Jurlique Activating Water Essence

If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat then you may have seen the Jurlique event that I was lucky enough to attend. I am a huge fan of Jurlique and you might have seen some of their products mentioned rather alot across my social media, especially the Rose water balancing mist which I get through bottles of. 

This event was to celebrate the launch of the new Activating Water Essence, which will be an extra step in your skincare routine, but it is a step worth adding because it’s all about flooding your skin with hydration and then locking it in! I have combination skin which leans to the oily side and no water which company I have a skin scan with, one of the reports which comes back is hydration for my skin should be a top priority. Well this Water Essenceis designed to do just that. Packed with Marshmallow Root Extract, a botanical ingredient known for it’s soothing and hydrating properties.

Keeping your skin really hydrated allows it to function normally, stay healthy, and retain its smooth and soft appearance. But as we all know there are many factors that can cause your skin to become dehydrated. The natural ageing process and to much exposure to elements such as air conditioning, weather and pollution are just a few. So anything I can do to ensure my skin gets everything it needs is worth a try.

With my skincare routine, this product is used after I have cleansed. I tend not to use a toner everyday, but it would come after that if you do use one. Dropping just a few drops (3-4) onto the palms of my hands, rub them together and then press onto my skin. Having done that, it is then when I add my serum and moisturiser. So the Water Essence fits in the routine right in the middle.  The marshmellow route extract delivers lasting hydration while protecting your skin from moisture loss. It leaves skin feeling soft and healthy, and ready to absorb the full benefits of the rest of your skin care ritual.

One thing I have noticed since using this daily for the last 4 weeks is that my skin does feel much more hydrated to the touch.  I suffer with dry cheeks which often look chapped and sore, so far (touches all the wood) this hasn't yet happened and instead my skin is soft and smooth to the touch and as my skin isn't dry, my foundation stays in place for much longer and doesn't have anything to cling too when it comes to dry skin!

The Jurlique Activating Water Essence cost £40 and is available online from places such as Lookfantastic and on the highstreet from Debenhams.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

L’Occitane Arlesienne Fragrance and Skin Collection

L’Occitane have launched some absolutely stunning products this uear, including their amazing value for money Advent Calender which I reviewed here. The latest launch sees the beautiful Arlesienne Fragrance and Skin Collection which features three flowers which are described as being ‘full of character and depth’; so we have The Rose of Grasse, The Violet of Tourrettes-Sur-Loup and The Saffron of Provence. The collections consists of a fragrance which is the star of the collection, alongside many more bath and body products which all have the stunning Arlesienne fragrance.

The collection is described as follows:

Daring and gracious, the woman of the city of Arles encompasses the beauty of Provence. Elusive and attractive, she leaves a fragrant trail bursting with colour and life, that lingers wherever she goes. L'OCCITANE celebrates the beauty and refinement of this iconic woman with our Arlésienne collection; a subtle bouquet of rose for her grace, sweet violet for her mystery and saffron for her temperament.

Rose from Grasse, sweet violet and saffron from Provence come together in a floral fusion that reveals unexpected nuances. The Arlésienne fragrance evokes the woman of Arles - full of mystery, beauty and grace.

L’Occitane Arlesienne Eau de Toilette 75ml £49 - If you like your floral fragrances, then you will love this because it is just such a stunning scent. It belongs to the Musky Floral family and has Head notes of Bergamot Essense, Saffron Extract, Galbanum and Hawthorn Accord. Immediately when it is spritzed the bergamot note bursts into life for the citrus effect and is settled with Saffron and the slight almondy scent of Hawthorn alongside the greenness of Galbanum. The heart notes of May Rose Absolute and Violet Leaf Absolute brings to life the floralness of the perfume which is quite intense but as the base notes of Musk, Ambrette, Sandalwood and Ambrox settle the fragrance down, the floral and musk notes come together and this fragrance is feminine without question. 

As always with an EDT from L'Occitane, the longevity is amazing because it just lasts and lasts for hours and on clothes, you can still catch it the following day.

L’Occitane Arlesienne Beauty Milk 250ml £21. A moisturising body milk, fragranced with the irresistibly floral and deeply captivating scent of Arlésienne. Enriched with organic shea butter, it moisturises the skin and enhances its beauty. The velvety texture envelops the body in a delicate scent with hints of Grasse rose, violet and saffron from Provence. These three flowers, symbolic of Provence, exude both an innocent softness and a bold sensuality. Is the description given to this body milk and it is just as the description states.

The Milk itself is lovely and silky and on the skin it is just incredibly nourishing on the skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth to the touch. The fragrance, which matches the perfume, is just as stunning and of course when worn together, that scent becomes more intense and longer lasting.

This is for me, another amazing collection from L'Occitane and one worth looking out for is a musky floral is your kind of fragrance. With an entire collection which spans handcreams, shower gels, hair mists, lip balms and soaps to name but a few, there are gift sets that would make the most amazing present!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

MUA Luxe The Art Of Illuminaton

My obsession with Highlighters has been further indulged with the release of this amazing MUA Luxe The Art of Illumination Highlighter collection. I was lucky enough to attend an event which showcased each and every product and gave a masterclass in using each product and how and where to apply it your own highlighter depending upon your face shape.

The collection is inspired by the highlighting phenomenon but with an Autumnal twist. Within the collection is a trio of new products aimed to give you that perfect highlight and with each product being totally different, there is something for everything depending upon your need. Designed to emphasise, minimise or balance facial features depending upon your face shape.  I love that there is a mixture of textures within this range and there is something for everyone depending upon your need.

For me the star of the show is the The Luxe Glow Beam Liquid Cushion (£6) which is a luxuriously lightweight, gold highlighter, it gives an almost rose gold hue when swatched and is so light and delicate it has been used almost everyday since it came into my possession.

As a liquid highlighter and cushion highlighter at that, it is different to anything else I have used to date and I love that I can use the accompanying sponge or my fingertips.

The one item which is totally different to anything else I have seen or own is the MUA Luxe Glow Beam Highlighting Powder (£5). Featuring a unique rotary compact which crushes the powder, a dusting of fine particles appear as it rotates creating a beautiful golden dust!  

This product can be used on the face and the body and it gives such an amazing colour payoff, you only need such a small amount.  Again, I found this easiest to apply with a blending brush and using the pot to tap off any excess powder, it also works well around the tear duct.

If a highlighter palette is more your thing then this MUA Luxe Radiant Illumination Highlight Kit #1(£5) is perhaps for you. The palette contains both soft and radiant powder highlighters in 6 shades which are both matte and shimmer formulas. The beauty of these shades is that they can be layered together or applied separately depending upon how much or little of a glow you want.

As you can see from the swatches, the top three shades are more matte with a cream, pink and slightly yellow shades and the bottom three take on a slight shimmer with a gold, beige and peach shade (right to left). 

So now I have my new products, I needed to know how to get the best use out of them. Thankfully I was provided with these amazing diagrams with a backlight to help me out and this is where I should be highlighting with a round face:

The card states that if you have a round face and want to add dimension then add highlight to the centre of the face to pull your features forward. You can also highlight your upper cheek bones and under your eyebrow arch. So where you can see on the facechart the white highlighted dots, that there is where I should now highlight.  There are also face charts for Oval, Heart and Square.

These are amazing items which you need to add to your stash and they will be much needed and used as the festive season approaches.  Available now at Superdrug.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise