Ted Baker Purse Spray

When I took the Ted Baker test to see which Purse Spray I was most like, I was quite surprised.  The Purse Sprays comes in four different scents and are 10ml each in size, so they are perfect for popping into your handbag.

So here is the test - which one are you?

I spent a few minutes pondering my response to each question and my repsonses mostly matched B which is Polly.

So let me introduce Polly** to you:

Polly is described as follows "Girly yet grown up, Polly's a sweet Heart with a wild streak. For Ladies who like to spice things up, she's the ultimate partner-in-crime on a girl's night out.  This sweet floral aroma begins with juicy tones of mandarin, red berries and peach whilst the Heart entwines white jasmine, honeysuckle and peony with shades of vanilla, amber, patchouli and white musk in the Base".

As soon as I spritzed this on my wrist to get a scent, the first thing you notice is that mixture of floral and juicy tones together which smell simply divine. Once it has been sprayed the scent is fairly strong to begin with and once it settles down it lasts for hours and I can wear this all day at work and still smell it on my clothes when I am on my home after a 9 hour day.

I really like the bottle this perfume comes in, taking on the Ombre look with its purple bottle, the lid features the Ted Baker initials and really makes for a stunning finish.

Retailing at just £15, this perfume is perfect for carrying in your handbag and it looks pretty alongside the rest of your collection.

Spring Breaks in the Sun: Suitcase Essentials

It’s no surprise that many of us are dreaming of faraway lands; the weather in the UK is shocking at the moment and while spring should, technically, be around the corner, who knows when the nice weather will eventually turn up! In the meantime, visions of sun, sea and sand wouldn’t go amiss and with plenty of last minute deals available online, we wouldn’t blame you if you decided to go ahead and book. But, what should you pack to ensure that you will look and feel great? Many holiday destinations offer milder climes at this time of year, so you may wish to think about your staple holiday wardrobe and what you should take to ensure you’re warm, no matter what.

Swimwear

If the weather behaves itself and the winds stay low, you’ll undoubtedly head for the pool or the beach at least a couple of times during your break. Whether it’s an all-in-one cozzie, a tankini or one of the many bikinis on the market that take your fancy, there’s bound to be a perfect piece of swimwear available for you. Take a look at the George bikinis for some fabulous, affordable style inspiration.

Don’t forget to take something that you can use as a beach bag too, rather than trying to lug everything by hand every time you fancy bronzing your bod!

Day Clothes

Shorts and vest tops wouldn’t go amiss, but pack a few t shirts with short sleeves and cap sleeves, too. Depending on where you’re going, a couple of thin, long sleeve tops may be handy too, just in case it’s a little mild one day.

Evening Clothes

The evening is a great opportunity to dress up, whether you’re staying at the hotel restaurant or you’re venturing out into the resort. Your trusty little black dress would be ideal, and can be accessorised with jewellery, sandals and scarves or pashminas so that if you’re trying to travel light, it can be reworn. Maxi dresses are also a winner, while cotton or linen trousers with a simple strappy top or blouse would be perfect for an elegant evening.

Sun Hat

Even if you’re expecting mild weather, you can never be too sure. Pack a hat just in case the sun comes out in full force and remember that you can still burn, even if there’s cloud cover. Make sure you have plenty of suncream with you, too.

Light Jacket

You never know, do you? If you don’t pack a jacket, chances are you’ll be faced with a rainy or chilly day. Pack one, just in case, and at least you’re ready for it if the weather does take a turn for the worse.

Whether you are holidaying for a weekend, a week or more, packing appropriately can help you to ensure that your wardrobe requirements are covered, no matter what weather comes your way. While the UK’s weather is renowned for being a little unpredictable, you can never be too sure when you’re abroad, either!











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Primark Body Essentials Argan Scrub

I am a bit of an impulse shopper, a bit of a magpie when I see things that sound good, are a bargain price and make a few promises, I buy them.  Sometimes those products are amazing, sometimes they are disappointing - this product was the latter.

For £2.50 in Primark, I came across Body Essentials Argan range within which was a body scrub with Argan oil and a promise that it would remove dead skin cells leaving skin smoothed and polished. Hmmm £2.50 this could have been the product of all products had if worked, but for me it didn't.

It says "Treat your body with intensely conditioning argan oil. This body scrub removed dead skin cells whilst smoothing the skin leaving it feeling refreshed, polished and smelling delicious".

Well it does smell nice, but not what I would call delicious, when I think of a body scrub that is delicious I am drawn to the Soap and Glory a Breakfast scrub which smells amazing, this scrub smells like a weak coconut smoothie, though it doesn't contain coconut.

Then when it comes to using on your body, it does say that for a deeper exfoliation you can use it in dry skin before showering or when in the shower on damp skin massage it on using circular motions.  The cream is a fairly thick consistency and there are small exfoliating particles in it, but I personally think the cream is too thick for those particles to work as they should, so it doesn't do a very good job at exfoliating, it's main purpose.  When you do manage to get to the exfoliating particles they don't exfoliate that well and you can barely feel them on the skin, even if you apply a lot of pressure.  I found it particularly hard to use and ended up reaching for the Soap and a Glory Breakfast scrub to finish the job I had started.

I have used this quite a few times over the past few months, I say that because I feel it would be unfair to use it once and then state I am not too impressed with it.  I have tried using it before I shower, when I am in the shower and even when I am in the bath and I get the same result, well no result actually.  The only thing it does is make my skin feel really dry after using it, so I am instantly reaching for one of my moisturises as soon as I have patted my skin dry.

For £2.50 I am really saddened this hasn't worked for me because I had high hopes, maybe it works better for other people, but for me it is a product that I wouldn't repurchase and one that is heading for the bin because I won't be finishing the tube.

My Skin and Me

For as long as I can remember I have had red blemishes on my cheeks, some refer to it as Roseacea and others mild flushing, whatever it is, it sometimes really annoys me and I do as much as I can to cover it up with make-up.

As you can see from the two photos below, taken inside and outside, the redness is clearly visible for all to see.

So I was asked if I would like to try some products that might help combat the blemishes by Salcura Antiac Skincare line** which I have seen on Channel 4's embarrassing bodies.   Naturally I agreed to try some to see if there was anything, other than lots of BB cream and foundation that could hide, cover and get rid of the redness.

So I was sent these lovely products to try.  All Salcura products contain an ingredient called Sea Buckthorn oil which is referred to as a 'Super Ingredient' and it helps to reduce inflammation, it calms and soothes the skin and helps to nourish and cleanse the skin.

Derma Spray -  This product is said to have a proven track record and is our most effective and practical solution for eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, rosacea and other related skin conditions.  You can and it is suggested that you spray this onto your face 3-4 times a day, so I tend to use this only at weekends and when it is on the skin, it instantly absorbs itself and leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturised.  Designed for people with dry skin, another condition I tend to suffer from on my cheeks more than anywhere and since using this, I have noticed a big difference.  It does contain Tea Tree Oil and Eucalyptus Oil which give it a definite scent. It retails for £14.99 for 100ml but there are other sizes available.

Face Hydrator - This product contains Omega 3,6,7 and ( and is designed to give your skin maximum deep hydration and it is designed for itchy, dry and sensitive facial skin.  I do have a slight itchyness on my cheeks where my redness is this gives an almost instant end to that itchy feeling, I was actually really surprised the first time I used it that I didn't want to scratch my face as much.  It retails for £11.99

Daily Face Wash - It is pH neutral and again contains no nasties and it doesn't leave your skin feeling dry after using.  You are told to use it morning and evening which I have been doing and as a wash it is light, unscented and lathers up really well once it has come into contact with water.  This face wash retails for £8.49

Daily Face Wipes - Yes, before some of you start typing in capital letters in the comment box below about the evils of face wipes, these ones contain no nasties and nor will they leave your skiin feeling really dry after using.  They are really moisturising and offer effective deep cleansing, ideal for on the go and they help remove hardened sebum (yuck) as well as excess oils, dirt and grime.  They retail for £6.99 and you get around 25 wipes.

Activ Liquid Spray - Designed to be used after cleansing the skin, you apply the spray onto your hands or a clean cotton wool pad and massage into the areas which are most affected.  As soon as it touches the skin it instantly absorbs itself. I found this spray to be quite cooling and refreshing when applied to the skin and from all of the products within this range, so far this has been my favourite.  It retails for £9.99

So having used them for the last month I am sure you want to know whether or not there is any difference, so here are my after photos and I would love to know what you think:

So what do you think?

All Salcura products are free from chemicals that are known to cause additional sensitisation of the skin.  Totally free from parabens, SLS, perfumes, steroids, antibiotics, hormones, lanolin, cortisones, soaps, phthalates and peroxides.