Kiss Air Candles - The Ice Cream Parlour collection

When someone says candles and Ice Cream, the two probably shouldn't go together right? Wrong!  They very much do. Today Kiss-Air Candles have launched their new Ice Cream Parlour Summer collection and within the range, there are going to be five new candles, all of which have been inspired by popular ice cream flavours and all sound good enough to eat.

The Ice Cream Parlour collection will include scents such as Mint Choc Chip, Salted Caramel, Mango Sorbet, Rum and Raisin and Black Cherry scented candles.  I was kindly sent Mint Choc Chip and Mango Sorbet and all I can say is that I wanted to eat them not burn them as soon as I lifted the lid to see how good they smelt and whether or not they did remind me of ice-cream - they did!

Mint Choc Chip** is the first one I lit and it smells very much like a Mint Choc Feast Ice-cream to me, the kind I always want on a hot summer day because it cures my craving for chocolate whilst being cooling at the same time.  

This candle is spot on with an equal mix of being peppermint and bitter chocolate, both scents you can detect separately and together and it smells so good, seriously amazing and it is neither over the top sickly sweet or pungently minty, for me the mix is just perfect. Combining notes of peppermint with a twist of bitter chocolate chips, this is a massive thumbs up from me.

Mango Sorbet** is made up of a refreshing blend of exotic ripe mango, lemon and raspberries all rolled into one to create what can only be described as heavenly.  The kind of scent you want to burn on a hot spring/summer day and one that reminds me of a Calippo ice-lolly that I love to eat to keep refreshed and hydrated during the summer. One alight, the scent, which is not at all overly sweet or sickly, quickly fills the room and lingers really nicely. 

For me Mango Sorbet is a scent that everyone can love, male or female and when it is alight, it smells exactly as you expect it to.

The candles I have pictured above are the large tins which have an RRP £8.50 and have a burn for up to 30 hours. As always, candles do come with warnings, one of them being ensure you don't leave them burning unattended and take extra care when handling the metal tins because they get really hot. I would also advise placing all candles on a heat proof mat when burning the candle.

If you like the look and sound of Kiss-Air's Ice Cream Parlour Collection, look out for them as they launched today and prices of the products differ depending on their size.  

What do you think to this collection?  Do any of the scents catch your attention?

Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Primer

The Makeup Revolution Ultra Face Base Primer is a product I picked up on a whim having forgotten to take primer with me to work, I ha toyed with just repurchasing one of my regular primers, but decided to give this a try. 

I am a huge fan of using a primer and tend to use Max Factor Facefinity or POREfessional by Benefit, my two favourites. I use them because I love the smooth base they create when it comes to applying make up especially liquid foundation. As someone with combination skin, I hate it when a product clings to the tiniest flake of dry skin, a primer solves this problem for me, plus they can reduce the appearance of pores and my make up lasts much longer.

The Face Base Primer which cost just £5 is a really lightweight but fairly thick transparent gel, similar in texture to Baby Face my Maybelliene with that silicon like feel. On the skin it blends in really easily and smooths incredibly well so that you cannot see or tell that there is any product on the skin whatsoever, it is as though it disappears and behind it leaves soft, smooth skin.  I tend to use my fingers to apply my primer and with this it is a case of a little goes a long way.  One applied the effects for me on the skin are really similar to POREfessional especially if I have give it time to settle on my skin it works so much better, the only difference is that POREfessional isn't clear.

I tend to swap and change my foundation depending on my mood, so I either use my Boots No.7 Stay Perfect Foundation or MAC C1 currently and Face Base works well with both of them.  I also sometimes just opt for powder foundation over a BB Cream or tinted moisturiser and again, Face Base worked really well and ensuring my coverage was not only even, but there was no clinging to my dry skin on either cheek and my make up lasted for the entire working day, which is a lot more than I had expected and hoped for, when you consider it costs just £5 for 25ml.

The tube itself is a pink pearlesque shade which is really quite plain but also very pretty at the same time.  The twist off lid is also easy to remove and replace and the part I like the most is the long nozzle which dispenses the primer because one quick squeeze gives enough to cover your entire face.

If like me you have combination skin with an oily t-zone with a slight dryness of the cheeks, this primer is very much worth trialing, not only is it a cheaper alternative for other primers, but it is amazing value for money and is one of those products you shouldn't dismiss just because of the £5 price tag!  It does make a great primer, it doesn't cling to imperfections, it does reduce the look of your pores and it does allow my make up to last 8-9 hours without the need to re-apply.  For me this was a great find and one I have since repurchased.

Have you tried this Primer from Makeup Revolution?

This post may contain PR Samples and/or Affiliate Links - please see my disclaimer page for more info.

Magazine Freebies - July 2015

Everyone loves a good Magazine Freebie, I know I do and each month I have a look and decide whether or not it is a product I want, need or have been waiting to try. July (my birthday month) it seems is a month for some fantastic freebies which have drawn me in and ive succumbed to two of them!

Marie Claire has two amazing products from Elemis this month. The first offering is the Papaya Enzyme Peel which I have tried and really liked, so instead I opted for the Pro-radiance Illuminating Flash Balm (15ml) which I have never tried before. It is described as being:

"Introducing an exciting new generation "hybrid moisturiser" whose instant skin-flattering qualities are as compelling as its ability to hydrate the skin. More than a look-good cream, this is a feel good cream. Sweep on this soft balm and the benefits are instant. The finish has diligently been created to deliver the optimum amount of sheen and luminosity for a healthy, vibrant glow"

Each product is worth £11.  Plus there is also a chance to book yourself in for a FREE Aveda blow-dry (at participating salons until 31st July) plus 25% off an Elemis Facial which sounds like absolute bliss!

Red Magazine this month are offering a REN skincare Lip Balm. A rich balm formulated to replenish dry and chapped lips. Helps repair, protect and soothe irritated lips, restores softness, elasticity and comfort. It uses:

• Vitamin E from Soybean protects against free radicals
• Trace Elements from Acacia Honey have anti-bacterial properties and boost energy levels
• Hesteroside from Calendula calms and soothes

Put them altogether and you get soft, smooth lips.  This Lip Balm is worth £9.

Other freebies this month include:

Instyle Magazine - The Limited-Edition Nails Inc Polishes Inspired By The 80s. They are all full sized and worth £11 each.

Source - Instyle.co.uk

From left to right - Love Will Tear Us Apart, The Tide Is High, Boys Of Summer,

When Doves Cry

Will you be picking up any of these freebies?

Jo Loves Shot Candle

It's not every day that you get to meet someone truly inspirational and someone whose name is iconic when it comes to perfume and candles. Readers of my blog will know I am a huge candle fan and it is a household item I wouldn't be without, but when you are given the chance to create your own candle with Jo Malone, you can definitely count me in!

So off I went to the amazing Jo Loves store in Belgravia here in London to find out more about more about what this unique candle shot was, meet Jo Malone and have a go at making my very own candle.

Naturally it was just totally amazing, not only is Jo just brilliant at what she does, but as she described to those present how the idea came to her (it is on my Periscope if you haven't seen it) her eye lit up and then the magic began.

What Jo has done is to create a very unique Jo Loves Candle Shot studio which gives you the opportunity to create your very own bespoke candle from a stunning range of fragrances on the Jo Loves menu and she says of this creation:

"The Shot Candle™ is such an exciting innovation which we create together. This is the first time I have designed a product which invites you to become part of the creative process and a make a candle unique to you"

So how does it work? There are three steps involved in the entire process:

• Step One - You start with your base and you choose from a range of different fragrances. For each one Jo explained where the inspiration came from. The choice currently is between Mint Mojito, Charcoaled Lemons, Tahitian Gardenia or Fig Trees. Each scent is fresh scented and not in the slightest bit manufactured. 
• Step Two - Once you have chosen your base, you choose your shot and the choices are Lemongrass, Pettigrain, Mango, Salty Caramel or you can just choose another from the base fragrances.
• Step Three - You need to seal your base and the shot together and it is done by using a blow torch before being gift-wrapped and presented in this stunning white, Union Jack embossed box and tied with a beautiful red bow - it is truly exquisite. As a final gesture Jo hand signed our labels after we had painted them with the scents we had chosen as a reminder of our time.

What choice did I make?  I have to admit it, the choice is difficult and I struggled to choose between Mint Mojito and Tahitian Gardenia for my base, but as I wanted a fresh scent that reminded me of summer, I opted for Mint Mojito and my shot of choice was Lemongrass.  Together they are absolutely stunning, fresh and incredibly amazing.

The entire experience was absolutely mind-blowing and unique.  I couldn't wait to get home and try my candle.  For the first three hours of it being alight you will get your shot and then the two shots begin to blend and voila, your signature scent.  Each Shot Candle has a burn time of 60 hours.

If you can’t make it down to Belgravia then you will be pleased to know that the Jo Loves Candle Shot studio has opened online and you can create your own candle that way, the Shot Candle retails for £75 and in my opinion, it is worth every single penny. It will also make an amazingly unique gift for you or someone special.

Which two scents do you think you would choose?