Michael Bublé - By Invitation

When it comes to perfumes I am obsessed with them, I have ones which mean a lot to me, I love discovering new ones and there is a firm list of ones I detest. It is a personal thing. I keep saying that I am not a fan of celebrity fragrances but every now and again, one comes into my life and I adore it - Meet By Invitation from Michael Bublé.

With most perfumes it is often the packaging that does a lot of the selling and I am guilty of wanting to try a scent because it looks pretty and then you get brands like Chanel who use classic packaging and they are just cult items. For me By Invitation has the wow factor and I would definitely pick it up in the store to try it out. The gold pull off cap and circular design of the bottle which is then suspended in a gold bracelet definitely catches the eye, it looks elegant and is stylish.

Does the scent live up to the design of the bottle? Admittedly this was not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting By Invitation to be overly sweet and overly smelling of Vanilla... thankfully it is not. Described as being a crisp floral oriental fragrance, it has top notes of bergamot and red fruits which give a hit of fruit as soon as the perfume is spritzed. The heart notes of lily of the valley, elegant rose, wild jasmine and spice peony are are just stunning and mix really well with the top notes to give that crisp scent. As it settles on the skin, the base notes of sandalwood-musks mixed with vanilla praline give it that hint of vanilla which whilst evident doesn't overpower the entire scent, it is there in the background as the florals take control to create an absolutely beautiful fragrance.

Once on the skin this perfume has amazing longevity, it is one that you can spritz in a morning and it lingers throughout the day and what I love is that a it begins to fade, the floral notes come through to just give you enough of a whiff to remind you it is still there.

By Invitation Michael Buble is available for £55 for 100ml, £39 for 50ml and £29 for 30ml.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers

Lip Lacquers are a thing right now, whether you like them or not.  I got to see the new MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers at a recent event and became quite obsessed with them. 

The formula glides onto your lips, is really quick to dry and it leaves behind a lovely matte finish. However, once it does dry, it does not budge. So having been told this is like telling a child not to touch wet paint... you have to try it out, so I did. 

One swatch of each colour up my arm and yes they do dry quickly, infact each swatch dried before I had started the next and once all 5 shades had been completely swatched, they didn't budge at all. I washed up, cleaned the bathroom, wiped my arm with a face wipe, used Micellar water and still no colour transfer. Eventually, I removed all trace of each shade with makeup removing gel from L'Occitane and a few cotton wool pads.

As you can see from the swatch above, the five shades are incredible shades from left to right you can see Firecracker, Hustle, Splash, Posie and Flair, so there is everything you you need from a bright vibrant red, two differing neutral shades, a berry shade and for the daring among you, the blue which is just a beautiful shade.

So yes they are really long lasting, smudge proof and the colour pigmentation pay off is just stunning. Did I mention they cost just £3 each .



*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Lush Snow Fairy Body Conditioner

As soon as Snow Fairy hits those Lush shelves, you know Christmas is coming and it is one Lush product I look forward to treating myself too. This year there has been a little addition to the Snow Fairy family with a Body Conditioner.

With a description as dreamy as this "Candy floss water sets the scene, evoking the excitement of enchanting fairgrounds and disappearing bites of sugary fluff. To enter this otherworldly carnival, you need only step into the shower," you would be hard pushed not to pick it up and try it, or if you are like me, you go over to the lovely Lush staff and ask for a demo with a full pot in your hand.

 

Like the shower gel, this body conditioner is thick, creamy and smells like heaven, if you are a Snow Fairy fan you will love it. Bright pink in colour, it is rich and buttery and is to be used as you shower like a shower gel.

Packed full of avocado butter, mango butter and a cherry infusion, this a slightly stronger scented Snow Fairy fragrance and one which lasts a lot longer too. Ingredients within Lush products are chosen for a reason. So with Avocado butter it is packed full of natural oils and is rich, nourishing, and softening and as it soothes and conditions the skin, it re-hydrates at the same time. Mango Butter softens the skin without leaving it feeling greasy and it has moisturising, lubricating and damage-repairing properties. Finally is the cherry infusion which not only adds a sweet layer to the scent but because of its stringent properties it makes a great natural skin toner and antioxidant.  So add all that together with some Cocoa butter and you won't be surprised to have super soft, smooth and moisturised skin.

This is the first time I have used a Lush body conditioner so I am always thankful for the instructions on the side of the pot. Basically, just before you get out of the shower or bath (shower for me) you smother on as much or as little as you feel you need and cover the areas/body parts that you feel are in need of a little more moisturising and softening, naturally you need to stand out of the way of the water as you do this otherwise it will just run off your skin. Then once you have finished, allow your water to rinse of the conditioner from the skin, pat yourself dry and then within the next half an hour your skin will just feel incredible. If you enjoy a weekly pampering session, this is a great product to use as your bath runs, again cover yourself in it where you need too and then lie back and let the cream do the work for you.

Unsurprisingly to those who know me, I absolutely adore this product. Not only does it smell amazing, but because it is a stronger scent than Snow Fairy, it lasts just so much longer and you can literally smell it all day long on your skin.  It also leaves your skin feeling so soft, smooth and incredible to the touch. It isn't greasy or cloying on the skin, it does what it says it will do and basically grab it now before it disappears from the shelves.

Priced at £13.95 for a 200ml tub, you can find Lush Snow Fairy Body Conditioner right HERE

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise