Hersey & Son London Silversmith Zodiac Necklace

There are a lot of things I love about jewellery and if you give me the chance to create something, I am absolutely in my element. 

M. C. Hersey & Son Ltd is a Silversmiths workshop based in London manufacturing sterling silver tableware as well as jewellery and silver gifts. The founder of the company, Michael Hersey, established the business in 1971 having served 16 years as a silver spinner in Soho and Clerkenwell, starting as an apprentice at William Comyn's workshop in 1955. His son, Stewart, joined him in 1981 after training as a silversmith at The Sir John Cass School of Art, now part of London Guildhall University and at Grant Macdonald's workshop in Southwark.

When Hersey & Son Ltd got in contact to ask if I would like to create my own personalised necklace I jumped at the chance, anything that is personalised to me is always a winning and the combination of including my Zodiac sign makes it all the more special.  As I am a July baby, my starsign is Cancerian and if you are very much into reading your horoscopes and finding out what you are like, your personality traits and so on, I am very much the typical Cancerian.  

Cancer, the crab symbol, is the Zodiac for people born between 21 June - 22 July. The nurturers of the Zodiac, Cancer's are tenaciously loyal and loving, nurturing and protective.

For my necklace I chose the Cancerian starsign which is the crab and with it the initial R for my first name followed by a ruby gemstone.

My necklace came beautifully wrapped in a monogrammed box, with an accompanying cleaning cloth, something a lot of jewellery brands should take note of, because they are important and handy things to have.

Wear your Zodiac, Initial and Birthstone, or those of your loved ones; choose your favourite colour gemstone and match with an engraved locket; pick a moon or star pendant and pair it with the initials of your children and Zodiac of your husband. Sitting elegantly alongside each other, these pendants have been designed to fit together in a myriad of ways, so you can create your own story. A covetable gift that will be treasured for years to come.

This necklace is described as being designed in London and hand cast in Birmingham, these tactile sterling silver Zodiac pendants have a beaded edge and a Zodiac symbol intricately carved in relief. The back of the pendant is flat and suitable for engraving up to 25 characters, making these silver pendants a perfect gift.  The route to designing your perfect Zodiac pendant is incredibly easy with a guide to help through each step - choosing your chain length and then working through choosing your zodiac sign, whether or not you would like a birthstone and the charm being engraved and finally the choice of adding an initial to really make it personal.

The whole necklace from the chain to the charm and even the initial is just stunning, it sits nice and flat against my chest, it isn't too too short, it is very shiny, the crab is almost 3D and when the necklace is worn, it stands on from the disc, the R initial isn't too big that it dominates the jewellery piece and I love the Ruby gemstone, something I don't have much of.

If you are looking for a gift this Christmas and want to add a personal touch, then I cannot recommend Hersey & Son London Silversmiths enough, whether the gift is for a child, a loved one, a friend or even a little gift for yourself, it is worth absolutely every penny.  

Do you have any jewellery with your starsign featured on it?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Glossybox Limited Edition Black Friday Box - Just £10*

A surprise from Glossybox this week and it comes in the form of a Limited Edition, black and rose gold designed beauty box, just for Black Friday.  There are lots of incredible bargains and deals to be had this week, some of which I have listed here.  However, if you love a good beauty box, then this one, which is priced at just £10 is worth every single penny.

Inside this Black Friday box, you will no less than 10 makeup, skincare, haircare and body care products, so not only do you get an amazing box, it is an amazing box at an incredible price and this is what you might find inside.

If you love makeup and are a fan of the brand MUA, then this Bronzed Perfection Shimmer in Sahara Sunlight will grab your attention.  Described as being a product to help you fight the winter blues and give that sun-kissed glow.  The powder is highly-pigmented and on the skin, it gives a lovely warmth look.

Hand cream at this time of the year is a hand cream and within this box, Soaper Duper with the Super Light Shea Butter Hand Cream (Tuberose) is next out of the box.  Formulated with 98% natural ingredients, it combines softening Shea butter and macadamia oil, hydrating coconut water and Aloe Vera alongside soothing kukui oil which leaves my hands just feeling so incredibly soft, smooth and soothed!  I never ever remember to wear gloves, despite owning around 4-5 pairs and when it is cold, wet, windy and just horrendous outside, my hands suffer.  I love that you need just a small pea-sized amount of this cream for your hands.

Next we have Imperial Leather with Foamburst Pampering Lychee and Lotus Flower and this smells just incredible.  Described as being a blend of lychee and lotus flower, this body wash is a treat for both your skin and senses.  It has a really rich formula which, if you have used a product like this before, you will know creates a whole lot of foam, so less is definitely more!  I adore the scent of this, it lingers slightly on the skin after using and is really hydrating.

A brand I have come to know through Glossybox is Laqa & Co and within this Limited Edition box we have Cloud Lips in the shade Daydream.  The winter months for me is all about Berry lips and deep red shades and Cloud Lips ticks both of those boxes.  It is a highly pigmented, full coverage lipstick which whilst having a warm pink hue, also has a really delicate but wearable purple tint.  It contains avocado oil to keep your lips hydrated and once applied, it lasts on my lips for around 3-4 hours before I need to re-apply.

One brand I know very little about is Unicorn Cosmetics and within this box we have the UC Beauty Egg.  Beauty blenders come in all shapes and sizes and most cosmetic brands seem to have their very own version. From Unicorn Cosmetics, is a Beauty Egg that looks very similar to other products I have used and it is designed to be used in exactly the same way, so I am looking forward to giving it a try!

Looking after your lips is an absolute must all year round and I hold my hands up and admit to being a lip balm addict.  In this box Carmex has included their Moisture Plus Hydrating Lip Tint which is not only formulated using natural moisturising ingredients, it also adds a touch of colour to the lips as well and in your box you will either find Pouty Pink, which is the shade I have or Mauved Up.

Hair care is as important as skincare as far as I am concerned and within this box we have Noughty Haircare with their Intensive Care Leave-In Conditioner. Described as being 97% natural, this conditioner states that it will revive your dry, frizzy and damaged locks. It uses sweet almond oil extract alongside argan oil to re-balance the hairs moisture levels whilst at the same time it works to protect and strengthen your hair.

I love a good face mask, so I was delighted to see Vitamasques within my box. The Diamond Gold Dust sheet mask is as the product names states - a sheet mask infused with gold dust as well as diamond powder and pearl extract. It’s job is to brighten and moisturise your skin and it needs just 20 minutes of your time!

Glossybox has treated us to two hair products this time. The second one is the Novex Mystic Black Mask. This deep conditioning mask is enriched with baobab oil which has naturally hydrating properties and is full of nutrients to leave your hair smooth, frizz free and having a healthy shine.

The final product sits within the makeup category and it is from Affect Cosmetics with the Matt Effect Transparent Loose Rice Powder.  Using mice and rice starch, this setting powder is said to give your makeup a professional-looking, matte finish.  I am a huge fan of setting powders and have used the same one for a good few years now, so I am looking forward to trying something new, especially as it is a brand I have never used.

So there you have one huge box of products, ten in total and the price of this box is just £10 for those who are subscribers to Glossybox and £15 for everyone else.  Keep your eye on the box going live right here and grab it quick!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

SILKUP Pillowcase – the perfect beauty sleep companion

I am an absolute convert to sleeping on a silk pillowcase, not something I thought I would ever say, but I have quite a few different branded ones and if you have never tried them, I really recommend you do.  On the blog today I am sharing a new silk pillowcase from a brand called SILKUP.

SILKUP is perhaps best known for its Luna Silk Hair Wrap, which by the way looks just amazing. As SILKUP state, we all want to have stronger, healthier hair, spending money, time and effort making it look its best during the day. But have you ever thought about the damage you are causing at night when you lay your head down on your pillow?  That question is one I had never thought about until I read about the benefits of sleeping on silk and they include:

• Reduced sleep creases
• Reduced thinning of the hair and split ends
• Keeps hair moisturised
• Promotes Growth
• Kinder to sensitive skin
• Helping the body to regulate the correct temperature

I am one of those people who will wake up at night because the pillow I am sleeping on is too hot, I turn the pillow over to the cooler side. I've got cold gel inserts to help regulate the temperature, I have slept on cold towels that have spent the day in the fridge.  I have noticed the sleep creases and I have suffered from horrendous friction and frizz, all of which can only come from one thing - my pillowcase.

The SILKUP pillowcase is made from 100% mulberry silk (19 momme) and features a hidden zip fastening to not only keep your pillowcase in place but also ensure it won't snag on your hair. Each pillowcase is designed to fit a standard international/queen size pillow

I was kindly gifted a SILKUP pillow in Midnight Blue, the most beautiful shade of blue as you can see above and it comes wonderfully packaged with the minimal amount of creases, though once it has been put onto your pillow and smoothed, the creases disappear.  As well as being available in Midnight Blue, you can also find two further shades - Graphite which is black and Stone which is Beige.

As I have said, investing in a silk pillowcase is absolutely something I would now do, having been lucky enough to try a few brands now, as I have said, it has been quite the experience.  So why silk?

Benefits of Silk Pillowcases

As mentioned, not only does a silk pillowcase feel luxurious to sleep on, they have many benefits for your hair, your skin and of course you.  

Silk is a natural material and hosts anti-static properties which in turn can reduce friction on the hair as well as helping to improve your hairs quality and it has been said there has been a reduction in thinning, split ends and frizz. A silk pillowcase also helps with extending the life of a blow-dry by two days, reducing the need to restyle in the morning and therefore avoiding any additional heat damage.   The latter point I am pleased to say is absolutely true and is one of the first things I was able to put to the test.

When it comes to your skin, sleeping on a silky-smooth surface with little friction is said to minimise the look of facial lines and wrinkles.  Now thankfully, my lines and wrinkles are not noticeable and it isn't something I can claim works, but for me, the claim that helping skin to retain moisture is something I was intrigued by.  As a beauty blogger, I am lucky to receive a lot of products to try and test and there is, on some occasions, I purchase the products I have been sent, so spending money on products is not something I want to see wasted.  What I have found so that a silk pillowcase doesn't absorb anything that I apply, there are no marks left on the pillow and over the last 6 months, there has been a change to my skin and how it feels.  It is by no means flawless, but the dryness I have on both cheeks, something I have mentioned regularly on this blog, has got better, it is still there, but nowhere near as flaky and irritated as it has been.

Also important to note is that Silk is naturally hypoallergenic which can help reduce the symptoms of allergies repelling bed and dust mites, dust, pollen and other airborne allergens.

So What Makes Silkup Pillowcases different?

There are a lot of brands who now offer silk pillowcases, I have four different branded ones on my bed, one has been featured and there are two others yet to come.  But what makes SILKUP different? 

Nichola Stott, SILKUP Founder said: “Sleeping on silk is a great way to help your skin maintain its natural moisture. Not only does it feel luxurious against your skin, we have found we save money on the skincare products we use as our skin is able to retain more moisture.”

SILKUP’s also has a vision to transition the world towards zero-waste hair and beauty products through their high quality, innovative products designed to help reduce the number of products needed on your hair and skin. By using their products, you will see an improvement in the appearance of your skin and hair, meaning less money spent on products and less time spent styling hair.

Price and Availability

Each pillowcase from SILKUP is priced at £58 and they can be found right here.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.