L’Occitane Almond Velvet Collection

Following on from the beautiful Bleu & Iris Blanc Perfume, L’Occitane’s latest releases are scientifically formulated to help improve the signs of aging on the body as well as reducing age spots and hyper pigmentation, and helping to restore firmness whilst combating lines and wrinkles. The new Almond Velvet Duo which consists of a balm and a serum have been my go to products for the last month and boy are they something amazing.

I personally cannot stand marzipan but I love almonds and anything almond scented, so I was really eager to try these two products out.

The Almond Velvet Balm** (£42) is such a beautifully scented balm you cannot help but love it and want to use it. On the skin it feels luxurious and rich and incredibly moisturising. The scent was not quite what I was expecting, as someone who loathes the taste and smell of marzipan, it filled me with dread that my skin would end up smelling like someone's wedding cake. Thankfully, that was not the case at all. 

Instead what you get is a really light and very refreshing floral scent which lingers for a good few hours after application on the skin. It isn't overly sweet or sickly it is just stunning. The purpose of the Almond Velvet Balm is to target the five signs of ageing which include dryness, skin slackening, lack of tonicity, fine lines and skin irregularities. Having applied this religiously, my skin is so soft and smooth that if I could bathe in this, I would.

The Almond Velvet Serum** (£38) is the second beautifully scented product in this duo. This serum is the first ever anti-ageing serum by L’Occitane and it combines the almond youth complex of Vitamin C and carefully selected active ingredients to help even out skin tone and brighten the complexion. 

This serum is really lightweight on the skin, it has a silky texture that once applied, rapidly absorbs itself into the skin where it acts deep within the skin to reverse sun damage and plump and firm. Again on the skin, this serum, like the Balm is so incredibly moisturising, it is simply divine. Designed to be used on your entire body on its own or with the Velvet Balm. The scent again mirrors that of the soft floral fragrance previously mentioned and again once on the skin, the scent lingers for a good few hours after application.

L’Occitane promises that after only one month, skin texture will look smoother and more even. And after two months, sun induced dark spots will appear less visible and skin’s youthfulness will be revealed.

Both of these products are on the pricey side but in my honest opinion, are more than definitely worth every single penny. If you’re looking to up your skin care game then I highly recommend you try the Almond Velvet Duo out and coming from someone who is totally useless at applying bodycream, to have applied this every day for the last month without fail, they must be superb products.

The L’Occitane Almond Velvet Collection is available to purchase now from L’Occitane.

La Montana - Scented Candles Inspired by Spain

I am yet to meet someone who isn't a fan of candles, I personally am a huge fan and can never have too many. Whenever I am at home, there is always one burning in whichever room I tend to be in.

I was recently introduced to La Montana fragranced candles**, a brand that has been inspired by life in a Spain Village. Founders Cass and Jonathan Hall decided to leave London life behind back in 2011 and move to move to a Valencian mountainside where they became inspired enough to create their own home fragrance range that captured the beautiful surroundings and the new smells of the area.

I was very kindly sent two candles from the range and I was blown away by the delicious scents which hit me as soon as I opened the box.  I also really love the candles packaging, all of which have a vintage 1930s travel poster design printed on both the labels on the candle and then onto packaging. 

First Light which is La Montanas signature fragrance and is described as being 

"A unique, intoxicating blend of wild, aromatic mountain herbs: fennel, bergamot, rosemary, mountain pepper, and rockrose" Now for me, this literally brings about the sense of sunshine and mountains and what it would be like to breathe in the morning air. 

Once alight, that scent becomes more intense as it filters through the house and the entire time the candle is burning, that scent remains strong.

The second candle is called Alfredo's Café and it is the latest scent from La Montana and it is described as being 

"An unusual, rich, comforting blend of the best aromas of our village square – coffee, brandy, and black tobacco, laced with leather and incense from the church" 

The scent to me, is the kind of scent you get whilst sitting outside a cafe on holiday as all the scents mix together. It is quite a warm and comforting scent and one which is ideal for both men and women. 

Again once it is alight, the fragrance really comes to life and for me the scent of coffee is the most dominant and it is such a wonderful fresh scent.

La Montana candles have approximately 40+ hours burn time and retail at just £35 each.  You can find the full La Montana range via their website.

Make your blonde, Blonde with John Frieda + Giveaway

Do you remember the days of Sun-in spray? I do all to well with the promise of my hair going a shade lighter actually turning a yellowy-orange shade instead, thankfully there was no such thing as social media back then!

I do still want my hair to be lighter than it is, I think it looks so much better but I am not a fan of bleaching or using peroxide on my hair. John Frieda, the world renowned hair stylist might just have the solution to my problem with his new range of hair products - Go Blonder.

Within this range is a shampoo, conditioner, an oil elixir, a lightening spray to name just some of the products. The range is designed to gradually lighten blonde hair for that brighter sun-kissed look. Thankfully it is also an ammonia and peroxide-free formula which uses a natural 'Lightening Complex' which gently reduces colour pigments to lighten blonde hair by up to 2 shades. It has been carefully developed for all shades of natural, colour-treated or highlighted blonde hair.

If this sounds like something you would like to try, I have very kindly been given a superb prize for one of you to win:

1 x Go Blonder Shampoo

1 x Go Blonder Conditioner

1 x Sheer Blonde Tote bag

This is a UK only giveaway. All you need to do is complete the entry form below, ensuring you adhere to those sections which are mandatory.  If you are under 16, please do get your parents permission to enter as I will need your address for the prize to be posted.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Creative Colouring Book for Grown-ups

One thing my nieces and my nephews love to do is to sit with a colouring book and colour and it is something I really enjoyed doing as a child too. Then a friend of mine suggested I purchase an adult version which she has found highly relaxing and a way of helping to de-stress. So I took the plunge and I purchased The Creative Colouring Book for Grown-ups (rrp £7.99) and some pens to give it a go.  The one thing I am not is arty, I can barely draw a stickman and am so envious of those people who are talented artists because when you see them drawing or painting, it looks so relaxing, so for me, this is the next best thing.

Described as follows:

"Explore your natural creativity with some stunning and exotic patterns to colour in, however and whenever you feel inspired. Doodling and colouring have long been known to enhance one's thought processes and provide a relaxing yet highly creative way to free the mind. In this original and unique book you'll find over 100 detailed patterns to colour, providing endless entertainment and building into a piece of work that you can truly call your own"

This book is no bigger than an A5 notebook and has an elastic band, in fuschia pink to keep everything neat and tidy and to stop the pages from bending, ripping and becoming unruly. Not quite a hardback exterior, it still has a fairly rigid brightly coloured sleeve which caught my eye in WHSmiths. The reason I have started off with this one is because, if I carry it around in my handbag, it is less likely to get bent out of shaped and ripped and it is a nice little introduction into the world of adult colouring books.

Inside the book are over 100 beautiful patterns for you to pick and choose from to colour ranging from floral motifs to geometric designs, all of which capture your attention. The paper is quite also quite thick, so there no chance of anything seeping through the page to ruin the adjoining patterns. The only downside is that once you start, you quickly lose a good few hours because it is really relaxing and it certainly holds your attention.

So if you are looking for a new hobby that doesn't cost the earth, holds your attention and will engross you, seriously, buy one of these books, there are so many different ones out there to be had that you will be spoilt for choice as to which one to choose, but once you start, you will find it very hard to stop.

If it's 20-plus years since you picked up a crayon, you'll be surprised how fun it is!  Have you tried or bought one yet?