Fragrance Shop Discovery Club - Autumn Edition

The anticipated delivery of one of my favourite subscription boxes has ended because it has arrived! If you are a regular reader of BeautyqueenUK, then you will know how much I love The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club box. 

This box arrives every quarter and costs just £5. Inside there will be samples of some of the latest fragrances to have launched. The reason I love it so much is because I absolutely love perfume, I am obsessed with it but one of my pet hates is testing them out in a department store because I never feel like a quick spritz is enough to make a decision as to whether or not that perfume is for you. It might smell good whilst you are wandering around, but you never really get a chance to let it settle on the skin and it is more often than not mixed with other scents. So for me, this box is a great idea.

The Autumn edition of the discovery club features six different scents. Three for us ladies and three for the misters, again a feature I like because then Steve can be involved and as an aftershave obsessive, he often ends up wanting something new. So in my box we have:

Paco Rabanne Olympéa
Olympea is a unique olfactory adventure, at the crossroads between the sensuality of salty vanilla accord and the freshness of floral notes. A fresh oriental fragrance whose balance of the accords forms a genuine Paco Rabanne signature. Before I came across this perfume a few weeks ago, I hold my hands up and admit that I was not a fan of ANY Paco Rabanne scents. Olympea I loved from the very first sample I was sent and it is one I intend to purchase because I absolutely love it.

Loewe Aura Magnetica
Aura Loewe Magnética by Loewe is a Floral Woody Musk fragrance for women, with top notes of pink pepper, bergamot and mandarin orange, with a heart of rose oil and jasmine sambac; On a base notes are leather, Australian sandalwood, patchouli, siam benzoin, bourbon vanilla and musk. I didn't like this scent at first, soon as a sprayed it, I wrinkled my nose and thought no, this isn't for me. Then it settled on my skin and I liked it a lot more but then part way through the day, I decided I really did like it and it is one I would considering buying.

GIVENCHY Live Irresistible
It is a good day to start an irresistible life! Your mood: happy and irresistible. Your motto: you only live once.Your fragrance: Live Irrésistible, a flirtatious floral fruity spicy Eau de Parfum that awakens the senses, making every moment a happy one. Opening with top notes of Juicy Pineapple, the heart of Spicy Rose and then the beautiful accord of Amber. Now for me, I wanted to love this scent because I absolutely adore Givenchy Irresistible and again, it is on my list to buy, but this one there is something about it that I am not liking once it has settled on my skin.

The three male fragrance are:

007 Fragrances - SEVEN.

Described as bein a premium installment in its collection of male scents inspired by the powerful elements within the James Bond world. Fresh citric notes blend with exotic spices and fuse with powerful Mahogany wood and rich Leather to deliver a fragrance that captivates . It has top notes ofTangerine, Bergamot and Crisp Apple with Cinnamon, Saffron and Nutmeg for the heart notes. The base notes are Musk, Leather and Mahogany. 

GIVENCHY - Gentlemen Only Casual Chic 

Said to be the fragrance of natural elegance. While remaining true to the original accords of Gentlemen Only, this new Eau de Toilette nevertheless asserts its own lively and refreshing personality. With the inclusion of Cardamom, Ginger and Juniper it is described as being a woody, spicy fresh fragrance.

Hugo Boss - Boss The Scent
Reawaken the senses with the seductive power of BOSS The Scent: HUGO BOSS introduces BOSS THE SCENT, its new seductive perfume for men. An irresistible fragrance, unforgettable like a savoured seduction. Using Exquisite notes of Ginger, exotic and exclusive Maninka and Virile Leather it is described as being powerful, rich and full-bodied.

So I am impressed with this box. There is a nice mixture of fragrances and two I absolutely love from both the male and female choices. What do you think? Is it something you would think of subscribing too?

Vichy Cleansing and my daily routine!

Vichy recently launched some new cleansers into their Purete Thermale range which are Purete Thermale Fresh cleansing gel and the rather intriguing sounding Beautifying Cleansing micellar oil. What I have found with Vichy over the last year is that they do seem to have a skincare range for almost every skin type which is amazing and as my skin is classed as oily/combination plus a touch on the dehydrated side then these cleanser should work exceptionally well.

These cleansers have been designed to work on the most sensitive of skins and provide optimum skin comfort. As always with any Vichy skincare these are made with Vichy thermal spa water and is hypo-allergenic, paraben-free and dermatologically tested.

The Fresh Cleansing Gel (RRP £12) is the perfect for that morning shower face wash. It's so light and re-freshing and cleansing the skin very gently to remove any excess sebum production and grime that may have gathered on the skin as you slept. Described as being "The perfect partner for city living, this lightweight gel cleanses deeply and protects cells against pollutants. The foam feels so fresh on the skin, leaving it pampered, clarified and extremely soft". 

The ingredients used are the expert anti-pollution complex Purisoft, which is composed of Amilite Technology to soften the effect of hard water, Glycerin to moisturise, and Moringa to cleanse dust, excess sebum and pollution from the skin. So, when it is used, it does foam lightly as you massage it on the skin and it has a really clean fresh scent which isn't too overpowering. After showering my skin feels really clean, soft and smooth.

For the evening, I have been using The Beautifying Cleansing Micellar Oil (RRP £13.75) as the first part of my double cleansing routine. This is described as being a "Lightweight, effective and non-greasy, this luxurious oil ensures pleasurable make-up removal. Both oily and dry skin types will benefit from its clarifying care as it won’t overload the skin, instead transforming from an oil to a milk on contact with water". 

Within the formula there are 'Micelles' which help to gently remove waterproof make-up, impurities, sebum excess and dead cells with no need for rubbing for the skin. Once the oil comes into contact with water, it turns to a milky formula which you then wash off. I always apply this onto my dry skin and wash off using a warm cloth. The use of Camelia Oil helps to moisturise and smooth skin, while Vitamin E provides antioxidant protection.

I adore both of these products from Vichy and considering I am not a fan of Micellar waters generally, the oil is so nice to use and leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft.

What do you use as your morning and evening cleansers at the moment?

By Terry Light-Expert Click Brush

A few weeks ago, I went to a fab event for the new launches from make-up brand By Terry. The range was created by the amazing Terry de Gunzburg, the woman who created the infamous YSL Touche Éclat, but this event was to celebrate the launch of the Light-Expert Click Brush.  This is my first venture into the world that is By Terry, so I was quite excited.

The Light-Expert Click Brush is totally brilliant. I wasn't too sure whether or not it was going to be my thing until I got the opportunity to test and try it at the event, the second I did that, I loved it and wanted it. The Light-Expert Click brush is one of those clever little items that can do more than one job, it is a proper little multi-tasker and can be used as a foundation, for contouring, for illuminating and to freshen up to your make-up as and when you feel the need! The whole concept is to make the application of make up simple and effective to achieve that radiant and flawless look.

The technology behind Light-Expert called 'Intensive Mimetic Camouflage' and it is used to conceal imperfections and give a flawless base, whilst light prisms give radiance and it is suitable for all skin-types.

The kabuki brush is short, incredibly soft and gives amazing coverage. Designed at an angle, the brush works to adapt to all facial forms and it is also removable to enable washing. One click at the bottom of the brush, very Touche Éclat, and the fluid is released in four dots, this is said to give an ideal measurement for the ultimate application and since using it, I have never had to click more than once to cover the entirety of my face. The fluid itself is really lightweight, so much so you don't even known it is there and it blends so effortlessly and looks so natural, I absolutely love it.

There are six shades currently available with No.1 Rosy Light being the lightest and No.11 Amber brown being the darkest shade. I was one of the lightest called Apricot Light and it is a perfect match for my skin tone.

Aside from the texture, which I absolutely love and how easy it is to use, blend and wear, I love how much coverage it gives with minimal effort. I have redness on both cheeks, it tends to flare up when I am stressed (regularly) and whilst it doesn't hurt and isn't itchy, it does make me self-conscious at times, Light-Expert does an amazing job at covering it over so that I forget about it which therefore makes it amazing and I can imagine it will become a very popular item to have. 

It has just launched at SpaceNK and for the 19.5ml it costs £48 which I would be more than happy to pay when mine runs out. For me, this is a handbag keeper!

Skin & Tonic London Steam Clean

The one thing about beauty boxes that I absolutely love, is the opportunity and chance to try products that I might never come across. The beauty world is awash with lotions, potions, gels, scrub, rubs, serums, creams and liquids all promising to rewind time and leave you with baby soft skin.

Skin and Tonic London Steam Clean is one product I have absolutely loved using and I came across it in this Libbie Club box. Josh and Sarah created Skin & Tonic London after Sarah was diagnosed with endometriosis and began a journey of looking into what she was putting onto her skin and into her body. So Sarah began making her own skincare and finding herself unable to find a single product that was completely free from synthetics and preservatives, or silly-frilly names and promises. Instead, all I found was overt gender discrimination and huge amounts of excess packaging. There was nothing out there that was simple, straight-talking, organic and cool and decided to do something about it. She quit her career in TV and re-trained in Aromatherapy and Skincare Formulation and the end result was - Skin & Tonic was born.

Skin & Tonic London Steam Clean is a solid cleansing balm that thoroughly cleanses the skin. Not only that but it is a versatile little balm that can also be used as a nourishing moisturiser for dry skin and chapped lips too. What I love about this balm is that it contains only six ingredients: Beeswax, Grapeseed Oil, Thistle Oil, Borage Oil, Eucalyptus Essential Oil and Spearmint Essential Oil which all work together to lift dirt and grime, rejuvenate dull and tired skin and it smells absolutely divine. All of the ingredients are certified organic and contain no little nasties. It is also made by hand right here in the UK.

As you can imagine, the use of both Spearmint and Eucalyptus Oil gives this cleansing balm an amazing fresh mint scent which if you happen to be bunged up with a cold can act s a decongestant if you mix it with warm water and inhale the steam! On the skin, which is its main use, you need only a small amount to melt between your palms before gently massaging it onto dry skin. I also pre-wash my face first to remove any surface dirt and grime and to allow the balm to penetrate deeper into the skin to push everything out. Once on the skin, I leave it to sink in and work its magic for a good few minutes before washing it off using a warm clean face cloth. It works incredibly well at removing make-up and even waterproof mascara, it simple melts everything off to leave clean, soft skin which feels amazingly hydrated. It doesn't strip my skin to leave it feeling dry or dehydrated and nor does it irritate my skin, it is just a delight to use.

If you are looking to try a new balm cleanser then I cannot recommend Skin & Tonic London Steam Clean enough, plus there is a whole range of products to try alongside this one. The Balm costs £27 via Skin & Tonic London.