really knew what she was doing, the decor in the spa is so calming and from the moment you walk in you kind of go "aahhh" as the aroma of Aromotherapy Associates oils waft around the place.  You access the spa through the Space NK store and as soon as the door closes behind you, it's as if the rest of the world melts away.

Now if I could only win the lottery I'd come here every week!

My massage cost £95 and I paid for it myself with my vouchers.....is it too early to write to Santa to ask for more?!

Review: ESPA Hydrating Cleasning Milk

ESPA is one of those brands that I have noticed for years but it seems to be becoming more widely available (House of Fraser and Liberty both stock it).  Indeed it was on one of my shopping trips to Liberty where I first bought this.

I had been looking for a new cleanser that didn't need to be rinsed off (some nights I just want to sit in my room and take my make up off) and on impulse I bought the Hydrating Cleansing Milk - there was a special promotion where if you bought this and the Refining Skin Polish you saved quite a bit).  I am now on my third bottle!  As you can see below I have just repurchased:

Firstly the packaging is lovely and it feels really luxurious.  The glass bottle is very heavy (so might not be ideal for travelling) and feels nice - I may be shallow but I just find it aesthetically pleasing!

I put a blob of the milk onto a cotton wool pad and apply gently to my face, I normally repeat this process twice and I find it removes everything and at the same time my skin feels comfortable and not at all dry.  The milk contains Rose Damascena, Rose Geranium and Neroli and I think its these ingredients that give this cleanser such a gorgeous smell, I find it really relaxing at bedtime.  However some of you who prefer unscented cleansers may not be too keen on the fragrance.

ESPA say this cleanser is suitable for all skin types especially dry, dehydrated and sensitive.  I would say I have combination skin and I have had no problems with this cleasner so maybe it really does work for all skin types (I am often wary of brands that say a product is suitable for all skin types).  It is now a staple in my skincare routine.

It costs £22.50 for 200ml.

Review: Crabtree and Evelyn La Source Hand Recovery

I first used this product quite a few years ago (probably over ten - eek), the reason it popped into my head again recently is because my hands have been so dry lately.  I think this is due to this extra long winter we have been having and the effects of central heating.  I didn't help matters much by spilling almost boiling water over my hand two weeks ago - thankfully I haven't done any serious damage and now the only telltale sign is some dry patches of skin.

So I am going all out to get my hands back into decent condition and when browsing in John Lewis at the weekend I decided to take advantage of a 10% off beauty promotion they had on and I bought the Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Recovery.

This stuff is amazing, I can't believe I haven't used it in so long.  It makes such a difference to my hands.

So, what you do is apply the scrub (which contains sea salt, algae, rich shea butter and lavender oil) to your dry hands, massage it in for 30 seconds or so and then rinse off with warm water.  You then pat your hands dry and you can feel how lovely and soft your hands feel after just that step.  I then apply a handcream and then my hands feel super soft! 

I should mention the scent - its so lovely and fresh.  On the Crabtree & Evelyn site they describe the fragrance as "relaxing sea air and shoreline breeze"!  Gorgeous!

It costs £16 for 100g but you only need to use a small amount two or three times a week so I think a tube would last ages.