You Beauty Discovery Box - July Edition

It's that time of the month for another You Beauty Discovery Box and if you read my blog regularly, you will know that I am a huge fan of this box and think it is one of the best out there. For July, the box is centered about Travel and giving some new products a chance.

This month we have three extra treats which I always look forward to, even though I always know what they will be. July's treats are extra amazing with a 50ml St Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower which has been everywhere at the moment and having tried it for the last week (you can read my review HERE), it is brilliant and I am chuffed to have another tube. You also receive a £2 off voucher for this tan from Boots. 

I also got a sample of the Emma Hardie Protect & Prime SPF 30 which is a skin protecting cream with added primer for a soft focus luminous complexion. I am quite looking forward to giving this a try as I am yet to try any products from the Emma Hardie range and so many people rave about them.

The final treat in the box was a packet of Muesli Breaks Oatcakes by Nairns which ive eaten and quite liked, they are great for on the go when you have forgotten to have breakfast or prefer ten more minutes in bed.

The hardest part of this box is choosing two items to try and I always attempt to try something I have either never tried, want to try or have tried and loved. So the two duo's that I have chosen are the Vichy Purete Thermale 3 in 1 & Idealia Life Serum Duo. I have previously tried some Vichy Skincare and really liked them, so I decided to give these ones a try. had to pick these items. 

The Vichy Thermale 3 in 1 cleanses, tones & removes eye makeup all in one! You then, once cleansed, apply the Idealia Life Serum to help improve dull looking skin and give an instantly glowing and fresh looking complexion.

The final items in my box are a duo from Philip Kinglsey, whom most will recognise from the Elasticizer. Well this time, I have the Moisture Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner. They are said to gently cleanse and balance the different needs of the hair, providing more moisture at drier ends, without weighing down the roots. Together they transform dry and damaged hair into super smooth, shiny locks, leaving hair healthy and beautiful.

So there you have it, my £6.95 box of goodies for July from You Beauty Discovery. What do you think to my contents?

St Tropez In Shower Gradual Tan

So fake tan has been one of those products that I want to love and use but... it terrifies the life out of me. I am terrified of turning into this streaky orange Oompa Loompa v's Dale Winton and for that reason have always shied away from trying anything, no matter how much it has promised to not streak, give an even tan and have a light coverage. I am pale skinned, tan but I am never that beautiful bronze shade you see on those adverts. So when I read a few reviews about the new St Tropez In Shower Gradual Tan, I wanted to try it.

The St.Tropez In Shower Tanning Lotion comes in a squeezy tube which has a ombre blue colour pattern, the tube itself is easy to keep hold, especially with wet hands. The lotion inside is a cream colour and as it is enriched with Sweet Almond Oil, not only does it leave your skin feels hydrated and moisturised after you use the product, it smells delightful too.

St.Tropez claim that this new product is perfect for the first time tanners out there, people like me essentially. It is described as being a product which takes just 3 minutes of your time as part of your daily shower regime and is a convenient way to build a sunkissed, gradual glow, that provides up to 24 hour moisturisation. So to use, you shower as normal to ensure your skin is fully cleansed and then with the shower off, generously apply in circular motions to wet skin (so don't dry off) to create an even coverage. When I use this, rather than use my hands, I have used a tanning mitt as I find them much easier to use and I don't want stained hands. Once applied, you wait for three minutes and in that time you could apply a hair mask or clean your teeth and then once those three minutes have passed, you get back into the shower and wash off the lotion. Then dry your skin using a patting motion rather than rubbing before getting dressed and continuing your routine as usual

So whilst you are not technically tanning in the shower, well unless you stand in there for those three minutes the water is off, it is a really easy product to use and really easy to apply, more so than I was expecting it to be I have to say. As you do apply it, it does lather slightly and this I found helpful when ensuring I had covered everywhere without leaving anything out.

So what about the results? Well, I have to admit I am a total novice when it comes to fake tan but so far I have enjoyed every minute of using this product. It is easy to use, it hasn't stained my hands, towel or clothes, it doesn't smell like soggy biscuits which is a phrase ive noticed used with a lot of fake tans. Infact it has a really lovely scent to it due to one of the main ingredients being Sweet Almond Oil. I have had no streaks on any part of my body, the only the place I haven't used this is on my face. So, below is a series of pictures taken over the seven days of using it and...

Well as you can see, there is a lot of change in the shade of my skin from day 1 which is the first photo, day 3 which is in the middle and then day 7! Needless to say I am quite chuffed with the shade and if all fake tan could promise me this shade it would become my new obsession.

The St.Tropez In Shower Tanning Lotion comes in a 200ml bottle and retails for around £14.50, so it's not the cheapest tanning product on the market but I do love the concept and how easy it is to use, so for the time being it is a product I will continue to use until I run out, then who knows, I might feel brave enough to try something new.

