Recent Beauty Discoveries

I thought I would kick my blog off in 2015 with something a little different.  It is about three products which I have started using within the last 6 weeks which have made a huge impact.  It is very rare that I use a product just a few times before I want to rave about them, but with these three, I just can't help it.

The first product from REN and it is a sample I was lucky to get my hands on when I spotted a chance online to sign up and 100 people would be chose.  The Instant Firming Beauty Shot is a liquid matrix of hyaluronans and phycocolloids which instantly life and firm leaving your skin looking dramatically smoother, lighter and more youthful. 

The serum is gel like, only it is a little runnier than your average gel, so you only need a small amount on the top of your finger to cover your entire face. When I used it for the first time, I was quite surprised to find that within half an hour of applying it, my face felt slightly tight and much firmer than usual and these effects lasted all day, 7 hours.

Whenever I get a new product, for the first few uses, I apply them when I am going nowhere, just incase I have a reaction of some kind, but to use it you simply apply it morning and evening under your usual moisturiser and you are good to go.  So both times I trialled it was whilst I was at home and used this product I got the same result, a much smoother and firmer feeling face, which isn't uncomfortable but it does leave your skin feeling amazing, something which I've struggled to photograph for the time being, the sort of before and after shots not quite working how I want them too.  Since using it at home, I have continued to use it and go about my daily routine I would normally and I have had no reaction, but my skin does continue to work with it really really well.

If you haven't guessed, I absolutely love this product, it has wowed me in just a few short weeks and it is on my list if products to buy though 30ml costs £36 but if used on special occasions and when you need a bit of a boost, this would last a very long time.

The second product is one most of you will be well aware of and probably use but Liz Earle is new to me and it is the Hot Cloth Cleanser.  Now I know many of you already rate this product, some swear by it and even give it that HG status, for me it just brilliant. 

I got my first bottle during a swap and as soon as I opened it , I started using it.  As i've said many times before, London is quite a polluted place to live and my skin needs all the help it can get to rid it of dirt and grime from going about my daily routine to and from work or just being out and about.  What I loved about this as soon as I tried it was the scent of the cleanser which you just know which make your skin feel incredibly clean.  After applying just two pumps to my face and then using the accompanying muslin cloth to remove all the dislodged dirt and grime, you can almost hear your skin breathe a sigh of relief as you wipe the cloth around your face.  What I love is that this cleanser is so gentle, you can open your eyes whilst using it to make sure you have removed all trace and when you have finished, oh my is your skin soft! Mine was a smooth as smooth can be.  It also has an impressed list of ingredients which includes Chamomile, Rosemary, Cocoa butter and Eucalyptus Essential Oils along with Cocoa Butter and Beeswax all of which are just amazing to the skin.

As a first time user to Liz Earle, this won't be my last because I adore this cleanser.

The final product comes from Jurlique and it is the Rosewater Balancing mist, which has found its way into my heart. 
 

"A daily hydrating mist featuring the relaxing scent of rose that restores and hydrates the complexion and is ideal for normal/combination skin types."

 

 

The mist is the only mist that rebalances and rejuvenates the skin in one fresh friendly sensation that soothes and smooth's.  It uses a combination of Aloe Vera and Rose to not only give this wonderfully relaxing scent but to also cool and calm the skin.  Add to that  Glycerin and Marshmallow which provide a refreshing boost to the skins natural hydration system, this mist is one which I have in my handbag and on my desk at work. 

When you hit that mid afternoon slump, a spritz of this on your face not only wakes you up, but it also gives your skin a bit of a kick too.  Going from a cold climate outside, to a hot heated one indoors plays havoc with my skin, so anything I can use to add extra moisture is always going to win favours with me and this product is a big hitter. It doesn't leave your face feeling oily but it does leave it feeling soft, smooth and hydrated, which is what it promises to do and it is perfect for my skin type which is combination leading towards the oily side. A 50ml bottle will cost around £17 for this mist.

So these three products are my new discoveries and ones which I love using right now and whilst each one of them is very different to the other, I like how they all do different things to make my skin look and feel good.

Have you made any recent discoveries like this? Do you use any of these regularly?

Last post of 2014

Wow so this is the last day of 2014 and instead of leaving with a review, I just wanted to say a huge

To each and everyone of you who is reading this, reads my blog, leaves comments, messages me across social media, has emailed me, I've met via blogging, I've worked with, am working with and generally supports me.  It means so much that someone takes the time out of their lives to spend just a few minutes reading what I have to say and sometimes saying thank you is what I should do more often.

Over the past year I have seen quite a few changes to my blog that I am chuffed to bits with. Whether it is regular comments, new people commenting, new followers and even the other way round. I have taken the time to find new blogs to read, some that I have no experience in whatsoever, but do you know what, I've enjoyed every minute of it.  I don't try and 'fit in' because that isn't me, I am who I am.

I've tried my best to support some new bloggers on the scene by commenting as regularly as I can, I've been to blog events and met other bloggers, some of whom have become really good friends and I hope to meet more of you.  I've even stated watching YouTube videos and leaving a comment but the thing I am probably most proud of is my Hubby and his blog, you might know him better as Beautykinguk and if you have a few spare minutes, please do  go and say hello to him, being a male beauty blogger (though he is also doing fashion too) isn't all that easy a task and thee are very few community groups that exist, so it is quite hard to get yourself acquainted at times.

Anyway as this is my last post of 2014, I want to wish you all

Enjoy whatever it is you do today and tonight and I will see you next year!

Frame again

Do you find that you have a lot of photos on your phone/iPad that you think would look brilliant in a frame, or when visiting friends and family, snap some really lovely shots and other than upload them to Facebook, really do nothing with them? Well let me introduce you to Frame Again.

Frame Again is an independent UK company started by two Camden-based entrepreneurs, Jake Hayman (above, left) and Joe Kenyon, with a love for both the technology that allows us to take more photos and that special, traditional feel of putting a framed photo on display with no plans to take it down. We wanted to put permanence back into photography and ease into photo printing and framing. It took twelve months of planning how to make it happen with other jobs and no financing but we eventually found some backers who believed in us and the things have moved quickly since.

So to use the service simply go to Frame Again and upload your photo directly from your device, be it computer, Instagram or your phone and then choose the colour of your frame base and frame ring.  This is something you can spend ages deciding over, even I changed my mind numerous times!

It is so time consuming printing off pictures and then having to cut them to size to display in your frames - this is why I love Frame Again. They take away the hassle of printing the photographs as you simply upload your picture directly from Instagram or from your computer, and they arrive already fitted into your frame - which is also designed by you! You can choose the colours of the frame base and the frame ring - as you can see from my pictures I opted for a very classic black and white, simply because I think the colours are really versatile and will match the decor in every room of the house. The quality of the photo paper is really good, I wasn't sure how my image would look as it was taken from an iPhone but the printing is really good quality and I am impressed with the results.

Another fun fact is that the frames are actually free standing; as you can see from the images above; Frame Again frames are really attractive, modern and cute cube shapes with a thick base meaning they can stand alone without anything holding them up. Of - course, you can also hang the frames against a wall if you want to.

After browsing their website I also discovered that the frames have magnetic sides, so if you have a few frames this will make a great display altogether. This is how the frames work - with magnets. The frame itself is actually kept together by magnetic force, which makes it much more safer than having to bend the metal at the edge of a frame when changing pictures. I don't know about you but that is one of my pet peeves when changing photographs in frames.

You can even change the photo in the frame if you wish to, it is actually really easy and simple to do. Instructions are provided on the sleeve that the frame arrives with. Delivery is really quick and my frame arrived really well packaged.

Frame Again is such a straight-forward website to use, I really recommend Frame Again if you like to display your special pictures in a modern way. 

I think this is such a brilliant idea.  It is perfect for saving those precious memories quickly and having something to do with them rather than leave them sitting in your iCloud.  You can of course order as many different frames as you wish, I can see this whole concept being quite addictive!

Have you ever used Frame Again? Is it something you would use?

*I was given a voucher code to trial out Frame Again. All opinions are 100% honest and my own*

Moving = Stress!

I hate moving. Well I love it because it is about newness, putting a stamp on your own place and spending hours fawning over paint sample pots and Ikea catalogues, but I actually find it really really stressful, infact moving to the home we currently live in was more stressful than waiting for my degree results, organising a wedding in 6 weeks and being the foreman of a jury at a massive trial!  Once you begin there is just so much you need to think about.

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At work, I found it really stressful moving one floor whilst we had some painting and decorating done, as well as a new carpet being laid and some new windows installed.  I was responsible for the whole lot, it sort of comes under my ever-growing work title, and again I know nothing about half of these things, it isn't something I have to deal with on a daily basis and it takes me totally out of my comfort zone, whilst being a bit of a learning curve.  Thankfully, I do have some friends who work in the legal sector who are always on hand to help out, advise and help me work through legal matters.

Finding the right legal services is so important, it doesn't matter where the come from, it could be as simple as choosing Cambridge Estate Agents whilst living in London, to using your friend who runs a firm at the end of the road. What matters is that it feels right to you.  There is so much to think about and most of it costs money, so getting it is right is really important.  When we moved we needed someone who specialised in leaseholds and freeholds and then came structural surveys and the never ending wait for your mortgage approval, even if you know it is going to happen, that dreaded wait is just so terrifying.

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But none of this should be the case and having the right help could make it all go much more swimmingly and after all, this is an exciting time, a new start and a chance to get your inner Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen out!

Do you find moving stressful? Do you have any tips should I ever want to do it again?

**This post contains a sponsored link.