Nutmeg - Are you Savvy?

“Greed is good” or so said Gordon Gecko from the 1980s hit film Wall Street. With inflation rates and interest rates running at all time lows, the simple reality for most savers is that simply depositing money in the bank will see little returns or the actual erosion of the initial capital (the amount you originally put in the bank).

Nutmeg, who London’s Evening Standard (the evening newspaper in the capital) called “an online wealth manager causing a stir” is a website that offers all kinds of financial products, tips and advice from Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) to personal pensions.

When I was asked to take a look at their website and jot down my thoughts I have to admit that I logged on with some knowledge of financial services, BeautykingUK having worked in the sector for a good ten years (ten years ago) and some of that knowledge (read boring facts) rubbed off.

For the less investment savvy Nutmeg is perfect. The site is brilliantly laid out for the novice, written in plain English and really is geared up to help you and I, the general public navigate the veritable minefield that is investing your hard earned cash.

This is what Nutmeg say about themselves:

‘Based on your information, we build and manage a portfolio for you, diversifying your investments to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Our experienced investment team monitors your portfolio, adjusting the asset allocation appropriately and rebalancing every month — at no extra cost.

In this way, we aim to produce our best return, at low cost, for the risk level you choose.’

After scouting around the site some of the most important things to factor into your own investment portfolio and decision making process as to whether you should actually invest are your own attitude to risk, the fees your investment manager will charge and the size of any pooled investments.

While attitude to risk, affordability and product choice is down to individual circumstances, the Nutmeg website is clear and dedicates an entire page to their fee structure. So, all open and above board.

In addition to this, there are lots of helpful sections of generic advice for new investors or those who already have holdings elsewhere. Great stuff.

Before deciding whether or not you should take the plunge and develop your own portfolio I would strongly recommend that you seek independent financial advice from an advisor regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The website is easy to navigate, has a great search function and explains everything in language that the man, or woman on the street will understand. Investing doesn’t have to be a minefield and I would recommend Nutmeg as a good place to start your investment journey.

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Lilash & LiBrow - Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancing Serum

Lilash is a brand that I have come to recognise across Social Media and being happy to jump on the bandwagon to try it out for myself, I was sent this lovely little package**.

Inside there are two tubes, one for your eyelashes and one for your brows, plus this incredibly cute and handy mirror, making application an absolute breeze. Both of these serums have been designed to enhance your eyes natural beauty by promoting growth of your lashes and eye brows. 

Now I was something of a little plucker when I was younger and then I had a total nightmare a few years ago when a well known department store almost left me with no eyebrows and they are taking their time (and revenge I am sure) to grow back, so anything I can do to help that process I am willing to try, I have major brow envy of so many people.

So my tube of LiLash® demi is said to contain a complete three-month Induction Cycle. This is the recommended size for anyone who, like me, are interested and intrigued by the entire concept.  Once you have tried it and decide you love it, you can purchase bigger tubes

Again, my tube of LiBrow® demi contains one complete three-month Induction Cycle and with Lilash, this is again the recommended size for trying it out and then once you love it, opt for a bigger tube, which gives you 6 months worth of treatment instead of the three.

To use, you apply the eyelash serum once a day directly on the skin of your upper eyelid along the lash line, just as you would do with a liquid eyeliner. Every time you apply, alternate the direction of the stroke from outer to inner and visa versa.  Once you have applied it, you leave it to dry for 2-3 minutes and then apply your make-up as you usually would.  I was surprised that firstly the serum is quite lightweight, so there is no dripping and there is no chemical scent.  Once it dries, you would never know there was anything there, it disappears into the skin with no trace.

The Brow serum is used in the exact same way, use it once daily and apply it directly on the skin of your brow area and again, every time you apply, alternate the direction of the stroke from outer to inner and visa versa. You only need to apply the serum once in a single stroke and it takes less than 30 seconds once you get the hang of it.  Once the serum has dried, again in 2-3 minutes, you can apply your make up as you would normally do.

I have been using these products for a few weeks and will do an update in a few weeks, but this was my eyelashes and eyebrows before I started the treatment and I cannot wait to see what happens!

Have you tried Lilash? Is it something you would want to try?