Benefit - License to Blot

Benefit have had some amazing new releases of late.  They're Real Colour Mascara and Eyeliners which I reviewed HERE and not that long ago the third installment of the POREfessional range, License to Blot!  

BLOT on the spot! This instant oil-blotting stick with tiny invisible blotting spheres mattifies shine for up to 6 hours after application. The specially designed triangular tip targets shiny zones…the sides of your nose, forehead and chin. Oil has finally met its matte!

I was lucky enough to receive a mini handbag sized License to Blot which is so cute and so handy to have.  In essence it is an oil blotting stick, so essentially blotting papers but in a solid format and it mattifies shine for up to six hours after each application. The only slight difference between this mini version and the full size version is that this one is shaped like a lip balm and the full sized one comes in a triangular form which I suspect will fit perfectly around the chin, nose and forehead - the places I tend to use this the most.

Now I do tend to have an oily tzone and I do always have some blotting papers in my desk drawer and some at home in my make-up drawers and I do reach for them quite a lot, more so on hot summer days, so the timing of License to Blots arrival is perfect for testing.  I am a big fan of Porefessional and always ensure I never run out, so I had high hopes for this because I am yet to try Agent Zero Shine.  Unsurprisingly License to Blot is fantastic, so much better than I thought it would be and it is so easy to use.  To apply, you really gently, using short swift strokes, apply it onto your face, paying the most attention to the parts and you should notice that those oily areas because instantly matte, so mess, no fuss and zero shine.

It is also great to use with or without make-up on, even if used whilst wearing make-up, it doesn't remove anything and there is no need for a touch up.  On my skin, License to Blot lasts a good 4-5 hours which is perfect because my skin becomes slightly oiler in the afternoon, which means if I have an event in the evening, I only need to use this product once, whereas with blotting papers, I would be using 2-3 at any one time and then repeating the process before leaving work because they aren't as long lasting as this is, so hurrah, out go the blotting papers and in comes License to Blot.

The Benefit POREfessional: License to Blot retails for £15.50 and in my opinion, is well worth having in your makeup bag, this one is a keeper for me.  Have you tried it?

La Prairie Anti-ageing Rapid Response Booster Serum

The brand La Prairie is right up in there in luxury category when it comes to skincare, one of those brands you really want to try but need to know whether they are worth their price tag. I was very lucky to be able to try the La Prairie’s Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster, which is described by La Prairie as the most accelerated wrinkle interceptor yet. Erm oh, wait, really? It can intercept wrinkles? At £195 for 50ml, I don't quite have enough to bathe in, but I am definitely up for putting it to the test.

La Prairie also say "A revolutionary active delivery system targets the cells that make skin look younger with precision and speed and delivers anti-wrinkle ingredients exactly where your skin needs them most. Beautiful, visibly younger-looking skin is only two weeks away".  Add to that it promises to reduce wrinkle depth and volume, help control the evolution of skin aging, recovering hydration and reduce the appearance of deep wrinkles, whilst exfoliating to refine skin and minimize the look of imperfections including wrinkles and enlarged pores - wow!

As you might expect, the packaging is absolutely exquisite, it just screams luxury and expensive at me every time I use it. The product itself is a really lightweight serum which you are told to apply, in one or two drops, to the face and neck after cleansing and toning, but before you apply your moisturiser. So nothing too onerous at least and an easy part of my every day skincare routine.

La Prairie is said to be one of the main pioneers when it comes to anti-ageing products, so it comes as no surprise that their Rapid Response Booster Serum is jam packed full of ingredients to specifically target the signs of ageing. So to fight wrinkles a targeted delivery system transports anti-wrinkle peptides to exactly where they are needed, these peptides are then released to fortify the skin and in turn this reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles and reinforces the skin’s barrier protection.  Next is an ingredient called Plankton extract which is a marine element which improves exfoliation for softer smoother skin. There is also a mixture of jojoba, mimosa, and sunflower waxes all of which help to reduce trans-epidermal water loss.  The final ingredients to mention is sodium hyaluronate which attracts and holds moisture, the herbal brightening complex inhibits excess pigmentation, and the silver vine complex improves skin’s translucency. Phew... there is just so much information within this little product that it is mind blowing and you can read more about it right HERE.

I have now been using this serum for just over 2 weeks now and I have to say it is these most fabulous serum I think I have ever used. On the skin, it feels just beautiful and is so luxurious, it is so lightweight that it immediately disappears into the skin leaving behind incredibly soft feeling skin. I am lucky that I have no wrinkles as yet, but the very few fine lines that I do have on my forehead do seem to be much less prominent with my overall complexion is much definitely brighter and more radiant, so much so that my work colleagues have asked me what it is that I am using because they are wanting some for themselves!  You only need to use one pump of this at any one time to cover your entire face which means it is going to last you a good few months.

Now that I have tried a product from the La Prairie range I really want to try more! I am going to be very very sad when this serum runs out, it is so amazing but totally out of my budget range which makes me feel very said.

The La Prairie Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster is available now from John Lewis.