| By Emma,on October 11th,2011 Yes, another Roger &Gallet review but tables have turned and this one is a fairly positive review for the brand. It concerns their moisturising protective fragrant hand cream –in Vanilla. I only have good things to say about this lovely skin softener. Beautiful,beautiful,beautiful. But then I always have loved vanilla scented beauty products. 
The scent is delicious,the 30ml travel-size tube cute,and the design pretty. The yellows and oranges on the front of the tube behind Roger & Gallet’s now very-familiar-to-me logo is warming and reassuring. The hand cream itself is just thick enough that it absorbs into the skin easily enough to not neccessitate too much frenetic hand rubbing,leaving a sumptious hint of vanilla lingering on the skin. Very much recommend this hand cream. I haven’t tried the other scents of the hand cream in particular but this Vanilla moisturiser has completely reinvented my feelings towards Roger &Gallet products,so much so that when this little sample runs out,I will be straight on the brand’s site in search of another. If you missed them,you may want to check out my Roger &Gallet Pamplemousse Moisturiser review and my Bois d’Orange Perfume Review. By Emma,on October 6th,2011  ©Boots Thierry Mugler I was recently lucky enough to get my hands on a Thierry Mugler Alien shower gel sample. This little tester came in the form of a gorgeous deep purple sachet,adorned with the elegant white Thierry Mugler logo. The shower gel has a strong, sweet scent as soon as you open it. The clear liquid has a slightly violet tint,keeping in line with this idea of a luxury,velvety purple product. It didn’t lather as well as I’d hoped (I used a bath sponge) compared to other bath and shower gels but it was enough for a good rub around  It left my skin feeling nice and soft and smelling very lovely afterwards though! The scent is absolutely beautiful,fairly strong but not overpowering and stays on the skin for a good couple of hours after showering. I haven’t tested the Alien perfume itself but I imagine (not rocket science I guess) that it smells pretty much the same as the shower gel. In that case, certainly something I’ll be asking for this Christmas! Check out other Thierry Mugler products. By Emma,on September 29th,2011  ©Ellos We’re seeing a bit of a revival in the British summer these last few days but as ever it won’t last for long unfortunately. So if you’ve not yet thought about your autumn/winter wardrobe now is the time to get prepared before those rain clouds appear once again. In season this autumn are the fabulous trench coats and macs which are often seen being sported by celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker,Kylie Minogue and even Catherine Middleton. A simple trench can add elegance to any outfit,whether you teem it with a demure business ensemble i.e. skirt,fitted blouse,tights and heels,or a more relaxed look with leggins and pumps. Trench coats come in shorter and longer lengths to tailor to the tall,medium and petite amongst us out there,and come in a variety of colours. I’ve spotted some on the Ellos website which are aboslutely fab! Amongst all the jackets,raincoats,macs and waistcoats on offer,the military style double-breasted coat is a great look. Hair up or down with this one as it’s very flexible and the colour is great. There are often some top bargains out there at this time of year as summer comes to an end and the autumn season rolls in so get ahead in the fashion stakes and sport your light jacket as long as you can before the snow hits! By Emma,on September 28th,2011 Calling all bargain hunters! House of Fraser are having a sale!! The online sale starts at 5pm tonight (Wednesday 28th September) where will be up to 25% off selected lines and brands live on the House of Fraser website. The 2 day Brand Event will run in-store tomorrow and Friday (Thursday 29th to Friday 30th). Get yourself a new designer wardrobe with reductions on incredible names such as Ralph Lauren,Diesel,Levi’s and many more! There will be some fantastic bargains so keep an eye out for when the sale kicks off at 5pm so make sure you get in early and have the pick of the lot! Choose from homewear and toiletries to womenswear and menswear. Check out the fantastic bargains for ladies –Diesel denim,bohemian silhouettes from Biba essentials by Therapy are all up for grabs. For men,there is 25% off selected lines including Paul Smith,Howick and Levi’s. Check out the reductions on footwear,jackets,shoes and underwear. Great news as well for beauty addicts –great offers on some of the top beauty brands. There’ll be an amazing 10% off names such as Lancôme,Clinique,Benefit and loads more of those iconic and much-loved brands in the beauty industry. Sales will only be on whilst stocks last and I’m sure the bargains and great offers will be snapped up sharpish! Get there first by shopping online and securing your purchases. Go to the House of Fraser website from 5pm Wednesday 28th September.  ©House of Fraser Biba Womenswear  ©Lancôme beauty products at HOF  ©House of Fraser homeware brands By Emma,on September 22nd,2011 The Roger &Gallet Paris Pink Grapefruit moisturising body lotion looks every bit the charming Parisian beauty product. With its elegant white bottle and graceful,calm enducing pastel coloured design,we’d tend to belive that this moisturiser could work wonders for the skin. It is gently fragranced with pink grapefruit extracts and nourishes skin with shea milk and vitamin E. The ideal body lotion for dehydrated pores. That is,until you open the thing… 
A slightly sickly,musty smell hit me when I first tried the moisturiser. I squeezed a dollop into my hands and rubbed into my legs and arms. It’s very smooth but also takes a good few rubs before it fully absorbs. The scent itself can only really be described as pungent;imagine perfume which has sat in the sun and gradually gone off over the course of 6 months. An hour or so later and I could still smell the musky remnants on my skin. I was tempted to get back in the shower and start over again with my Jergens Aloe Vera moisturiser which is much more pleasant. However,it has to be said that it did feel lovely on my legs –they were very smooth afterwards. So,I guess,as long as you avoid putting this lotion too high up on the body you wouldn’t need to smell it at all. Just make sure you wash your hands afterwards. The Roger &Gallet website doesn’t actually indicate specific product prices,so I did a little of my own research and found that this range is not on the cheaper end of the market. More like the luxuriously gone-off end. For example,the Bois d’Orange Vaporiser Spray I tested recently is being in most pharmacies for around €40 –€44. And the pink grapefruit (pamplemousse rose) moisturiser here mentioned for around €13. Not really on my wish list this Christmas. By Emma,on September 21st,2011 Bigger fashion and plus sizes have really only become a prevalent subject on most fashionistas lips in recent years after retail giants such as Evans, M&S and Bravissimo launched tailored and delicate items for larger ladies. The trend took off and nowadays there is a much wider range of choice for the more curvy of us ladies out there. So now summer is –we can safely say –over, we need to stock up on those jackets and trousers and start putting our summer dresses to the back of the wardrobe once again. Autumn/Winter tends to bring out the best of the blazers and sees new styles hit the catwalk (remember the snood?) so it’s high time we saw some lovely pieces in plus sized ranges. OneStopPlus UK is one of the growing number of (largely online) merchants who offer plus size clothing and accessories for ladies, and yes, men too. The site sells sizes 14-36 in leggings, jackets, underwear, coats, nightwear and pretty much any line you can think of. It’s fabulous to know that plus sized women now have a great a choice in the fashion stakes which is more than can be said for years ago. There’s still a little room for improvement though, so come on all you big retail chains, make some way for bigger and better additions to your autumn/winter collections.  ©OneStopPlus UK  ©OneStopPlus UK  ©OneStopPlus UK By Emma,on August 30th,2011 I’ve been meaning to try this one out for awhile but somehow just haven’t quite got round to it. The new styling powder from Schwarzkopf’s got2b range claims to give instant volume to hair, boosting roots, adding texture and offering hold. I just don’t feel this one. The directions advise you to shake a small amount of powder into your palms, rub hands together and then distribute evenly and work into hair. To me, it looks like a little pepper pot. Filled with talc. It is very handy in size though,I’ll give them that. A 10g tub will travel easily and fit into handbags; it’s just the efficiency I’m worried about. 
Schwarzkopf indicated that for an extra volume boost, you should shake the powder directly into the roots of your hair although the problem with that is you can’t SEE the top of your own head. So I’m not sure I’d want to be left with the probability of leaving white patches dotted about over my scalp. I followed the instructions like the good consumer that I am, and found the powder to have a slightly chalky, if unpleasant, feel to it when rubbed into my hands. It is true what they say on the little pot –it looks like it disappears but you can certainly still feel it. As for rubbing this chalky nothingness into my hair,well,I gave it a go. Otherwise it wouldn’t be an accurate review now would it. It did seem to give my hair a boost, uplifting the roots and increasing the thickness of my hair. But unfortunately not without creating a ‘just been dragged through the bushes backwards’ look, which wasn’t exactly what I was going for. A quick pat down with the brush left my hair back to its usual un-volumised self. And a disappointed me. Not particularly impressed with Schwarzkopf’s new volumising product; maybe I’ll wait to see what they bring out next. Currently priced at £2.03 in Boots. By Emma,on August 14th,2011  You may remember my recent post on Label.M hair products where I reviewed the shampoo and conditioner and as a lovely bonus,received the tote and cosmetics bag alongside. Well,as promised here’s the review on the third styling product I received - the Label.M Volume Mousse which merits a post all to itself.
The mousse follows in the shampoo and conditioner’s footsteps with that lovely,distinct scent and luxurious bottle.The bottle itself requres a little pump action before you can have access to the mousse but when it does appear,it seems a little ‘airy’, i.e. lots of bubbles and very thin for the smooth -shaving foam type- mousse texture I was expecting. Maybe it just needs another few good shakes. Apply it to either damp or dry hair,before blow drying which as the company promises will leave you with bigger,volumised hair. I tend to leave my hair to start drying naturally and apply it just before I give it a quick 5 minute blast with the hair dryer. This ensures that my hair doesn’t go greasy and yet allows me to style it with my usual round brush. As an additional bonus,the manufacturers have included an Enviroshield Complex which protects hair from heat styling as well as enriching the mousse with Acerola and Olive Fruit Extracts and Avocado Oil which serve to minimisie colour loss,offer antioxidant benefits and add shine to hair. Result: Fab! I didn’t feel like I was applying much product to my hair due to the hair mousse’s consistency but when I’d finished blow drying there was a definite lift to my hair. I also noticed a difference after I’d used my hair straighteners –my hair wasn’t as flat as it usually was and actually seemed to hold a fairly ‘volumised’style throughout the day. At £11 a bottle this is a snip,and perhaps if it doesn’t come out the bottle too voluntarily this means it’ll last a whole lot longer. Buy it here from Beauty Booth. By Emma,on August 3rd,2011  Lovely, lovely, lovely. Which is not what I can say for my Roger &Gallet moisturiser review coming soon.
Jergens Naturals’Aloe Soothing moisturiser with cucumber and eucalyptus extracts is a delight to the skin. It is cool,refreshing and absorbs extremely easily. This particular cream is an all over body moisturiser so I use it on legs,thighs,stomach,neck and derriere. It smells wonderfully creamy and cucumber-like and is designed to soothe,calm and refresh. I am now 26 years of age (almost 27,but let’s not dwell on that) and have been moisturising my skin for the last 10 years or so now. It is high time you start using creams and moisturisers if you don’t already as they are a great way of rehydrating your skin and act as a fantastic anti-aging method. Skin is more youthful and elasticated if kept hydrated and some of the best moisturisers help may combat the ageing process. The Aloe moisturiser from Jergens Naturals has a luxuriously light scent which lasts all day long. It is subtle fragrance which I love. I don’t like too heavily scented creams as I find they can be a bit too overpowering but this is slightly soapy and delicate in both application and scent. No trouble at all to rub in whatsoever and leaves your skin feeling soft. I even find the bottle comforting with it’s pale beige and mint green colour combination;a moisturiser worth keeping. Various other skincare products are available in the Jergens Naturals moisturisers range: Age Defying, Ultra Hydrating,Cocoa Butter, Daily Moisturising and Skin Firming. By Emma,on July 27th,2011 Miss Selfridge have always been one of my favourite high street stores. Reliable in keeping up with the fashions and offering super stylish outfits at reasonable prices. Here I share their hot new picks for this season. I particularly love the blue blazer and gypsy dress.  ©Miss Selfridge Blue Jersey Blazer £30 |  ©Miss Selfridge Camel Ponti Dungarees £35 |  ©Miss Selfridge Ditsy Print Jacket £39 |  ©Miss Selfridge Red Skater Dress £42 |  ©Miss Selfridge Cream Gypsy Dress £40 |  ©Miss Selfridge Petites Blue Open Back Playsuit £35 |
By Emma,on July 26th,2011 For many of you, and like me, your ghd hair straighteners are never far from reach. Whether you take them on holiday,to work or keep them safe in the bathroom cabinet,they’re like a reliable friend who’s always there when you need them. I’ve been straightening my hair for at least the past 10 years now and to be without my ghds would be like saying goodbye to an old friend.  ©ghd Boho Chic limited edition Well now the fine people at ghd have come up with not one,but three limited edition packages to keep us on our toes (as if they need to encourage us!)- the ghd Boho Chic, the ghd Glamour and the ghd New Wave. They all come with the ghd Gold classic styler irons,a protective plate guard,a fab,stylish bag to match the era and a ‘get the look’book. There’s also currently up to £20 off the Iconic Eras of Style and you get a free heat protection spray when ordering. With Katy Perry as the global face for the brand (looking simply stunning in every ‘era’by the way), I’m sure sales will go through the roof. For hairstyle ideas, have a look at my simple hairstyles post. By Emma,on July 25th,2011  ©K&Co Try wearing sexy lingerie under your everyday wear It’s been awhile since I’ve done a fashion based post so here’s one for your tastebuds. This time it’s lingerie. We ladies don’t just need to feel good on the outside,we need to feel good on the inside too. Which is why wearing a nice,matching knickers and bra set underneath your daily office wear can help you feel that little bit more sexy. Depending on your size and preferences,there are a number of great styles to choose from –push up bras for that extra cleavage boost; balcony bras for a sexy, feminine look; underwired for extra support; padded; non-padded - in literally every style,shade and colour you can think of. Plenty of large retailers now offer lingerie which caters to every body shape - www.kandco.com have a lovely underwear range and also do plus size lingerie in some fab styles. It’s time to chuck out your old,withered and grey underwear sets and try wearing something that makes you feel special. You’ll notice a difference in the way you hold yourself and if you’re of the more timid personality,it may even give you that extra confidence boost. Let me do if you do try it or have done already and whether it’s made a difference to your day.
By Emma,on July 18th,2011  The lovely people at Beautybooth.com were kind enough to send me some Label.M Professional Haircare products recently in the form of a shampoo,conditioner and volumising foam to try out. What is really exciting is the gorgeous William Tempest tote and shopping bag they also sent alongside. Depending what you purchase,you can either get the tote,the shopping bag or both free!
The bags are lovely and very handy (not to mention cool) for storing cosmetics,wandering along the high street or heading to the beach with all your beauty essentials tucked safely inside. I must say I was impressed by the way the products arrived –very well wrapped and in a sturdy parcel box. They looked heavenly! Both the shampoo and conditioner contain high levels of certified organic ingredients such as Quince and Jojoba Oil to nourish your locks whilst the volume foam states it can protect hair from heat styling and lifts volume. The Label. M Volume Foam itself deserves another post so I’m going to refrain from writing about that one here and concentrate on the brand’s organic shampoo and conditioner. 
So,the first of the two hair products I tested was the Organic Moisturising Lemongrass Shampoo in a 200ml jade green bottle. It smells delicious and being quite smooth,glides onto your hair with no problems. I managed to get enough lather going to cover three heads so next time I’d probably opt for a smaller dollop so as not to waste it! The conditioner is of the same range but in a shiny white bottle –Organic Moisturising Lemongrass Conditioner –and again works through the hair very easily. The only problem I had with this one is that the bottles are rather hard to pump when you have wet,soapy hands so I struggled at first to get the conditioner out. It took a few goes (and some slightly sore hands!) but was worth it. Again,it smelt lovely,although strangely not as strong as the shampoo which you often find to be the opposite. Still,my hair rinsed through well and I had no styling issues i.e. tangled knotty ends or frizz. In fact,it felt exceptionally clean,refreshed and healthy,without trying to sound too clichéd. I can’t stress enough how I love the bottles though;they’re so elegant that I would happily buy these as a birthday present for a friend. They look glam and sit quite beautifully next to my L’Oreal shampoo and Dove shower gel in the bathroom. Besides the aesthetics,the products smell incredible and really seem to ‘cleanse’hair. I couldn’t see these exact ‘Lemongrass’ scented products on the Beauty Booth website, although there is an Orange Blossom range which I imagine to be deliciously fruity and quite similar to the Lemongrass. Going by that price you’re looking at around £17 for the Label.M conditioner and £13.25 for Label.M’s shampoo. If you’re looking to treat yourself, or a friend, splash out on Label.M’s organic range. Luxury in a bottle. *both the shampoo and conditioner are now available in those lovely jade green bottles. By Emma,on July 5th,2011 I’d like to introduce you to a new site I’ve recently discovered which specialises in unique,hand-made jewellery. Ruby and Rose Jewellery was set up by mother and daughter duo Emily McIntyre and Marion Paterson who both share a love of Hollywood glamour and beautiful jewellery. They create timeless classics in the form of bracelets,necklaces,earrings and rings inspired by style icons. 
I was lucky enough to try out one of their designs –the Rosa bracelet. This piece comes in various different colours –green,blue,pink and black. Mine is made from black agate gemstones,a large cream flower and diamante rondelles which fuse together to create a unique,Audrey Hepburn-esque design. Fab for accessorising that little black dress,or even jazzing up a funky outfit for a pleasant summer evening. The bracelet oozes creativity and passion,and is certainly something I’ll be showing off this summer. And since I have fairly skinny wrists and can never find the right fit,what I love about Ruby and Rose’s piece is that it is a stretch bracelet,with a discreet elasticated band running through the stones. This means that I can finally accessorise my arm with something that doesn’t hang loosely around my wrist. Ruby and Rose Jewellery have some stunning pieces;just by browsing through the site you can see how much detail and love goes into each and every one. The pair incorporate a variety of semi-precious gemstones into their work such as Jade,Quartz and Turquoise,as well as pearls,silver and diamantes,adding that hint of glitz.The designs are unique and each has their own story to tell,emanating sophistication,style and elegance. I also have to point out that my bracelet arrived beautifully wrapped,not only in one layer but four..! Bubble wrap,vibrant pink crate paper,a gorgeous jewellery pouch tied with a lovely little ribbon and lastly a little plastic pocket for that final protection against knocks. Such careful and delicate wrapping suggests a company who love what they do. The effect was one of delicate pride in their own pieces,and really brought home the idea that we’re buying artisanal, handmade products which isn’t that easy to find anymore these days. I absolutely love this website and the beautiful pieces these ladies come up with;simply scrolling through all the lovely images allows your heart to flirt with that little touch of glamour. By Emma,on June 30th,2011  L’Oreal’s Full Restore Replenishing Mask. Not the most fantastic product I’ve ever used –pretty much your normal conditioner although this time enriched with Pro-Keratin and Ceramide it’s supposed to restore dry hair leaving it looking naturally shiny and healthy. The conditioning formula is applied like any normal conditioner (after shampooing,work into hair and leave 1-2minutes before rinsing) and it claims to strengthen hair fibre by fibre. Didn’t do anything for me though I’m afraid. Averagely nice scent,but it seemed to dry out my hair rather than restore it.
At almost £5 per tub, I wouldn’t buy again. Check out my other L’Oreal reviews. | |
