Christmas with Origins

When the press release for these little Christmas gifts from Origins at Selfridges dropped into my inbox I couldn't help but squeal a little. They are just adorable! Whether you are looking for a stocking filler or a gift to hide under the tree Origins has it all wrapped up, and in cute packaging too!

My absolute favourite is the Origins Christmas baubles (£6 each or £10 for 2). Each one contains 5 best selling Origins products:

• Plantscription Anti-aging Serum 7ml
• Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask 7ml
• Modern Friction Nature’s Gentle Dermabrasion 5ml
• Ginzing ™ Refreshing Eye Cream 5 ml
• Plantscription ™ Eye treatment 5 ml

Plus with every purchase you will be entered into a prize draw to win £1000 worth of Origins products and for every bauble purchased Origins will also plant a tree!

If you get a chance to check these out in Selfridges let me know! I will definitely be picking up a few for Secret Santa presents. Shhh... 

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire

Guerlain always strikes me as a very traditional fragrance house, being among the oldest in the world. The House of Guerlain was founded in 1828, when Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain opened his perfume store at 42, rue de Rivoli in Paris. As both the founder and first perfumer of the house, Pierre-François composed and manufactured custom fragrances with the help of his two sons, Aimé and Gabriel. Through continued success and the patronage of members in high society, Guerlain opened its flagship store at 15, rue de la Paix in 1840, and put its mark on the Parisian fashion scene.

La Petite Robe Noire is the latest in over 300 fragrances created by Guerlain. I feel that it really brings this amazing perfumer into the modern era with a wearable fragrance that I think will appeal to multiple generations. The scent begins with fruity and floral notes that develop into a sweet and creamy finish with essences of vanilla, Tonka bean, iris and patchouli.

"Like the cut of a dress, my fragrance is shaped with all of Guerlains’ finesse. Its simple signature enhances and romances several exceptional materials in a bold overdose. Black cherry blinks the first wink. It is illustrated by a clever blend that extends exquisite almond and delicious berries. The second wink takes place as rose enters the stage. Finally, the shadowy temptations of licorice and smoky black tea reveal more of me and lead to irresistible seduction. For the ultimate temptation, the entire creation is wrapped in Guerlinade. Fresh, enigmatic and exhilarating… Mischievous and captivating… I am the warm spark beneath the sweetness. I am absolutely essential and utterly irresistible. I am the chic and very seductive, perfumed creation by Guerlain."

La Petite Robe Noire is available in Selfridges here with 30ml retailing at £42.

Have you tried Guerlain's latest fragrance offering?

Ciate Jubilee Caviar Manicure

I have been absolutely dying to try Ciate's amazing caviar manicure and it seems that I was not alone as these sets have been sold out ever since their launch! I was so excited when their gorgeous Jubilee duo landed on my office desk. I was half tempted to start sprinkling away in my lunch hour ;).

The caviar sets come with two paint pots - a base colour and a pot of multi coloured beads. The Jubilee set is wonderfully patriotic with red, blue and transparent pearls and a shimmery white base called angel wings.

The manicure itself is really easy to do and unexpectedly mess free! I applied two coats of the shimmery white polish and while the second coat was still wet poured the beads over and pressed them into the base to secure them. The set comes with a tray to trap all the surplus beads and a funnel to make sure that no beads go to waste.

The final effect is really fun and unique! The only shame is that it doesn't last longer than a few days. You can give the beads a little extra longevity by applying a little top coat along the edge of your nails and take a little extra care in your daily 'nail usage'. Personally I think they look gorgeous and it's really worth the extra effort ;). 

The Jubilee Ciate Caviar set is exclusive to Selfridges and can be found for £18 here.

Have you tried any of Ciate's Caviar sets? Which are your favourites? xxx

Madonna Truth or Dare

The ultimate chameleon Madonna has released her new fragrance Truth or Dare exclusively in Selfridges and I was lucky to have a little sample to test out. The first thing that really drew me in is the amazing bottle designed by Fabien Baron. I love the creamy white porcelain effect against the angular shape and beading detail. It really stands out on the shelf and would look beautiful on any glamorous dressing table.

The fragrance itself is quite surprising and not something that I would necessarily would have associated with Madonna or any celebrity perfume. The scent combines heady florals with wood and vanilla to create a sweet, slightly powdery, evocative and lingering fragrance.

Madonna's inspiration came from her mother's perfume, which contains a strong essence of Gardenias and Tuberose. The Gardenia is definitely prevalent in this scent, along with notes of white lily petals, caramelised amber and musk. The fragrance develops on the skin over time and really matures, fading into a deeper scent that lasts.

Truth or Dare is exclusive to Selfridges and can be found on their website for £25 for 30ml, £32 for 50ml and £42 for £75ml here.

Have you seen Madonna's new fragrance? Are you tempted to try it out? xxx

Shop MAC Cook MAC

For two weeks from the 25th of February Shop MAC Cook MAC will be exclusively popping up in Selfridges! It's time to embrace your 50s housewife while you browse the aisles and 'cook up a new colour recipe'.

I haven't been so excited about a MAC collection in a long time! The packaging is fun and quirky, while the product selection contains some old favourites (tendertones), staples and newer additions.

The collection is already available for purchase on Selfridge's website and I already have my eye on a few products... 

MAC Kissable lip colour (£16.50) - This is a medium-coverage lip product that is designed to give you the “comfort of a lipstick” with the “shiny finish of a lipgloss.” I am yet to try any of these, since their launch last year, so I am excited to see how they compare to MAC's regular lipsticks and glosses.

 Enchantee

Cook MAC Tendertone Lip Balm (£11) - MAC describes these as the next generation lip conditioner that combines the look of a gloss and the conditioning benefits of a balm with SPF 12 sun protection. They have a delicate strawberry–kiwi flavour and a light texture, with just a hint of colour.

Hot n' saucy

Eye Shadow Quad (£35) - A violet inspired quartet of shades.

Shop & Drop

Will you be picking anything up from this collection? What are your favourite products? xxx