Review: YSL Black Opium Eau de Toilette

Last week I was working late in the office when I had an unexpected call from reception asking me to come downstairs to sign for a delivery. I was very happy to see that the mystery package was Yves Saint Laurent's beautiful new eau de toilette Black Opium. It certainly cheered me up!

YSL Beaute describes the new EDT as mysterious, but sensual. Vibrant, yet with a new femininity at its heart. It is designed to be distinctly different to the Black Opium eau de parfum.

Notes of zingy blackcurrant, juicy pear, quirky mandarin peel, fragrant jasmine tea and orange blossom give this initially sweet feminine scent depth and complexity with flavours of green coffee bean, musk and white wood.

 The new diamond dust bottle gives homage to the original, but is a fun twist on a classic.

The Black Opium Eau de Toilette is a beautifully rich, yet sweet and wearable fragrance. There is definitely something very addictive about it!

YSL Black Opium EDT is available here for £39 for 30ml.

OOTD: Misguided

A fun little outfit from last Saturday. This crop and midi pencil skirt were from Nicole for Misguided, but they still stock many similar versions!

 Similar set from Misguided here and here.

For the hair I used Babyliss Curl Secret. I took small sections to create the curls in alternate directions. I then let them set for about half an hour while I did my makeup. After the curls had thoroughly cooled I brushed through them with my hands and a smoothing brush to loosen them and give them a lot more volume and movement.

Review: Rhythm Cleanse

As many of you know I am a big fan of detoxing and giving your digestive system a break for a few days every couple of months. I have tried numerous juice and food detoxes over the years, so I was intrigued when I was contacted to review a cleanse that combined cold pressed juice with live bacterial cultures to give you all the benefits of juicing with a digestive boost. I have written many times about the importance of a healthy gut and taking probiotics, so I was interested to see how this cleanse would work!

I was sent a 3 day cleanse (3 times the above) and was excited to see that the Rhythm cleanse was completely different to any others I had previously tried. On a normal day I eat a lot! As I work out 4/5 days a week I have increased my metabolic rate over the years and I definitely need to fuel those hard earned muscles. During a typical detox I do usually struggle with hunger and tiredness, but I have found this one a lot easier. The Rhythm cleanse has a really generous volume and the variety of flavours and textures really helps you to feel full and stops you getting bored. The juices are 500ml and are quite thick, while the coconut milk's fat content makes it a really satisfying treat.

1. Start of the day

The day starts with the High Potency Kefir (Life shot 200) loading up with over 200 billion diverse natural multi-strain cultures trailblazing deep in your gut. After consuming this bottle first thing in the morning you are told not to eat or drink anything for 30 minutes.

 

2. Start of the day to - Lunch time

Drink 4 x 126g bottles of Rhythm Pure Coconut over this period keeping your nutrients intake simplistic and pure whilst the loading of the cultures takes place. I tried to drink them at timed intervals i.e. High Potency taken at 7.00am, Rhythm Pure Coconut 126g at 8.00am, 9.00am, 10.00am and 11.00am. Sip on the 500ml coconut water during this period for rehydration. If you want, add a dash of calamansi lime juice to bring up your Vitamin C.

 

3. Lunch

Choose either the Coconut & Beetroot 500ml or the Coconut & Greens 500ml. If you feel hungry, have 30% of a Virgin Coconut Milk pouch. This is very filling and contains all good medium chain fatty acids which are good fuel for the body. The saturated fats in the pouch are Virgin Coconut Oil.

4. In between Lunch & Dinner for re-hydration

Sip on 90% of the Pomegranate Juice 500 ml for a boost of antioxidants. Save the other 10% for later.

5. Dinner

Which ever Vegetable Kefir you have left.

6. Dessert

Combine the other 10% of Pomegranate Juice with the remainder of the Virgin Coconut Milk to create a deep fruity tangy pudding that's totally natural.
 

The Rhythm cleanse even has a tasty dessert! Now, that's my kind of cleanse!

Cleanse packages can be ordered online via www.rhythmcleanse.co.uk

The vegetable kefir drinks and range of Rhythm shots are available singly or in multi-packs in Wholefoods, Holland and Barrett and Planet Organic and many other health food stores.

Review: Look Fantastic 1st Birthday Beauty Box

Look Fantastic are currently running a special 1st Birthday promotion where you can receive a FREE September Beauty Box worth £55 when you spend £55 or more! Usually their boxes are between £11.25 and £15 depending on your chosen subscription.

I was sent one of their Birthday boxes to review and was impressed to see it was packed full of products!

The box I received contained:

• Phyto - Phytokeratine Extreme (leave in conditioner)
• Tan Worx - Tan Maintainer
• Codage - Creme Gommante
• Sebastian Penetraitt shampoo and conditioner 
•  Bliss - Fabulous Foaming Face Wash
• Caudalie - Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet
• Caudalie - Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum

I'm really looking forward to trying these out, especially the Phyto conditioner formulated for dry hair as my hair is in deep need of moisture!

Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes? What do you think of Look Fantastic's offering?

OOTD: Baby shower in Chi Chi

I have purchased 2 dresses from Chi Chi this Summer and after the first one I posted was so well received I thought it would be a shame not to show you the second! I wore this Nessa high neck laser cut prom dress to my friend's baby shower (blue for boy) a few weeks ago and got so many lovely compliments on it. It's so girlie and fun and completely effortless to wear!

Dress: currently £65 on Chi Chi London and ASOS

 

This dress gives you a great shape as it nips in at the waist and flares out in all the right places. The lining is nude, but gives a slight v neck illusion, plus it has built in support so there is no need for a bra.

With the mummy to be!

 

Have you ever tried Chi Chi London? I can't wait to have an occasion that would give me the perfect excuse to order another one of their dresses! 

Review: MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion

With the typically rubbish British Summer now over I have really been struggling with the cold and wet weather. Partly, this may be because I had a lovely week in sunny Spain soaking up the heat, which meant returning to London with the subsequent 20C degree change has left me with a nasty cold, congestion and generally feeling miserably shivery. One evening, while feeling particularly horrendous, I decided to treat myself to a hot bath with MOA's Fortifying Green Bath Potion to try and give my confused body a little bit of relief.

Just a few capfuls of this concentrated green potion created a beautiful herbal scent in my bath, like stepping into a minty pine forest on a clear day. This was just what I needed as it helped me to relax, while being very uplifting and giving me more energy. The steam from the bath helped to clear my sinuses and after just a few minutes I felt much more alive! As well as letting me breathe for the first time in a week my skin was left really soft and moisturised as the oils worked hard to nourish my dry skin.


I absolutely love all the natural ingredients featured in this potion including sunflower seed oil, peppermint oil, fennel oil, jojoba seed oil, yarrow extract, fir needle oil, sweet birch oil and chlorophyll. It is 100% natural and contains no parabens, perfumes, alcohol or lanolin and is not tested on animals.

The MOA Fortifying Green Bath Potion can be purchased here for £27.

Review: Clarins Joli Rouge Moisturizing Long-Wearing Lipstick

I have always loved Clarins lipsticks as they have such a smooth texture, never dry out my lips and always smell delicious. I was therefore excited to hear that the Joli Rouge* range has been revamped with a new moisture-enriched formula that comes in a beautiful new spectrum of shades!

It was difficult to choose as the new colours are all super flattering, so I went for some wearable shades of pink, nude and peach.

left to right and top to bottom: 715 candy rose, 745 pink praline, 707 petal pink

I had high expectations and these lipsticks did not disappoint! They are super creamy and smooth to apply giving just enough colour to leave your lips looking plump and glossy without feeling sticky. They have a lovely scent and last a decent amount of time given their hydrating formulation. They are perfect to pop into your handbag and reapply on the go as they are not too intense, but add just the right amount of colour and moisturise to keep your lips looking youthful.

Candy Rose is a blue toned pink with shimmer that adds a wearable pop of colour.

Pink Praline is a wearable pink toned nude that looks perfect when paired with a strong eye look.

Petal Pink is a mid toned, creamy pink that's perfect for every day wear. For me this is a your lips, but better colour!

The Joli Rouse lipsticks can be found here for £19.50.

Review: Michael Kors Gold Fragrance Collection

I first fell in love with Michael Kors fragrances when I tried Very Hollywood, it was such a fun, uplifting, wearable scent that it quickly became my signature for the Summer. I was therefore excited to be given a sample of 3 new perfumes in the Michael Kors Gold Fragrance Collection* to test out!

The three gold fragrances couldn't be more different, though they all have the signature Michael Kors effortless wearability and glamour.

White Luminous Gold  is sparkling and sexy with a heady, intoxicating burst of pear, jasmine and amber. It has a slightly oriental feel that for me evokes romantic evenings.

24K Brilliant Gold is feminine and seductive with orange mandarin, delicate florals and a warm woody base. This is a very easy fragrance to wear that will effortlessly transition from day to night.

Rose Radiant Gold (my personal favourite) is sweet, yet light with sparkling spice textured with a charming femininity of rich florals and soft musks. This feels like a summery fragrance, but it has a little more depth so will make a perfect transition into the colder Autumn months.

The Gold Fragrance Collection can be purchased here and retails from £39 for 30ml.

Debenhams are also hosting a pop up Michael Kors Beauty booth until next Saturday so do check them out!