The Beauty Guru Box with Latest in Beauty

When Latest in Beauty asked if I would like to select some products to create my own beauty box I jumped at the chance. With a subscription service to tailor your own box how you want it, Latest In Beauty make Beauty Box making easy.

Image Credit - Latest In Beauty

Firstly you have the option as to whether or not you create your profile to let the Latest In Beauty Team know your beauty preferences, favourite brands and style and then some brands and products will come up as a recommendation. 

The next stage 3, 6 or 9 of your favourite products to try each month, all with free delivery, so you know exactly which and how many products you receive. Your first month's subscription will come in a gorgeous limited edition make up bag which is chic and reduces unnecessary packaging as shown above.

So I was given the chance to try out the Beauty Guru option which involves selecting 9 products from over 200 in total which you can see listed right here, within a couple of minutes I had already picked 9 and I was not even a third of the way through the selections, so I was constantly adding, removing, re-adding and debating with myself which products I would really like to try.  In the end I did managed to select 9 products and they are:

High Definition Bronzer in Light/Medium. The simple, silky and long-lasting powder is ideal for contouring, or just adding a touch of a tan, as the subtle pearlescent pigment keeps the colour natural and adds a satin finish to create that radiant look we all strive for. 

Aloe Leaf extracts are used as a soothing ingredient to minimise redness and Vitamins A, C, and E offer antioxidant benefits.

MUA Luxe Palette in Paradise. With 10 eyeshadow shades which are super-pigmented with a sleek design which makes it easy to carry around in your handbag.

As you can see, this palette covers all bases when it comes to warm plum and copper tones.

Anne Semonin Eye Express Radiance Ice Cubes. These ingenious Eye Express Radiance Ice Cubes are formulated with a powerhouse of ingredients to dramatically reduce puffiness and dark circles. 

Marine Spring Water and Hyaluronic Acid provide a much-needed hydration boost, Ginkgo Biloba promotes microcirculation, Gourd Extract alleviates puffiness, and Bioflavonoids work to brighten the eye area, reducing the look of dark circles. 

Living Proof Pre Shampoo Treatment - Most of us don’t think about treating our hair in the same way we do our skin. There are more skin cleansers, toners, serums, moisturisers than you can shake a makeup brush at, but for our hair we just rinse, repeat, and go (and not always repeat if we’re honest). Well, no more! Pre-shampoo treatment is here, and your hair deserves it.

Living Proof Healthy Hair Conditioner - This conditioner from Living Proof is part of their acclaimed Perfect Hair Day (PhD) range. While we love a good pun, naming their range PhD isn’t just for humorous effect. All these products are backed by hardcore scientific research and Living Proof’s own patented molecules. If anyone can claim to have a PhD in haircare, it’s Living Proof.

Ila Cleansing Bath Salts. These salts go beyond luxurious, they offer detoxification for anyone who is tired or stressed out and because they are designed to wage a war against poor circulation they actually ease puffiness, swelling and cellulite. Effectively ila have created a product which dictates that taking time out and lying in the bath is productive for our mind, body and soul...Yes please! 

These salts work to leave skin feeling smooth and enriched, Juniper Berry strengthens and protects the body's energy field and Rose geranium and lemongrass actively cleanse negativity healing your body both mentally and physically.

Pure Konjac Facial Puff Sponge - For those of you not up on your Ancient Indochinese medicine (pretty niche we know), Konjac or Konnyaku, is a native Asian plant found growing at very high altitudes. Packed with minerals and antioxidants, 100% free from impurities and pollutants, and naturally sustainable, this wonder plant is ideal for use in skincare.

That's why The Konjac Sponge Company have utilised it's numerous benefits to create their eponymously named Facial Sponges. This lightweight little puff packs a serious punch when it comes to cleansing your skin and removing impurities. The unique net like structure of the vegetable fibres gently exfoliate skin, helping to get the blood flow going and thereby promoting skin cell renewal. No need for any additional cleansing products, just add water and puff away.

Anne Semonin Bath and Shower Gel Exotic Verbena. With a delicate aroma of litsea cubeba oil, this body wash leaves your skin smelling delicious and feeling squeaky clean.

 What’s more, it’s paraben-free, so perfect for those with sensitive skin.

Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Napa Vineyard. This is a beautiful cranberry red shade in a matte texture.

The crayon delivers long-lasting moisture and hydration to your lips keeping them soft, smooth and oh so kissable, and the shape of crayon means application is easy and hassle-free, too.

What I like about this service is that if you don't think you need 9 products a month, remember they are not all full sizes, then there is the option of 3 or 6 which might be more manageable and you can also order a one off box which would make a great treat for you or a great present for someone else and you can find everything you need to know here.

*this post contains PR samples/Aff links unless indicated otherwise

Silidyn - For strong bones, hair, skin and nails

When the opportunity to do this trail with Silidyn and 30+ bloggers came up, I did hesitate because I am not great with taking any supplements of any kind, I managed for about 5 days and then forget only to remember a few months later. So I decided that as we enter a new year, I would give it a try, I have reminders set in my phone (yes really) and I am almost a week into the trial and it is still going strong.

Adding silicon into our diets can help to restore skin and nails as well as improve hair growth and strength and this is where Silidyn comes into play. If you have noticed that your skin or hair is losing strength and elasticity, or your nails have become brittle and fragile, it could be that you are deficient in silicon and are in need a daily boost. Until recently the absorption of silicon was unstable and not readily available in a format which was easy to take, which worked and was easy to absorb, it is now. 

Silidyn has a whole host of ingredients such as

• MSM: Known as Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane ithelps to keep connective tissue between joints supple
• Zinc: supports the immune system as well as the skin’s regenerative strength
• Boron: an important building block of bone tissue
• OPC: Or Oligomeric Proantho -cyanidins as you might be more familiar with, is from maritime pine extract, helps to protect cells and tissues against ageing
• Manganese: helps in the maintenance of connective tissue
• Selenium: plays an important role in the protection of free radical

With over 10 million people in the UK living with arthritis, 3 million who are estimated to have osteoporosis, low levels of silicon have been found to be a contributing factor to many bone conditions. Silidyn has been developed to support the effective maintenance of bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage as well as playing a vital role in the stimulation of keratin and collagen, essential for healthy looking hair, skin and nails as we age. 

Now I had fully expected this product to taste absolutely vile, they usually do and it is a contributing factor as to why I put off continuing to use something. So I was quite pleasantly surprised to find that this is actually a tasteless liquid supplement. To use it is advised that you add 10 drops daily, preferably before breakfast in half a glass (125ml) of water or juice and drink immediately.  So once the drops are in your juice, I stir it and then down it in one and you cannot taste a single thing and it doesn't alter the taste at all. So far so good as far as this goes and given I keep the bottle next to my kettle, it is pretty hard to ignore in a morning anyway when one of the first things I do is brew up for the mister!

As I type this my nails had been really quite brittle to the point where nail polish didn't even hide where the peeling starts and ends, they break constantly and split down the sides, so once this trial is up, I am looking forward to seeing the end result!

Have you ever successfully taken a supplement and noticed any difference?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

REN Limited Edition Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash

I am a huge fan of anything Rose scented, but it has to be a fresh rose scent and not one which smells artificial. So when the REN Limited Edition Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash arrived, I was quite excited to give it a try as I am such a fan of the normal range, I wanted to see what the limited edition had to offer.

The REN Limited Edition Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash is in collaboration with iconic London florist McQueens, a florist which was at one point a failing flower shop in Shoreditch and is now one with a reputation for quality, style and innovation. Celebrating their 25th Anniversary just recently, McQueens and their eponymous flower school in Bethnal Green is said to have defined the way we think about flowers and what better way to do that, than with this collaboration.

The Moroccan Rose is harvested at dawn from the lush valley of roses in Morocco and the Moroccan Rose is known for its delicate bloom and heady unforgettable fragrance and as soon as the get a slight whiff of the scent, it is fresh and it just undeniably divine, as though you are walking through a field of fresh roses.

This Body wash is fragranced with the Moroccan Rose Otto Oil which is one of the worlds most expensive and revered essential oils and it is one which is richy hydrating on the skin, it acts as an anti-inflammatory, it is stress relieving and it is incredibly soothing not to mention hamonising. As a product which can be used in the shower or the bath, alongside the oil is Neroli Flower Water which cleanses, refreshes and purifies the skin, Chamomile Flower Water which calms and soothes and Beta-Glucan which helps to calm and soothe redness and any irritation. 

On the skin, not only are you left smelling just incredible when you eventually step out of the shower, and trust me when the Rose Otto Oils comes into contact with the steam from the water, you might never want to get out of the shower, there is an immediate sense of feeling relieved and calm. If you haven't guessed, I absolutely love this Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash and whilst this one is a limited edition, you can find REN products on Lookfantastic, John Lewis, Liberty, Marks and Spencer and Feel Unique to name a few.

It is also worth nothing that all products from REN are free from synthetic fragrance, mineral oil, petrolatum, sulfate detergents, synthetic colours, animal ingredients and parabens.
*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Merci Handy Cleansing Hand Gels

If you love your hand sanitisers then get yourself to Top Shop because Merci Handy Hand Sanitisers are coming.  

I am a convert to Hand Sanitisers and living in London and using public transport, a lot of people touch things in public and having watched a programme about the tube, yep those hands are being sanitised at any given moment eww.

Merci Handy Hand Sanitisers are not just cute and cherry they don't smell as though you have just covered yourself in Deep Heat and Vodka, infact they are fun and smell just delightful. The idea behind these hand sanitisers is to inject some love back into personal hygiene with simple yet effective products. These cleansing gels not only leave your hands clean, soft and delicately fragranced they are unlike other hand sanitisers because they are enriched with emollient beads and vitamin E to hydrate and nourish your skin while fighting bacteria.

So with a bottle designed to fit in your pocket or your handbag, there are seven different fragrances to choose from which are:

• Black Vanilla - cool and mysterious but with a sweet hint of vanilla to melt your heart
• Lollipop - takes you back to your childhood and leaves your hands feeling young, fresh and healthy
• Cherie Cherry - has a big heart and will give your hands a light fruity fragrance
• Flower Power - is the scent of peace and love and will leave your hands with a soft fragrance of a bouquet of flowers
• New Wave - washes over your hands and leave them with a fresh, invigorating fragrance
• Coco Rico - infuses your hands with that great holiday fragrance
• Oh My Lemon - leaves your hands with all the freshness of a zesty citrus scent.

I have five of the scents from above and they do smell incredibly lovely and they are not drying either. So the next time you are passing Topshop, look out for these little cuties.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise