Isle of Wight Natural Candle Company - plus reader offer!

Autumn here and the candles are burning quicker than they do all year round and I always seem to run my selection right down during the autumn months, even though I burn candles all year round.

Anyway, today I want to introduce you to some new candles called Isle of Wight Natural candle company and each candle is lovingly hand poured in the Garden Workshop.  Each candle has the highest quality soy wax to ensure they deliver a perfect, cool, even burn, with no toxic chemicals in sight such as petrochemicals! One of the aims of the IWNC.Co is to make paraffin wax a thing of the past, and introduce the clean, tunnel free burn that all candle fans deserve!

I was very kindly sent a Lavender and Lavender & Bergamot scented candles and as soon as I opened the box, the scent was absolutely amazing. If like me you are a big fan of Lavender, then you will love this, it is just as though you have been walking through the Lavender fields, the scent is that fresh.  As soon as you place the candles in a room or within two different rooms as I have done, even after a few minutes the scent is really noticeable and that is before they are alight.

The Lavender and Beragmot candle is described as being one that will "instantly restores a sense of calm and balance. The cleansing fragrance of Lavender has been celebrated for centuries, and is said to relieve tension and headaches; paired with the fresh and uplifting notes of Bergamot it provides the perfect indulgence for any time of day".

The Lavender candle is describe as being one that will "melt away the tension and strains of the day melt away as you drift off to a deeply relaxing place. The aromatherapeutic benefits of Lavender have stood the test of time, restoring a sense of wellbeing for many".

These candles come in three different sizes and three different prices and I was quite surprised at how good value they are.  A small candle which will burn for approximately 19 hours costs just £5.50.  A medium sized candle which will burn for around 36 hours is only £10.50 and the biggest candle which burns for around 45 hours is an absolute bargain at £13.50, details of which you can find on the homepage linked above.

All I can say about these candles is that they smell every bit as wonderful as you can imagine from their description.  Both are extremely relaxing, both leave a lovely scent to flow throughout the hour and if burned together, really compliment one another well. 

If you would like to try one of these candles, I have a discount code just for you, simply type in BEAUTYQUEEN15** at the checkout for a lovely little discount and it covers all sized candles, but do it quick because it expires on 7th November!

Do these sound like the type of candles you would enjoy?

***Enter promo code at the check out. Discount code not to be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts. Offer expires 31/10/14

WOW Facemask

Now I love a good face mask and I have tried quite a few in my time. I try to make it a weekly ritual that I will spend at least 2 hours of me time to pamper myself from head to foot. When I was asked if I would like to try the new WOW mask, I hadn't finished reading the introductory blurb before i quickly responded 'Yes please'.

That blurb reads as follows:

"WOW mask is a brand NEW Bio-­peptide Aqua Gel mask that contains innovative natural ingredients to restore the skin’s tone, elasticity and hydration to reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles. It releases the essence of nature’s most potent skin-loving plants at exactly the right speed for your skin to get the maximum benefit".

The packaging of the mask is quite something and there are little anecdotes which really made me chuckle such as "WOW are dedicated to the caused of perfect looking skin without the intervention of needles or a pact with the devil" an important yet light hearted statement.

Clinicians in Switzerland and beauty fanatics in California came together to develop this mask using ingredients that help to restore the skin’s tone, elasticity and hydration as well as to reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles. The mask isn't a cream, lotion, potion, powder or watery substance, instrad it is a Bio-peptide Aqua Gel Mask, which comes in two pieces to cover your face.

When it comes to using the mask, you need to ensure that your face is as clean as it can be and then dried. Then placing both sheets on your face, allow it at least five minutes to settle onto your skin, the reason for this is because it does feel a little slippery when first applied, but given those five minutes, all you need to do is sit back and relax for between 20-40 minutes as per the description on the packaging. After those allotted minutes, of which I chose 40, you simply remove the sheets from your face.

Institute Hyalual Switzerland, a scientific research centre dedicated to skin rejuvenation, created the mask as the simplest and most effective way to combine the moisturising effect of Hyaluronic Acid (HA), Argireline (famed for its skin firming properties) and RMCP-complex (a combination of ingredients that include fruit and leaf cell culture and flower extract). It’s the interaction between HA, Argireline and RMCP-complex which results in such a complete anti-ageing effect. The mask also uses newly developed Transdermal Cosmetics Delivery technology which is activated by skin temperature to allow the ingredients to reach the deeper layers of skin. This means that WOW mask provides 200% more hydration than other collagen-based moisturising treatments.

So after all that sciencey bit, what you are getting is a fantastic sounding face mask, which is very unlike any other that I have tried and when I did get round to using it, my skin had been a real nightmare all week. I don't suffer from breakouts as such, but my roseacea had flared up on both cheeks, it tends to do so when I am stressed, then it goes again within a week to ten days. So I decided to put this mask to the test and this is the result!

As you can see my cheeks beforehand were quite red, not as bad as they usually are, but it is obvious that I am not just flushing!  Then you can see the mask on my face after I first applied it, then as it begins to settle down on my face and form a sort of second skin, it is quite hard to describe, but it does feel really cooling on the skin and it does smell amazing, not at all chemical and really natural.  Then after I had removed it, wiped my face clean, the redness is a whole lot less than it was, infact amazingly so, I took a lot of photos of my face just to ensure it wasn't the light or the darkness, it was just the effect of the mask and one which remained for two weeks after using it.

The phrase "It’s not magic but WOW mask offers the best that nature and science can provide in terms of beautiful and youthful looking skin". I think is one that certainly speaks for itself.  Soft, smooth, moisturised and hydrated is exactly how my skin felt for days after using and the experience was incredible.  This mask isn't cheap, infact they come in a box of five and are priced at £99.99 which means every mask is valued at around £20 and I actually think it is well worth the money spent.  If my skin ever had a really bad Roseacea break out I am reaching for these as it is the only thing to date that I have found which works.

Do these sound like the type of mask you would love to try? 

Pulling the Woolover your eyes!

With Christmas on its way, buying for the men folk in my life is always the hardest, my dad especially who never wants anything and usually ends up with the same presents every year - his favourite whisky and some fishing vouchers.  Same for the father in law funnily enough.

Wool Overs are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year and the winter season’s coming up on us quicker and quicker and there are just so many lovely items that ive put together some of the ones that have made it onto a short list for present options, where it is men's jumpers or men's cardigans there are so many to choose from.

The best part about these products however is their price! Starting from around £25 and rising in price to around £40 per item and if you get in there quick there are some amazing offers which might just help you finish off your Christmas lists. Top left features an Arran zip neck jumper which comes in a variety of sizes and colours and costs just £39. The two pictures below feature Crew neck jumper in purple for £35 and a British Shawl Collar Cardigan which costs just £39. The right hand side of the screen features a Lincoln Zipper Cardigan which is just £28 followed by Cable V-neck Cardian at £45 and finally a Zip Neck hooded Cardigan which costs £35. 

My dad can be quite fussy about what it is he likes to wear, but as long as it has no pattern on it and has a pocket he tends to wear it. What I like about all of the choices I have made is that they will suit men of all ages.

So whether you’re on the search for a heavily knitted, pure British Wool Jumper for enjoying the Outdoors or a smooth Cashmere Slipover for the Golf Course, you’re certain to find the perfect garment in the selection Men and women. Whether you're looking for cardigans, sleeveless cardigans or jumpers, they do come in a range of great colours and styles, including v-neck, crew neck and hooded.

 Would you buy these for a man in your life?

**This post contains a sponsored link

Top 3 Sexiest Horror Costumes

It’s that time of year again…Halloween! Have you decided on what to wear for this year’s hottest Halloween parties yet? One of the biggest questions many women face when it comes to choosing the perfect Halloween costume is a theme. Some may want to go a traditional Halloween route and pick out a horror costume while others may be more interested in having sexy Halloween costumes to show off their hot body. However, did you know that you can choose both? Here are our top picks for the sexiest horror costumes this year.

1. Dark Angel/Gothic Vampire Costume – This unique costume can be worn in two different ways making it perfect if you’re planning to hit up multiple Halloween parties this season. Wear it with the wings for a sexy dark angel look. Or, remove the wings and add some fangs for a sexy, seductive vampire look. It’s definitely a darker, scarier twist on the typical innocent angel costume that many other girls may choose. However, that just means you’ll look more exotic and stand out against the crowd! This costume could also work well as half of a couples costume. Have your significant other dress up in a devil’s costume with a mask or if you’re wearing it as a vampire costume, have your partner go as Dracula. Or, you could even go with a friend and have one of you be the good angel and the other the dark angel.

2. Queen of Darkness Costume – It seems like every girl wants to be a Disney princess these days. Walk into any given Halloween party and you’ll be sure to find a whole sea of them. You may even see a bunch of girls dress up as the different princesses together. But where’s the horror that Halloween was made famous for? Why be a princess when you can be a queen? This queen of darkness costume will allow you to remind everyone that Halloween is supposed to be a bit scary. However, with the tight faux leather fit and mini dress and skirt --- you’ll also have the opportunity to show everyone just how sexy you can really be. Princesses are pretty --- but the Queen of darkness oozes of sexy, mysterious gothic appeal.

3. Red Illuminaughty Sexy Costumes – There’s never anything nice about a devil. They are supposed to be a bit scary. However, this may just be the sexiest devil costume we’ve ever seen. With its plunging neckline, tight silk fit, short shorts, and long boots, you’ll be sure to capture the attention of even the purest angel at the Halloween party. You’ll look so smoking hot that people will almost forget that you’re a devil and devils are anything but nice. Now, don’t be too hard on those poor, innocent souls you plan to steal….

What is the sexiest horror costume you’ve ever worn for Halloween? Would you try any of these costumes? Leave a comment letting us know which one is your favorite! 

*This post contains sponsored links