Antipodes Skincare

Antipodes skincare is one of those brands I have recently been introduced too and I am left wondering why I hadn't tried these two products that I am sharing with you today much sooner. A brand which hails all the way from New Zealand, its creator, Elizabeth Barbalich had a desire to create premium, scientifically validated, organic beauty products. She wanted them to be made from fully sustainable sources that could be used everyday plus the packaging features fully recyclable bottles and aluminum tubes, and 100% biodegradable card from sustainable forests.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask is described as being a deeply moisturising, cleansing and antioxidising treatment that leaves dull skin instantly soothed and intensely hydrated. Featuring a traditional remedy of New Zealand Maori people, manuka honey, it powerfully draws moisture to your skin to hydrate it and working alongside the ruby red pohutukawa bloom, which contains one of nature's finest antioxidants and has antiseptic properties.

I love the texture of this mask which is thick but too thick enough that when you are slathering it on it is as luxurious as it is lovely on the skin. Once you have slathered it onto your skin, you leave it for up to 15 minutes before removing what is left with warm water and a muslin cloth (which is my preference) and your skin feels just incredible. I use this mask when my skin is really playing up, so when it is dry, it feels sore and there is a threat of breakout with small bumps under the surface, all of which is usually when I am under the weather or under stress.  The Fragrance is also wonderful, slightly of vanilla with an undertone of Mandarin, they come together to create a really uplifting scent that is amazing to relax too. This mask retails for around £21 is such an amazing treat.

Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream is described as being a high-performance velvety moisturiser with a berries & hibiscus scent to enchant the trials of everyday life with moments of fragrant joy. This cream is incredibly luxuriously and really very fragrant. Designed for the hands and body, this moisturiser is for all skin types With a rich velvety texture, a little goes a very long way. On the skin it neither greasy or tacky to the touch and it begins to absorb on contact. It is enriched with Avocado oil which provides moisturising nutrients to the skin ,glorious Berry and South Pacific Hibiscus Flower Extracts which create the beautiful scent and it is just amazing on dry, tired and stressed skin.  

I have used this cream mainly on my legs and arms as the warm sunshine turns to a really hot day to rain and then we begin the start of Autumn. Keeping my skin moisturised, soft and smooth on both my arms and legs is something I am pretty rubbish at, but give me a pretty product and one that I grow to love, I will use it all up, just as I have done with this. I love how it leaves my skin feeling dewy and fragrant without any oily residue.  Retailing for around £29 this is one incredible cream.

It is fair to say that my introduction to Antipodes has been incredible and I absolutely adore both products and it has made me want to work my way right through the brand to see what other treasures and treats I can find.  Antipodes products can be found online from sites such as LookFantastic, Love Lula, FeelUnique and BeautyBay.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Tommy Hilfiger goes Natutical for AW16 | #TOMMYXGIGI

Top Supermodel Gigi Hadid stars in the new Autumn campaign for Tommy Hilfiger and if you live in London, like me, you will have no doubt walked through many tube stations where posters have appeared virtually overnight to highlight the new collection.

As brand ambassador, the 21 year old has collaborated with the legendary Tommy Hilfiger to design the new#TOMMYXGIGI AW16/17 range inspired by nautical themes and fashion pieces that Gigi herself would wear out and about and there are some pieces that I also absolutely adore. Now I will never be a fashionista, but I know what I like.

The Blue Silk Dress is detailed with nautical motifs and Love Tommy hearts. Made from Pure Silk, it has a V-neck and long sleeves, two things I absolutely love in a dress and the rope belt for me really finishes off the outfit.

The Ankle Boots which are made from Leather and again fit with the Nautical theme with the rope-inspired buckle details. A little higher in heel than I would usually ever wear, I happen to think these boots look just amazing with almost any outfit.

Nautical Pouch is super cute. Crafted from a cotton-wool blend, it has striped edges, embroidered stars above the bottom edge. It also features a flap pocket with branded metal snap button and a handy yet stylish metal chain shoulder strap with optional charm with anchor, faux fur pouf and branded medallion, both of which I think make this pouch stand out. 

The Blue Military Coat I also adore from the collection. Crafted from a wool blend it is a classic, double-breasted design and gold-toned Hilfiger crest buttons. With a striped accent tape on one lapel and stripes on the sleeves, it also has waist pockets.

You can see the rest of the #TOMMYXGIGI collection by clicking here and whilst I do need a winning lottery ticket to even think about purchasing a few of my favourite items, I can sit and admire from afar in hope and the advert featuring Gigi and some of the items from the collection is also below.

What do you think of the new Tommy Hilfiger collection? I'd love to know which piece is your favourite!

*this post is a collaboration but all words and thoughts are my own #AD

Simply Straight Hair Brush by JML

Like most people, I dream of having hair which is the total opposite to what they have, in my case, this is minimal fuss, easy to style and is poker straight when I want to be, rather than naturally wavy and will be styled straight if it feels like it.  

The Simple Straight Hair Brush by JML and is described as being the amazing new straightening brush which is going to revolutionise the way you style your hair! Quite a bold claim if ever there was one in an age where straightening irons take on new technology and offer to have your hair looking as though you just stepped out of the salon.  Again, Simply Straight is promising to give you perfectly straight hair in minutes for the stylish look of a salon quality blow dry and all in the comfort of your own home.

The ceramic brush is designed to look like a hair brush, it is easy to hold and run through your hair and isn't as heavy as I had expected to find, infact it is about as weighty as my GHDs.  Once plugged into the main and switched on, it takes just 30 seconds to hit heat up and you have a choice of temperatures from 50 degrees right up to 185 degrees which is displayed on an LCD screen and it is suitable for all hair types. At any time you can increase or decrease the heat temperature.

As mentioned, my hair is naturally wavy, so whenever I do want my hair straight, I opt for straighteners and have always found them easy to use.  The Simply Straight brush is much easier. Firstly, you should only ever use the brush on dry hair, never wet and I find that I don't need to section my hair as much to use it.  As the brush heats up, I section my hair into 4 or 5 different bits and then slowly brush through my hair as I would do with my hair brush.  One thing that I like about this brush is that you don't feel the heat on your hands or near your head, unlike other appliances where 9 times out of 10 I will burn some part of my head.  It has a bit of weight in the brush but it isn't too heavy that you get arm ache part way through styling your hair and because the bristles are different lengths, to ensure each hair strand is touched, they don't feel hot against your head and if you have ever dropped a straightening iron and caught it (ouch) dropping this to catch it does not burn your hand, though please do not try it to prove a point.

Using the brush I have found that brushing through my hair twice is enough to leave it straight, then one final brush through before switching everything off, however if you are a bit forgetful, then it does turn itself off after 30 minutes.

For a product which costs just £39.99 I admit I was totally skeptical as were a lot of my friends, but having seen it in action at an event with JML (which I snapchatted) and having used it myself, I am actually blown away at how good it is.  Like most items it does take a bit of time to give it a try and get used to using it, but I absolutely love it and use it all of the time!  Once my hair is straightened then I can leave my hair for the rest of the day, only needing to brush through the following morning for those pesky little flyaways who curl themselves!  If you are still not convinced, then I have a before and after shot below, the only product used on my hair was heat defense spray from Toni & Guy.

As you can see, my hair has gone from a wavy dragged through the hedge backwards look to a much more sleek and straight style but with movement rather than being poker straight and stuck to my head.

What I like about this Simply Straight Brush is that I haven't burnt myself with it, I find it easy to handle, it is easy to use, it heats up quickly and it does the job it is designed for with no stress, no faff, no hassle and I love how quick it is.
. Available for just £39.99 and it comes with a Free Heat Mat and Travel Case

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise