Beauty Essential for less than half price!

I'm sure you are all a little bored of me raving about Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream, but I won't stop just yet. I first discovered it at the age of 12 when it was given to me in a London fashion week goodie bag and from that day I was hooked.

Countless tubes later and I am now sitting in bed having just put some on my lips and cuticles. I have never got used to the smell, let's not pretend that it's nice, but for the effects it is definitely worth it. I use it daily for any skin concerns- chapped lips, irritation, dry patches, rashes, burns, cuts.. you name it and this ointment will help!

Luckily, I have just found a website that is selling EA-8C (sounds a little like a food additive if I abbreviate it doesn't it?) for the fantabulous price of £9.95 (RRP £23) for the 50ml tube. Even with every day use this lasts me about 6 months!

You can find it on the cheapsmells.com (awful name, great website) here. They also have a great range of discounted perfumes and cosmetics! Happy shopping!

Oh and no I'm not sponsored by them, but yes I kind of wish I was ;) xxx

Skin & Bare It

You may remember that a little while ago I reviewed some moisturising lotions by Jergens Naturals, a brand not very much known in the UK, but a household name in the US. If you missed it you can read all about it here.

They have now launched a new online show that puts the nation's skincare regime to the test. The main focus of the videos is how well a skin care regimen works for you and what would happen if you swapped your routine for someone else. Is 'natural' (I don't like that term as everything in essence is natural, what I really mean is organic) always better and does it really make that much difference? I'm not sure as yet, let's watch and find out!




For further information head to www.jergens.co.uk/skinandbareit.asp 

Hmmm.. I'm not completely convinced yet, but I am definitely starting to lean towards organic products, though I wouldn't go as far as making my own oatmeal scrub as yet...


What are your thoughts on 'natural' (organic) skincare? I would love to know some of your recommendations of your must-have body care products! xxx

BeautyLish

I was recently interviewed by the lovely people at BeautyLish. It was so much fun and I just wanted to thank them for their sweet words and support :)!

If you are interested you can read my interview here.

xxx

Freebie Alert!

We all love a freebie :). I know I am a sucker for a good one and have picked up many a magazine for a free tube of gloss or mascara! I was therefore very excited when this dropped into my inbox today!

InStyle have teamed up with Nails Inc. to create three exclusive summer shades for their readers, which they shall be including free with their June issue.

The colours include some of my favourites for this season and are absolutely stunning.

InStyle Beach is a bright red coral perfect for summer.

InStyle Mink is the notorious greige we have all been coveting, and as far as I can tell from the promo pics it looks like one that even my pale fingers can pull off without looking murky as it is quite pink based.

InStyle Candy (which to me implies pink no?) is a soft, but bright lilac, which is perfectly on trend, and the sort of lilac that I adore as it is fun, but still wearable.

Nail Inc. polishes retail at £10.50, so if you are still not convinced that you are getting a good deal they have also thrown in an offer giving readers 20% off all Nails Inc. online shopping purchases as well as 20% off manicures and pedicures. Would it be too greedy of me to buy all 3? ahem...

I would recommend getting to your local magazine stand early as the most popular shades sell out very quickly (from bitter experience of trawling through the racks at WHSmith).

For more information about the inspiration for the colours check out the InStyle website here.

Which is your favourite and what shades have inspired you this spring? xxx

Updated Skincare Routine

Products mentioned:

Liz Earle: http://uk.lizearle.com/
Cleanse and polish hot cloth cleanser with muslin cloth
Instant Boost Skin Tonic
Skin Repair Moisturiser

Estee Lauder Advanced night repair serum
Read my review here: http://filthygorgeousmakeup.blogspot....

Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturiser: http://www.cleanandclear.com/productD...

The Body Shop Vitamin C Micro Refiner: http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/_en/_gb/...

Neutrogena visbly clear 2 in 1 wash and mask: http://www.superdrug.com/Face-Wash/Ne...

Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel: http://www.dermalogica.com/uk/product...

Dear FTC: All products mentioned were purchased by myself, except the Liz Earle products, which were sent to me for review, but have since been repurchased.. because I love them :).

Mirror mirror on the wall...

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the lovely people from Les Tai Tai asking me if I wanted to test out their new model mirror. At first I wasn't too excited as I already have a lovely mirror for my handbag that the bf gave me for Christmas, and I don't use it too often (oh who am I kidding?), but as soon as I checked out their website I knew I had to have one.

They have a range of super cute designs from girlie to rock chick. I chose the vinyl princess as I wanted something simple.

The mirror itself is larger than I envisaged (10.8 x 8 x 1.1 cm), which is great as you can see your whole face. Though the size of the mirror does mean that it is quite heavy (over 100g), even though the casing is plastic.

This is one of the original editions priced at £18. Inside there are two mirrors, one with lights and one without. The newer designs at £22 have a magnifying side too.

The lights do not come on automatically as with some mirrors, but turn on when you press the small button in the hinge. This means that when you are using it during the day you do not waste the battery, which promises to last for 24 consecutive hours. The LED lights are bright enough to illuminate your face in a dark bar (tried and tested after a few cocktails), but not so bright that they irritate your eyes. I especially like the fact that the lights have a blue tint to them so they illuminate you in a natural way, as opposed to yellow (jaundice inducing) halogen lights  (ahem.. thank you office toilets for making me look ill every day).

Is this mirror a handbag essential? Probably not, but I love it as it's perfect for those days when I'm on the go and have to do my make-up on the train, or touch up in a back lit ladies (I'm sure you girls know what I mean when club bathrooms have spot lights in the ceiling that throw the most unflaterring sadows a la Queen bohemian rhapsody video.. scaramoosh scaramoosh).

I have had many interested and envious glances while using this mirror, and I think it will make a great gift for the girl who has everything :). My flatmate has already got her little paws all over mine ;).

These mirrors are available direct from the Les Tai Tai website here as well as from Selfridges (always a good sign for a brand) and Fortnum and Mason.

First signs of Spring OOTD

Yesterday was a perfect day in London. Warm, sunny, dry and clear skies.. I couldn't ask for more! So the time had come for me to put away my leggings and knee high boots and inflict my pale limbs on the world in a fresh summer dress.

I chose this silk dress from Warehouse as I love the mix of colours and the flattering shape. I paired it with purple KG ballet flats (and in the evening a comfy sheer cream cardigan from Zara).

What was your first spring wardrobe outfit? Are you as excited as I am to start wearing gorgeous summer dresses again? Would you like more OOTDs? xxx

My hair is saved!!

I have to confess that maybe I have not been 100% honest with you guys. I did not mean to mislead you, but I didn't quite show you the truth either, so I am taking a deep breath and going to come clean.

From my photos you may have thought that my hair was naturally smooth and sleek.. like this...

Or this...

 But in reality (oh the shame) it's really like this...

Well, close enough anyway ;). I don't have a bad enough picture to show you, but this is the closest I could find. Bearing in mind it's mostly wet here and as it dries it will grow to 5 times the size...

 Now don't get me wrong, I love curls, but hate the frizz/ dryness and unmanageability that comes with them. One of my earliest childhood memories was the dread of my mum brushing my hair (and there was a lot of it as up to the age of 12 my hair was down to the small of my back).

Decades later and I am still ripping through it with a brush daily causing damage and split ends in the process. No amount of conditioner or detangler has ever made the slightest bit of difference.

Now a hair brush may not seem a life changing product to most, but it has really changed the daily grueling task of taming my lion's mane. I first spotted it on Holly's blog here and decided to check it out as I always trust her opinion. I ordered it from ASOS and fast forward a week I am so impressed that I had to sit down at 12am and tell you all.

Meet my new best friend - the Tangle Teezer

It may look like a cheap piece of plastic (which in essence it is), but it glides through even the most knotted hair like magic. I have no idea how it works so well, but I can honestly tell you that unlike so many things out there that promise amazing things, this one does exactly what it claims to. I have used it on dry and wet hair and the tangles were gone in seconds without any pulling, tugging, breaking and the usual handful of hair that my regular brushes rip out.

If you have curly, frizzy, afro, dry, coarse hair I highly recommend this brush. It is the best purchase for £10 I have ever made.

Can you tell that I love it yet? ;)

Secret Sale- One day only!

The press release for this just landed in my inbox so I thought I would quickly (very quickly as I am at work.. naughty naughty!) let you all know that Folica.com will be hosting a sale today! They are running a Pro Hair Tools private sale (up to 70% off Sedu Flat Irons, Styler sets & more) starting at noon EST (4/15) and ending at noon EST on Friday.

So if you are on the look out for some new hair tools (I think they sell GHD and CHI as well as pro hot tools) I think this will be well worth checking out.

Sale can be found here: http://www.folica.com/private_sale.htm

Natalya
x

Spring nails

Being a pale skinned creature I have always been drawn towards pastel nail polishes. They are extremely flattering on even the most cool skin tone, and always make me feel fresh and neat. Luckily, the nail trend for Spring (which is hopefully going to remain in the UK despite forecasts of snow next week) is pastels. I was therefore very excited to try the new range of polishes from Eyeko.

I was sent the two on the left (nude and purple) and the two on the right (lilac and vintage). Like a kid in a sweet shop I immediately had to try them all on as I just couldn't decide which colour I should commit all my nails to ;).

Overall, the formula on these is pretty good, though a little streaky on the first coat after the second coat the colour evens out beautifully. However, this was not the case with the nude polish, where after three coats my nail was still visible (though this is my least favourite colour anyway as it turned quite orange on me - no likey). The others were very opaque after two coats and lasted well on my chip prone nails (about 4 days). I also love the dinky little vintage bottles as it means I can use them up before the polish dries out and at just £3.50 I think they are well worth it.

Though I have honestly had just about enough mint green polish I decided to give the green a go for a couple of days over the weekend. I love the shade as it is true to the colour in the bottle, and is a little more blue based than some other mints I have tried, which is great as there is nothing worse in my book than mouldy looking nails! My friend also spotted it and fell in love. She has been wearing it all week and it has lasted really well (though she has ridiculously strong nails that I am forever jealous of so I would not count her as a real test subject.. hehe).

My personal favourite of the bunch has to be the lilac. Oh how I do love thee lilac. I have tried quite a few and I find this colour to be one of the most flattering, just bright enough to be noticed and not so blue that it makes my fingers look frost bitten (does anyone else get that?).

Isn't it puurrty? Love, love, love!

If you are thinking of picking up a new colour for Spring, I highly recommend this one :).

What's your favourite nail varnish colour at the moment/ for Spring.

Easter Bunnies

Hello my lovelies,

I'm sorry I am late with my wishes, but I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!!

I have been so busy with my new job and getting my house sorted that I haven't had time to sit down and catch up with you all. So I must apologise for my lack of posting lately, I will try to be better :).

My weekend was mostly spent at home doing bits of painting and DIY after the builders had (finally- 2 days late) gone and inevitably cleaning saw dust from every nook and cranny. Though I am still finding it in my shoes.. hehe. I also managed to attend the Ideal Home Show in Earls Court, which was really fun and a good excuse to shop the amazing food stalls as well as bits for the house. I'm really getting into decorating and love picking up little pieces and finding the perfect place for them.

I hope you all had lots of good food :)...

As well as a chance to catch up on some snoozing ;)...

Happy Easter my lovelies :)






Love from Natalya and Maxie xxx