VINCENT LONGO La Bella Luce Highlighters

I first came across Vincent Longo Cosmetics towards the end of last year, when my which point they had been around for 20 years! Regularly used on television, the red carpet and the runway, Vincent Longo cosmetics is said to be a beauty and fashion insiders makeup brand of choice and one which is trusted among A-listers, Supermodels and Professional Makeup Artists.

I am obsessed with highlighters and have a growing collection, the two I am sharing with you today from Vincent Longo, La Bella Luce, are nothing short of beautiful. La Bella Luce translates to mean beautiful light' in Italian and there couldn't be a more perfect description. Available in two, multi-tonal shades there is Flora which is described as being a pearlescent pink and Patina which is a soft golden bronze.

Vincent Longo describes the highlighters as containing Vitamin E for hydration and says they are suitable for all skin tones and can be used for an all over ambient glow or just for highlighting. Essentially they can both be applied anywhere that light would most naturally strike - brow bones, cheeks, bridge of the nose, cupids bow, corner if your eyes, exposed collar bones and décolleté. The marbled design of the pan making it easy to achieve that multi-faceted glow.

The paraben-free formula for both highlighters are of a silky texture and can be as buildable as you want or need them to be. The swatch shown above is one swipe across the top of the powder. You really do need just a small swipe to get the amazing colour pay off and an amazing glow.

Aside from being used highlighters, both shades work really well on the eyelid with Patina, the soft bronze shade gives a great wash of colour. The packaging, which has a magnetic closure and with a mirror in the lid is great quality and perfect for having in your 'on the go' makeup bag. Priced at £24.50, it is hard not to fall in love with either of these highlighters.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Glossybox La Mer Special Edition Box

As collaborations go, this is one that I have been so excited about since the information dropped into my email inbox. I have hankered after using something from La Mer for years and whilst I don't have the bank balance to stretch quite this far Glossybox have given me the opportunity to try not just one but SIX products! I think we can all agree that Glossybox knows how to do a collaboration and having missed out on a few previous boxes which include NARS and Harvey Nicholas, I am glad I have got my hands on this box more so because it sold out in record time.

La Mer is a brand I am sure we have all seen and heard of. Created by Dr Huber in the 1950's. Dr Max Huber was an aerospace scientist that suffered a horrific accident - a routine experiment exploded in his face, covering him with severe chemical burns. Neither science nor medicine offered sufficient promise of help, so Huber decided to help himself. Twelve years and 6,000 experiments later, he perfected the crème that would help give skin a dramatically smoother appearance - Crème de la Mer. Dr Huber believed the sea was a miraculous resource and sea kelp, with its endless ability to regenerate itself, its nourishing properties and the powerful way it retained moisture, held promise and hope. A truly remarkable story behind the brand.

The special edition Glossybox contains 6 of their cult products and gives you everything you need for a complete La Mer skincare routine and inside the box, you will find:

The Cleansing Micellar Water 30ml - I have been wanting to try this Micellar water ever since I saw it on sale in Fabled towards the end of last year.  Described as being a cooling cleanser, it uses positively charged water molecules to micro-emulsifies makeup (even waterproof) and sweeps away impurities and pollutants while delivering the hydration and soothing synonymous with La Mer.

Now having had the opportunity to try it, it is, as I expected it to be just absolutely incredible and the best Micellar water I have tried to date and there have been quite a few.  I love how soft it is on my skin and it is simply amazing at removing absolutely everything from my face, whether or not I have worn makeup. If like me you double cleanse, then you use this as the first step and I am now really wanting the full sized bottle, which is priced at £70 for 200ml.

The Treatment Lotion 5ml - Described as being 'liquid energy' this rich and silky hydrator awakens the complexion and drives moisture into the skin to improve visible texture and even the appearance of skin tone.

