Look Fantastic Beauty Box April 2016 #LFBlooms

This months LookFantastic Beauty box is beautifully bright and bold and is titled the #LFBLOOMS box. Put together to celebrate Earth Month, the April #LFBeautyBox is all about beauty with a difference. Filled with a selection of products which celebrate all things natural, organic and eco-friendly. Again, each box comes with the latest edition of Elle Magazine, which I am enjoying reading.

So, inside this months box there are 7 items to get acquainted with and there are some amazing brands featured. The first being Rituals Miracle Hand Scrub (£11.50). I adore Rituals as a brand and Jasmine Dream is one of my favourite candles. A Hand scrub is a product I am always in need of, so seeing this in the box was amazing. Infused with nourishing oils which deeply condition and nourish your skin, the delicate scent of Ginseng and Gingko Biloba are just divine and the little exfoliating particles work extremely well to remove dead and dry skin to leave behind hydrated and moisturised hands.

The second product is Balance Me Super Toning Body Polish (£6) uses anti-oxidant rich Juniper, Geranium, Lavender and Bergamot Essential Oils which help stimulate circulation to reduce toxins responsible for cellulite. Anti-oxidant rich Blackberry Leaf Extract which helps to boost skin's collagen production for firmer skin and finally ground Walnut Spheres gently exfoliate away dead skin cells for smoother, softer limbs. I have used this body polish before and was really impressed with it, it smells incredible and works really well to remove dead and dry skin.

Myvitamins effervescent vitamin and mineral tablets in Lemon flavour. There was a similar version of these in the January box and they are dissolvable in water and are said to make a great tasting drink. Effervescent tablets are ideal for anyone looking to increase their intake of vitamins for a healthier lifestyle. Again, I never ever take vitamins, so these have been put into the medicine cabinet for the time being.

Bloom and Blossom Bath and Shower Gel (£4). A foaming Bath and Shower Gel from Bloom and Blossom, a brand created by two Sister-in-laws with a passion for developing a natural skincare range for new and expecting mums. Enriched with vitamin E and organic cucumber extracts, the luxurious body wash is delicate to skin. The fragrance-free gel gently cleanses and hydrates skin to leave your whole body feeling silky smooth.

Tanworx by Monu Tan Maintainer (£7.50) - Hopefully we will see some Sunshine in Blightly over the summer so I can give this a try! Working to maintain your tan for longer the Tanworx tan maintainer is formulated with carrot oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil to moisturise the skin, plus Hyaluronic Acid and Seaweed. Perfect for avoiding steaks, the formula will help you to maintain your golden glow.

Briogeo Don't Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Hair Mask. I've never heard of this brand before but if you are suffering from dry, damaged, breaking or lifeless hair, often caused by chemical or color treatments, heat tools then this is for you. It is fortified with ultra-hydrating avocado, sweet almond & argan oils, strengthening keratin protein, power-conditioning rosehip oil, soothing aloe, and super hair-essential vitamins B5, D, A, E and biotin. This unique complex of targeted ingredients helps increase hair elasticity and moisture to prevent breakage, promotes healthy shine and luster, and replenishes strength.

The final item in the box is from Elemis and it is the British Botanical hand and nail butter. In my opinion you can never have too many tubes of hand cream, so I am pleased to see this in my box. Elemis have collaborated with artist Amanda Ross, known for her exquisitely detailed botanical prints, to create the British Botanical Hand and Nail Butter. Harnessing the powerful ingredients grown in the countryside, the formula is infused with a blend of lavender, geranium, chamomile and palmarosa to calm and soothe over-worked hands. A dose of burdock extract is combined with moabi butter and UK organic oat to replenish moisture and rejuvenate hands, whilst strengthening brittle nails and conditioning cuticles. Skin will be left smooth, comfortable and velvety soft with a delicate fragrance. Fast-absorbing and non-greasy it leaves your hands feeling soft, smooth and really well moisturised.

I think this is a really good box, there are some brands I am a huge fan of and some I have never used before to work my way through and each one is a decent enough size so that you can decide whether or not it is for you. The beauty box costs as little as £11.25 per month here and each month you are given the chance to win an extra prize worth over £100.

Vetiver Insolent By Miller Harris

Perfume is something I am obsessed with and wear it every day without fail, even if I am having a duvet day. Some people don't bother wearing it and others choose it for special occasions. I have perfumes that are special to me and I have some that I wear for different reasons or occasions and sometimes I am trialing perfumes to write about or to decide whether or not I like them. I do change my perfumes around depending on my mood and the time of year, in winter for example I like a much stronger and more vibrant scent to the Summer, where I will opt for something more fresh and light.

I was recently invited, as part of the ThirtyPlus Group to the Mayfair Store of Miller Harris for an evening of fragrance discovery and to hear about the launch of their new perfume, Vetiver Insolent.  Created by Lyn Harris, an elite perfumer whose training comes from one of Paris's most prestigious schools of perfume, she has over twenty years of experience working withing the perfumery industy and therefore knows a little mre than I do about fragrances. Situated in Mayfair, you get exactly what you expect to find at the Miller Harris store or I should say Boutique.  As soon as you walk in, the scents are enough to make you want to pick up every bottle which is expertly displayed and smell it.  I managed to hold fire (slightly taken off guard by some Sushi which tasted even better than it looked) drink some Prosecco and get myself involved in some wrist smelling and conversations with John, who took those of us present, on a scented journey.which was truly fascinated.  Starting with how the fragrance pyramid works and why certain ingredients are used to make the perfume 'notes'.  Most of us are aware that a perfume has top, middle and base notes to make up its fragrance with the top notes being the first scent we smell and the base note being the one which gives it the scent that settled on your skin.

With any Miller Harris scent you will not find fragrances which are 'On Trend' or for 'This Season' and nor will you find a his and her option, what you get is a scent that evolves and becomes itself from the person wearing it and how the fragrance interacts with their skin. Did you know that any given scent might not necessarily smell the same on any two people owing to that scent reacting with your body chemistry? Well I confess that I did know and it does explain why I like some fragrances on my skin and some I do not.

Having fallen in love with two different scents whilst working my way along the shelves, you can find them here on my Instagram, but the reason I was at the event was to be introduced to Vetiver Insolent. Its description

For those in whom the spirits live loudly, for those with mischief and courage. This audacious scent brings energy, action. It's the moment a face ensnares you, when a smile brings you under its spell, and you throw caution to the wind. At once rebellious and sensual, Vetiver Insolent has a natural aura, a charismatic allure. Its base is vetiver, a deep rooted grass from Haiti, full of sweet, fresh carthiness and an enemy of melancholia. Brazen notes of bergamot and cardamom engender curiosity, giving way to energising black pepper, elemi and a whisper of lavender.

It is a beautiful scent, unisex in every way and I am sure both the mister and I will be fighting over it at some stage, but be warned it has my name engraved on it, so it is therefore mine. As a scent it is one I shouldn't like because it is spicy and I prefer the florals, but it has captured me. From the first spritz it is outwardly masculine with its woody and earthy tones, but as it settles, the scent becomes much more crisp and sweet but not at all sickly and it lasts forever on the skin and for me that is always impressive. Vetiver Insolent is definitely going to be a scent you either love or hate, I expected to not like it, but I love it and I expect it to be a scent I wear all year round rather than per season.

Vetiver Insolent launched on the 9th of April 2016 (50ml, £65).