Review: No7 Early Defence Eye Cream

I am sure that many women in our parents' generation would not even have thought about anti-ageing skincare in their 20's, but as we learn more about the science of the skin it becomes evident that prevention is even more important than targeting change that is already occurring! Though we are told it is never too early to start it can sometimes be difficult for those in our 20s to find the right skin care. We no longer want the drying anti-pimple products aimed at teens (though we may still be getting plenty of blemishes that we would love to zap), but intensive anti-ageing products aimed at the older generation maybe a little too rich. I was therefore excited to hear that No7 had launched a range specifically aimed for ladies from their 20s to mid 30s to keep young skin looking younger for longer!

No7 Early Defence Skincare (consisting of Day, Night and Eye Creams) works as a ‘stepping stone’ to help in the transition from everyday skincare to proactively delaying the signs of ageing. The range offers No7’s new and most effective patent pending daily protection technology, ‘Double Defence’ that, in combination with No7’s unbeatable 5* UVA technology, gives skin advanced daily protection from the sun and environmental stress to help it look younger for longer.

I was kindly sent the No7 Early Defence Eye Cream* to test out a few weeks ago. It  is especially designed for the delicate areas around your eyes, enriched with Vitamin C to help reduce puffiness and dark circles, for brighter more beautiful eyes. This cream has a very light texture so it doesn't feel too heavy around the eyes. It sinks in quickly and is perfect for use before makeup. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated and smooth.

No7 Early Defence Eye Cream (£13.50 for 15ml) is exclusively available at Boots stores across the UK and online here.

Review: Clarins Aquatic Treasures Summer Bronzing Compact

Since the first rays of sunshine in 2015 have made London bloom I have started to add a little extra colour to my every day makeup routine. Being naturally super pale I have been having a love affair with the stunning Clarins Aquatic Treasures Summer Bronzing Compact*.

With 4 colour quadrants ranging from light to deep this bronzer is absolutely perfect for this transitional period as I can pick and choose the intensity I need every time I use it! I use the darker shades when I have applied self tanner and stick to the lightest on days when I want to keep it more natural.

While being super pigmented this powder blends beautifully. As it is cool toned and on the matte side it works perfectly for both contouring and bronzing!

The Clarins Aquatic Treasures Summer Bronzing Compact is currently retailing (at 10% off) for £27 here.

Wedding: Precious Petals - Preserving Your Bouquet!

Planning your wedding is a huge task that can feel totally overwhelming! However, I think that the more effort you put in the more amazing it feels to know that you have created a beautiful event that all your friends and family can enjoy. I would encourage everyone to make sure they pick the best photographers and videographers as the day goes by far too quickly and it is so important to be able to have those memories to look back on. Many brides can feel a little lost following their wedding, but I am super sentimental so I made sure I would still have a few wedding related projects to look forward to after the big day. One of them was my beautiful bouquet, which I had preserved and framed so it could have pride of place in our living room.

Personally, I loved organising my wedding as I am a complete perfectionist so I wanted to create all the unique aspects of our day to reflect us as a couple, as well as my personal style. Although our wedding was pretty traditional all the elements were unique as I made sure to research everything thoroughly and then very specifically design details to fit together. This may sound rather ‘Bridezilla’ to some, but as I worked with a lot of small, independent suppliers it was very much a collaborative creative process. I know lots of people wouldn’t want the stress and would rather pick a cake or set menu from a directory, but that just wasn’t for me. All our suppliers were amazing and as they were genuinely passionate about their art they were enthusiastic about creating new pieces for their portfolios. One of the aspects I loved learning about the most was the flowers! I had seen so many beautiful arrangements, but as we had a number of tricky spaces to fill (our church was very large and we had different rooms for our champagne reception, dinner/dancing and bar/ cake/ coffee areas) I had to design arrangements that would look impressive and fill the space, without being garish... and all within our budget. The flowers looked beautiful on the day and I was very sad to leave them behind at the venue so instead we gave away most of the smaller arrangements to our guests and donated the rest to a nearby children’s hospital. 

I was so happy to have arranged for my bouquet to be preserved so I could keep it as a memento! After doing some research about freeze drying flowers I came across Precious Petals. There were different options available on their website including keeping the bouquet in a cube, having the flowers pressed, or preserving a select few flowers in a paperweight. I chose a 3D method that would let my whole bouquet be preserved in a frame that I could hang on the wall. Precious Petals did an amazing job! After keeping my bouquet in water overnight I sent it to them on the Sunday following my wedding. The process does take 12-16 weeks as they have to disassemble the bouquet and preserve each flower individually before rearranging and framing it, but this just means you have something to look forward to long after all the photos are seen and the thank you cards sent!

If you are getting married I would highly recommend getting your bouquet preserved as a special memory from the day! I was so pleased with the service from Precious Petals and would definitely recommend check them out!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Beauty Trio

If you have been reading this blog for a while you will already be aware that I am huge fan of Liz Earle skincare, especially their Cleanse & Polish. I have been using this cleanser with a muslin cloth for many years and though I still adore it I have become somewhat desensitized to its distinctive fragrance. I was therefore super excited to see that Liz Earle had launched a Beauty Trio to celebrate 20 years of of the brand!

The set comes in a beautiful turquoise tin and features 3 limited editions of Cleanse & Polish plus 2 pure muslin cloths. These include calming Rose & Lavender, zesty Grapefruit & Patchouli and soothing Orange Flower & Chamomile.

 I am so excited to try all the new scents!

The Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Beauty Trio is £50.

La Roche Posay Anthelios

With the hottest day of the year so far already with us in April it is definitely a good time to talk about sunscreen! Seeing all the bare legs and shoulders at lunchtimes all across the City definitely spurred me to test out La Roche Posay's new Anthelios* range. Having actually been foolish enough in my younger years to have to go to hospital due to a severe sunburn I am a huge advocate of using a high factor SPF to protect from the sun! Nothing ages you more than sun exposure so it is incredibly important to make sure your skin is well shielded all year round, but especially as the weather gets warmer!

I was really interested in trying it out the Anthelios range as it promises a high degree of sun protection for sensitive skin. Being super pale (and learning from the above mentioned bad experiences) I go for the highest SPF possible, however I hate feeling like I am wearing a heavy sunscreen and am always on the search for the best of both worlds.

For the face I have been trialling the Anthelios XL Anti-Shine Dry Touch Gel-Cream SPF50+. This formulation doesn't feel at all heavy, is non-comedogenic and sets matte so it is perfect to use under makeup. It acts as a great base as it sinks into the skin quickly and sets to a dry touch while being water resistant. It has no parabens or  fragrance, just a faint, clean scent.

For the body I chose to go for the total opposite with the Anthelios XL Nutritive Oil SPF50+. I have never used a tanning oil before as they tend to have minimal protection (and if anything are generally used by those looking to increase their tan and sun exposure), however this oil is completely different. It can be used on the face and body to nourish and protect the skin. It has a dry oil formulation so sinks into the skin quickly without feeling sticky or too 'oily'. While still being paraben free and water resistant it does have a slight fragrance.

Have you tried the Anthelios range? What do you think of it? I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine safely! :)