Springtime sunglasses essentials

As my inbox fills up with information and press releases about Valentines Day and Mothers Day, it serves as a reminder that Spring is also on its way and for me, the warmer weather cannot come soon enough. Think lambs in the field, ice cream, not having to wear coat, scarf and gloves and finally wanting to wear something other than chunky knits and twenty three tshirts just to keep warm.

As well as celebrating with new handbags in lovely pastel shades, finally getting to wear my beloved Fitflops again right through until it turns cold, sunglasses become an almost must have accessory for me to have, though there are days in the winter months that I also wear them.  MyGlassesGuru is one of those clever little sites which has glasses and sunglasses in every style, shade and design you can imagine, but what makes it different to everyone else is that it can help you narrow down your choices based on your face shape, hair colour, skin tone, what frame colour is your preference and which designer you prefer and surprisingly you can find Ted Baker, Radley, Swarovski, Tom Ford and even budget brands such as Superdry make an appearance.  

I was quite surprised to find so many options for my face shape and hair colour, but more surprisingly, all of these sunglasses are ones that I would actually wear and they are not too dissimilar to some that I have owned in the past.

Top left we have Tom Ford Eva Sunglasses which are an Aviator with a Twist! The lenses are in a stunning mirrored blue tint, framed with an elegant rose gold rim and classic Havana sides and they retail for £195

Next we have Imogen by Radley (top right) and these are square lensed glasses with full UV Filter in Gloss Nude shade. They retail for just £60

In the middle we have Blair by Ted Baker. These are described as being a full, soft square, acetate frame with spiral metal detail on the temples. They retail for just £61.95 and have three frame colour options.

Over to the bottom row and on the left we have Tom Ford again and this time with Charles. They are again the iconic aviator sunglasses and this option is rose gold frame with full UV radiant brown lenses. Priced at £157.95 they are quite the bargain.

Finally we have Cate by Swarovski, a strong, yet elegant feminine design with Swanflower® motif, pearl and Swarovski crystal detail to temples and in shade Gloss Black. They retail for £178 and I love the oversized frame on these glasses.

If you had to make a choice between these five pairs of sunglasses, which one would you chose?

*collaboration

Eloquence Beauty Skincare Range

One thing I really enjoy as a blogger is discovering new brands. Had I not been blogging then I dont think I would have come across or appreciated the sheer number of amazing products that I have been lucky enough to use. Eloquence is one of those brands.

If you have never come across or hear of Eloquence before, they are one of the UK’s newest beauty skin care companies whose products are made from the finest sourced ingredients with a focus on anti-ageing, skin hydration and skin health. Those ingredients include Sachi Inchi Oil, something I had never heard of until now. The Oil is renowned for its own unique combination of Omega 3 which helps to restore the skins elasticity, Omega 6 helps to combat skin dehydration and Omega 9 helps against premature ageing by intensely nourishing and protecting the skin from environmental stress. 

I have got 5 different products from the range - Facial Cleanser, A Serum, Eye Gel, Treatment Oil and Repair Cream, all of which form part of a 5 step routine.

Purifying Facial Cleanser 20ml contains Cucumber and Coconut extract to cleanse your skin leaving is feeling comfortably refreshed, never tight, pulled or parched. I am a two cleanse kind of girl and I love my cleansing balms. What I love about this is the texture, it is fairly thick and thankfully comes with a pump action bottle. You only need a few pumps to release enough cleanser for your entire face and once on the skin, it literally dissolves anything in its path, even my waterproof mascara which impressed me immensely. It costs just £7.99.

Firm & Tone Serum 20ml incorporates with Glycerin and Coconut oil is said to illuminate the skin and give it a flawless appearance. Hyaluronic Acid has been added to give a boost of Collagen, which will keep your skin plump, smooth and supple. This serum is not at all what I was expecting, to me a serum is usually quite liquid like and almost like an oil. This one looks like a cream and is incredibly soothing on the skin, again it has a pump action dispense and one pump will give you enough to massage into your face, which once completed leaves soft, smooth skin. This product also costs £19.99.

Firming & Moisturising Eye Gel 15ml is designed to target dark circles and puffiness and with added Hyaluronic acid will keep your eye area plump and will smooth out fine lines. I am a big believer in the use of eye creams as it is part of my face that gets quickly dehydrated, so I use an eye cream both morning and evening. This eye gel has been one of my favourite products from this range. I love the design on the tube which has the handy applicator to make the application easy, the eye gel is slightly runnier than some I have tried, so don't over squeeze the tube. It is also hydrating, it is soothing and it does help with puffiness under the eyes. Purchase price is £19.99 and it is well worth its money. 

Protect & Repair 24HR Cream 20ml has added Hyaluronic Acid making it an intensive moisturiser. Use during the day to not only condition your skin but to give UVA & UVB protection, and also at night to hydrate and replenish your skin while you sleep. What I like about this cream is that not only does a little go a long way, but how instantly refreshed and moisurised it leaves my skin feeling. I have only been using it during the daytime and the one thing I wish it had was an SPF but that aside, it is a lovely cream. Priced at £14.99 it is well worth its money. 

Nourishing Treatment Oil 50ml has been blended with Coconut and Sweet Almond Oil which will help to Renew, Repair and Revitalise skin, hair and nails. This oil feels incredible on the skin, it isn't greasy or tacky when applied and with a pump action dispenser, two pumps is more than enough for your face. As well as your face, you can use this oil on any part of your body where you feel there is a need for some nourishing oil treatment. I have used this on my arms, elbows, knees and shins, all my problem dry areas and it is a delight to use. I have also mixed it with my body butter for a bit of a treat and it is just so lovely. Priced at £29.99 this is a product that will last for a very long time.

If you are looking for a new brand of products to try, then Eloquence is more than worth looking at, more so because their products contain no artificial perfume or colour and no harsh chemicals, which makes them suitable for all skin types.

Two New The Porefessional Releases from Benefit Cosmetics!

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen that earlier last week I went to meet the Benebabes for breakfast and whilst tucking in to an amazing Avocado and poached egg on sourdough toast, drinking fresh coffee and fresh juices, I was introduced to two of Benefit Cosmetic's latest Porefessional products.

The first of the new products is the Porefessional Instant Wipeout Masks, which come in this really cute little briefcase, which inside contains eight super clearing sheet masks.  These masks, which look a bit like a batman logo,  can be used on your forehead, chin or across your nose and cheeks to eradicate large and congested pores - Wow! However, the most exciting part of this mask is that it comes with a little press button that once pressed releases liquid into the sheet mask and I honestly cannot tell you how satisfying it is to press that button, Benefit should market it as duel product for skincare and stress relief because I could honestly sit here and press those buttons all day, it is like a prettier version of bubblewrap and we all know what fun that brings!

The Instant Wipeout Masks contain mushroom extract which seems to be appearing in quite a few skincare products at the minute.  It is known to help clear pores and has a menthol smell to it, so if something has that clean smell, I have high hopes it will work. One side of the mask is smooth whilst the other side is designed to help exfoliate. I applied the mask to my nose, which for me is always a problem area with being clogged up.  I used mine whilst laying in the bath, in hope the steam would open my pores and allow the mask to work its magic, and do that it did. After the ten minutes of being on my nose, I removed the mask and wiped off any excess liquid, flipped over the mask and gently rubbed my nose and cheeks to remove any debris that had been brought to the surface.  Once I had patted my skin dry, there was no redness and my nose felt and looked less clogged and visibly cleaner.  So these are a hit with me.

The second new release from Benefit is the Porefessional Matte Rescue primer and I absolutely love the original Porefessional primer, so I had high hopes for this one.  Matte Rescue is a lightweight, water based gel primer which has been designed to absorb surface oil and shine as well as blur imperfections and pores, it doesn't say hide them, eradicate them or minimise them, it is to blur them. I have combination skin which leaves me with an oily tzone, so come lunch time, I tend to be reaching for my Blot Stick to remove excess oil from my face, with this primer, it is much later in the day when I am having to do that, almost time for me to leave my office and either head home or go out, so I am impressed with that.   

As a primer, if you love Porefessional, then you will love this, though I do feel Matt Rescue is much lighter in texture and feel when applied than it's big sister.  It doesn't have that silicone feel to it that Porefessional has and I find this one sinks into the skin instead of sitting just on the surface, so when it comes to applying your foundation, which for me is either By Terry or Hello Flawless, it gives a great base and helps my foundation last pretty much all day, I only tend to touch up if I have an evening function, otherwise it is home and make-up off.

I am absolutely loving both of these products, the primer is just brilliant and will now replace the original within my stash and the masks are also lovely and you should buy them just to feel the pleasure of pressing the button, honestly it is such a great stress reliever! Both products have launched and you can find them right here.

The Melt Crowd

I am a huge fan of candles and melts, there is always something burning when I am at home and I love discovering new scents.  The Melt Crowd subscription box is one of those products everyone needs to try, especially, if like me you love candles and melts.

At just £10 per box, for which you will get 8 melts and an oil burner in your first box to get you on your way, this is an amazing opportunity to try something new.   These melts are hand poured and have a burn time for up to 30 hours, which in itself is quite impressive.  To compare their size, they are the same size as my lens cap for my Canon DLSR.

The January box arrived through my door a few days ago and I just love each scent that was included within the box and upon opening it, the combination of those 8 scents was just amazing and this is what I found.

Coconut - I absolutely love anything coconut.  Food, drinks and the scent.  This melt fuels that love with its fresh scent and if you love coconut bites, then you'll love this.

Crystal Mountain Water - This is such a light scent that it takes a few seconds to get used to and then once you do, it is a lovely fresh scent that is perfect for a cold dark gloomy day.

Orange and Lemongrass - This is one of those scents that comes with a punch and smells every bit as the name would suggest, the scent of lemongrass being slightly more dominant it is one amazing smell.

Cinnamon and Mandarin - This is Christmas in a melt.  The Mandarin manages to calm down the scent of cinnamon which I often find too over-baring, but this is just lovely and again, perfect for winding down.

Strawberry Jam - This is perhaps my least favourite of the 8 melts, whilst it does smell of strawberries, I am not too sure it gives the same fresh scent the other melts have but it does remind me of Strawberry Laces which I rather like eating.

Pink Denim - Powdery fresh with a hint of florals this is the perfect spring scent and one which I adore.

Baby Powder - If you love the scent of Johnson's Talcum powder, then you will love this scent because to me it is identical.  I love scents like this which are clean and it more than reminds me of my childhood.

Whisky - I dont think ive ever seen a scent like this nor smelt one like it.  It smells exactly as I thought it would and reminds me of a coffee my grandma used to make which had a hint of whisky in it. It isn't over-powering but the scent of whisky is most definitely present.

I am thoroughly enjoying my first Melt Crowd Box, it is a joy to discover some new scents and I think the idea is just brilliant.  Now only is it a nice treat for yourself, but it would make a great gift for a friend, relative and even just because you want to gift someone.  Each box has an RRP£18.95 and the cost to you is just £10 which is an absolute bargain and I love that your first box includes an oil burner, which means, if you don't have one, the box isn't wasted.

Have you tried The Melt Crowd?