Harajuku Lovers POP ELECTRIC collection

If there is one celebrity couple that I absolutely love it is Gwen Stefani and her husband Gavin Rossdale (or his music to be precise).  Some of you might know her better for the Harajuku Lovers fragrances which were founded in 2005 by Gwen herself.

Today I am introducing to you a new limited edition collection of Harajuku Lovers fragrances named the POP ELECTRIC collection. Building on their past success, the much loved and award winning Harajuku Lovers Fragrance POP ELECTRIC collection has five new luscious scents packaged in vibrantly coloured bottles that look like they’ve been dipped in molten chrome. Keeping with tradition, the doll shaped bottles are whimsical pieces of pop art inspired by Gwen's love of modern street art and contemporary sculpture.

Speaking about the new fragrances, Gwen Stefani commented - “Harajuku Lovers Fragrances are something I’m really proud of. We have put so much energy and love into not just the creation of the fragrances but into making the bottles like little pieces of collectable art.”

I was very kindly sent one of the scents to try out for myself as I am such a huge fan and when 'Music' landed on my doorstep, it was love at first sight. Described as being a fresh, aquatic fragrance with dry down of sun-wrenched woods, it has the following notes:

• TOP NOTE: Splashes of Crisp Apple, magical Water Lily, and the sweet surge of Crushed Berries.
• MID NOTE: Flirty bouquets of Dewy Freesia, whispers of Pink Peony and delicate kisses of Jasmine Petals.
• BASE: Smooth Sun-drenched Woods, sensual Transparent Musks and luscious Amberwood.

One spritz and you get a really light floral fragrance mixed with the crisp apple and it reminds me of DKNY Be Delicious once it has settled down onto my skin.  It has great lasting powers too and when I have worn it, not only have people been asking me what it is because it smells so nice, but it has lasted all day whilst I am at work which averages 8-9 hours. 

As I mentioned, there are five beautiful new scents to choose from and they each represent a fresh and modern interpretation of each girl’s personality and they are:

• LOVE: A mouthwatering fruity floral, featuring juicy apple, dewy pear, surrounded by jasmine, cashmere woods and creamy musks. 
• LIL’ ANGEL: Irresistibly addictive, this fragrance features juicy berries blended with candied violet and sugared rose, laced with a lollipop accord and rich amber. 
• G: A creamy modern gourmand featuring a delectable whipped coconut accord, enveloped in soft florals and musky woods. 
• MUSIC: This vibrant fragrance opens with crisp apples and crushed berries and unfolds into a water floral and wrapped in sensual amberwood and luminous musks. 
• BABY: Soft and comforting, this sophisticated powdery fragrance features a baby soft musk accord which blends with delicate florals and nuzzly vanilla. 
I love the sound of each and everyone of them and cannot wait to try more from the five.  Available in three sizes 15ml, 30ml and 50ml they are priced at £14.95, £24.95 and £34.95 respectively. 

Harajuku Lovers “POP ELECTRIC” are available exclusively in The Perfume Shop from the end of October 2014, then Nationwide from January 2015.

International Women's Day with Pink Parcel

Today is International Women's Day and unsurprisingly, my inbox has been pretty quiet about any product relating to said date, apart from one brand whom I have featured on my blog before - Pink Parcel and this is what they had to say:

As a female brand with a mission to care for and bring joy to women every month when their period strikes, Pink Parcel is naturally proud and passionate about International Women’s Day. What could be better than a day dedicated to uniting with fellow mothers, daughters, sisters and friends, to honour womankind and celebrate the encouraging, inspiring women in our lives who we love and admire?

Pink Parcel is a subscription box which has been specifically designed for women during their monthly cycle. The idea being that your box arrives before your period is due and inside it will be tampons and sanitary towels that are obviously essential items and as an added extra there are some beauty products and comforting treats which aim to put a smile on your face, almost like a hug in a box. Brand partners include St Tropez, Elizabeth Arden, OPI, ROC, Maybelline, Rimmel and Bio-Oil.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Pink Parcel is offering one free parcel to anyone that signs up to the subscription service on Sunday 8th March.

Pink Parcel also recently launched a teen-only version, Teen Parcel, designed especially for girls between the ages of 11 and 17 featuring brands such as Teapigs, Flamingo candles, Yardley and Binky London.

How does Pink Parcel Work?

Step One: Visit www.pinkparcel.co.uk and select ‘subscribe’ to get started

Step Two: Choose your favoured sanitary brand (Tampax, Lil-lets, U by Kotex or Always)

Step Three: Choose the level of absorbency required – Individual (Lite, Regular, Super or Super Plus) or Multi (a selection of different absorbencies)

Step Four: Choose your delivery dates based on your cycle

How much does Pink Parcel cost?

The subscription service is £9.99 including delivery and is debited from a nominated bank account monthly, with an introductory offer of £5.95 for the first month.   You can cancel at any time.

As I have said before, both of these boxes are absolutely fantastic and I just love the concept it is brilliant. I love how refreshing it is not to have to think about your period and that there is a little something too make you smile inside too, of course, the content of the 'for you' box changes every month to add a little more excitement to the whole concept. Teen Parcel again is just a lovely concept and one I have enjoyed sharing with both my goddaughter and friends little girl, both of whom are a little too embarrassed by their monthly cycles, which is quite sad in many ways, but thankfully, this is discreet enough for them to not to have to feel it is a subject they need to mention too often.

Happy International Women's Day!

LookFantastic March Box

One beauty box that I am loving right now comes from LookFantastic, every month I have loved the contents this month is no exception.  The box costs just £15 and you more than get value for money for the items that are included and all of the brands that feature are available on the Lookfantastic website.

So the March box is here and this is what I found inside:

bliss Fatgirlslim - I quite like a few Bliss products, but this is one im not too impressed with the name of. That aside, this is said to make the skin look and feel firmer and more toned.  You apply it twice a day and massage it onto your skin for 20-30 seconds to simultaneously stimulate circulation and stimulate lymphatic drainage to improve body contour.

This sample has a value of around £10

Lil' "Wet" Brush - This is my first dealing with Wet Brush, though I have seen them mentioned quite a lot on other blogs, so I am quite looking forward to see how well it works. This is a handy travel sized brush, so it has gone straight into my handbag. Even though this is a mini version of the classic Wet Brush it is still described as being fierce on knots and tangles but a big pussy cat on scalps! It has what are called IntelliFlex™ bristles to ensure snag-free brushing as they bounce back to their original form after every brush stroke and the SofTips™ on the ends of the bristles  gently massage your scalp to stimulate circulation.

This brush costs £7.99

Lord & Berry Line/Shade Kajal and Eyeliner Pencil in Travel Black - I am told you can never have too many black eyeliner pencils, though as I dont wear eyeliner I will have to accept the majority rule. This Lord & Berry Couture Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil is described as being silky and smooth and it creates a semi-matte look, whilst the highly pigmented formula gives a rich colour for ultimate definition.  It has also been Ophthalmologically-tested and is suitable for those with sensitive eyes.

This eyeliner is worth around £5

Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm - I am a huge Cowshed fan, particularly of their bath range, not only do the product names make me laugh, they are insanely good. One thing I have never tried is their lipbalm and as a lipbalm addict I am always happy to add to my collection. This product contains no parabens, no petrochemicals and is free from sulphates, artificial fragrances and colours. It is suitable for vegetarians and has not been tested on animals. It does contain the essential oils of linden blossom to protect and nourish, rose geranium to help rejuvenate, and ylang ylang to stimulate circulation.

This balm is available online from Look Fantastic for just £5.00

NudeStix Magnetic Colour Gift in Gilt - This is my first look at Nudestix and there are 8 different shades in total. In my box I have the shade Gilt which is a really pretty light gold shade, something I would refer to as a champagne. For me it is a brilliant multi-purpose stick in that it can be used as all over the lid, in the inner corner and even on the inner lower lash line and it gives a really lovely natural colour, I absolutely love it.

This product is available online from Look Fantastic for £24.00

The Final item in my box is by Nuxe and it is called the Nuxellence Detox, Detoxifying and Youth Revealing Anti-Aging Care cream - what a mouthful that is.  This is described as being an innovative anti-ageing treatment that uses 10 patents to recharge your skin and detoxify cells overnight. It is suitable for all skin types and ages. This nightly detox also helps to promote cell renewal, allowing you to wake up every morning with a refreshed, youthful glow! Full of natural ingredients Nuxellence Detox helps to smooth wrinkles, plump skin and brighten your complexion.

This 15ml sample has a value of around £14.

So there you have it, the contents of my March Lookfantastic box and I absolutely love, it is possibly the second best box there has been and as usual there isn't a product I don't like in the box, I like them all and cannot wait to try them out.  

What you think about this month's #LFBeauty Box. Which product would you be most excited to try out?

Nutmeg - Are you Savvy?

“Greed is good” or so said Gordon Gecko from the 1980s hit film Wall Street. With inflation rates and interest rates running at all time lows, the simple reality for most savers is that simply depositing money in the bank will see little returns or the actual erosion of the initial capital (the amount you originally put in the bank).

Nutmeg, who London’s Evening Standard (the evening newspaper in the capital) called “an online wealth manager causing a stir” is a website that offers all kinds of financial products, tips and advice from Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) to personal pensions.

When I was asked to take a look at their website and jot down my thoughts I have to admit that I logged on with some knowledge of financial services, BeautykingUK having worked in the sector for a good ten years (ten years ago) and some of that knowledge (read boring facts) rubbed off.

For the less investment savvy Nutmeg is perfect. The site is brilliantly laid out for the novice, written in plain English and really is geared up to help you and I, the general public navigate the veritable minefield that is investing your hard earned cash.

This is what Nutmeg say about themselves:

‘Based on your information, we build and manage a portfolio for you, diversifying your investments to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Our experienced investment team monitors your portfolio, adjusting the asset allocation appropriately and rebalancing every month — at no extra cost.

In this way, we aim to produce our best return, at low cost, for the risk level you choose.’

After scouting around the site some of the most important things to factor into your own investment portfolio and decision making process as to whether you should actually invest are your own attitude to risk, the fees your investment manager will charge and the size of any pooled investments.

While attitude to risk, affordability and product choice is down to individual circumstances, the Nutmeg website is clear and dedicates an entire page to their fee structure. So, all open and above board.

In addition to this, there are lots of helpful sections of generic advice for new investors or those who already have holdings elsewhere. Great stuff.

Before deciding whether or not you should take the plunge and develop your own portfolio I would strongly recommend that you seek independent financial advice from an advisor regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The website is easy to navigate, has a great search function and explains everything in language that the man, or woman on the street will understand. Investing doesn’t have to be a minefield and I would recommend Nutmeg as a good place to start your investment journey.

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