It also helps any products you apply on top to penetrate the skin's surface layer more efficiently. Designed to be used after cleansing and before any other products. This was the one product I wasn't too sure about, but unsurprisingly I actually really liked it, but not as much as other products in the box, I just think I need more guidance on how to get the best out of using it. A 150ml bottle is priced at £100.

The Eye Concentrate 3ml - The eye area is one of the first places to show signs of ageing and fatigue and the Eye Concentrate is said to help combat this.

Using Radiant Ferments that infuse the skin with energy and a calming cocktail of Sea Algae and anti-irritants to help soothe and balance as well as helping to minimise the appearance of dark circles, surface discolorations and unevenness. I have used this a few times now and it is incredibly light textured and really easy to apply and a little really is the key. Soothing and cooling on the skin, I love that needs very little help to absorb into the skin. Priced at £115 for 30ml it is an eye cream of dreams.

The Revitalizing Hydrating Serum 5ml - This was launched in January of this year and is La Mer's newest serum.  Tiny micro-droplets help the skin attract and hold moisture whilst delivering the key active ingredients - green, brown and red algae, deep within the skin's surface layers.

Said to leave the skin looking plumped with lines appearing softer, you need just a few drops.  Designed to be using after cleansing but before the application of moisturiser and your SPF.  This is one of the samples I wish was a little bigger than it is because I really suspect it will make such a huge difference to my skin, I have already used pretty much all of this after 8 days of using it and the love affair is definitely growing. A full sized version at 30ml is priced at £145.

The Intensive Revitalizing Mask 15ml - In just 8 minutes this mask will detox your skin leaving it brighter, fresher and plumper.

The trio of Miracle Broth, Vitality Ferment and Purifying Ferment help to promote skin turnover, drench the skin with moisture, neutralise free radicals and protect your complexion from stress and pollution.  If you need a more intensive treatment, this mask can be left on the skin overnight.  So this is possibly the best mask I have tried as an overnight treatment EVER!  Oh, my,  my skin felt absolutely incredible the following morning after using this just once, it was soft, smooth and moisturised more than I have ever known my skin to be and again, this mask is one I feel I need in my life.  A full sized version is priced at £115 for 75ml.

The Moisturizing Cream 7ml - A cult product if ever there was one, thanks to the Miracle Broth that makes it so effective at hydrating and soothing the skin. Designed to be tailored to your own skin for example - if you have oily skin then use it once a day whereas those with dry skin can use it twice a day and those like me with combination skin, rather than apply it to your entire face you simply use it on the dry cheek area only.

To active the Miracle Broth you simply warm between your fingertips until the cream feels as though it is melting and it looks transparent, it is then you pat it onto your skin. Again, finally being able to try a cult product has been amazing and I have just loved using this too. I love the texture, I love how it feels on my skin and I love how it makes my skin feel after using it. Priced at £115 for 30ml this is the cream of dreams.

Putting all of these products together you have a 6 step skincare regime from one of the world's most luxurious brands and using some of the most well known and sought after products.  I love the story behind the brand and the science that goes into each and every product and for me, it has been such a brilliant insight and journey into a brand that I have fallen in love with and one I want to get to know a lot more about.

A fantastic box I am sure you will agree with the combined price of all the products coming in at £118!

Use the code FABGLOSSY

*this post contains PR samples/AF Links unless indicated otherwise

Erborian Black Cleansing Oil

Erborian is a brand that just intrigues and excites me, I adore it and so does my skin. The Erborian skincare brand, its name derived from 'Herbs of the Orient', was born back in 2007 when two women, both experts in the demanding world of cosmetics happened to meet. Blending the power of Korean textures and ingredients with French sensoriality and know-how, there is a whole host of new products hitting stores and I have a few of them to share with you.

The product that grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it was the Black Cleansing Oil. Korean women see Charcoal as the ultimate do-it-all ingredient and over the last 18 months, it has become an ingredient that has appeared in a lot of beauty products. In food and pharmaceutical products it is known for detoxifying the body by absorbing toxins, it can be taken regularly to purify the air by neutralising odours and in cosmetics, it is renowned for being incredibly tough on excess sebum and for those of us who have combination/oily skin, it is just an amazing ingredient. 

Binchotan is a type of charcoal which is made from evergreen oak wood and once it is carbonised, charcoal is known for its detoxifying, purifying and mattifying properties and thanks to its miraculous absorption capacity, it is amazing within skincare.

So the Black Cleansing Oil is as you might see from the photographs black and it is unlike any other cleansing oil that I have used. Not only is it black in colour, I had expected it to be quite thick and gloopy, but it isn't at all. It has a real silky texture which when it comes into contact with water transforms into a light emulsion, it is here that the complex of 7 herbs and the presence of charcoal do their thing.  On the skin it is incredibly gentle and as a first cleanse it is just incredible at removing EVERYTHIING - make up, dirt and grime it just washes off and it also rids the skin of its impurities and excess sebum.

Whenever I cleanse, I am a double cleanse kind of girl and after using this as the first cleanse my skin is soft, smooth and feels so so clean and as though it can breathe. Nourished and supple to the touch, I love how well it works, how much my skin and I love it. I cannot rave about it enough.  If you need a new cleanser then this is it, if only to kill your curiosity as to how good it might be!

Priced at £24 for a 190ml it is one to watch out for right here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

skinChemists Bee Venom facial Serum

I love products which are a little bit different, slightly kooky and maybe a bit strange, so when the skinChemists Bee Venom Facial Serum landed, I was quick to open it and give it a try, more through wonder as to whether or not it would live up to its claims. I do love a good serum and always have one as part of my skincare regime.  This one at £135 most definitely fits into the luxurious category but I was intrigued to see how well it worked.

Advanced Bee Venom Serum has been specially made with the aim of plumping, firming and hydrating the skin while increasing collagen production within the skin for younger looking skin. I am no stranger to products with Bee Venom in them, but be warned that if you do have an allergy to bee's then this is not a product for you. 

Now my skin absolutely loves this serum, seriously drinks it up and it is an almost instant change in how your skin looks and it is all thanks to the amazing ingredients with which it contains. Obviously there is Bee Venom which works to plump and firm the skin whilst stimulating collagen production, Manuka Honey which deeply nourishes and moisturises the skin and helps to improve the texture, Hyaluronic Acid which as we all know helps the skin maintain moisture, Tegocosmo C250 which helps to blur those age spots and imperfections and then if that isn't enough you will find some natural plant extracts which include watercress, nettle and horsetail which come together to help clean your pores and regulate your sebum production - phew!  

On the skin, the serum is incredibly light and as soon as you apply it, it disappears into the skin without leaving a trace that it was ever there. The only thing left is a slight floral fragrance which whilst I wasn't expecting it, was actually rather nice.  Notably, my skin did feel softer and firmer after use and there was no stinging sensation and nor did it burn or tingle. So what is the point of the bee venom? As our skin ages, collagen production decreases and eventually begins to lose elasticity, it is at this point the formation of wrinkles and further signs of ageing become apparent. Bee Venom tricks your skin into thinking you've been stung by bees and this encourages blood flow to that area, plumping the dermal layers and smoothing out fine lines. Despite being in my 30's I am yet to see wrinkles, but I do love how smooth my skin feels after use.

So it is a bit of a big hit with me, I can't help but love this serum and I love how it makes my skin feel. No needles, no fillers and no Botox, instead a bit of Bee Venom and it makes a great base for makeup too.

At £135 many of you will no doubt say it is totally out of your price range but I have very kindly been given a code from the lovely people at skinChemists so that if you do decide to purchase it, then you can do so for just £19.99  by using the code BQUEENBLOG and the offer is valid until the end of March.

skinChemists do not harm any animals. The bee venom used within this product comes from a sustainable source and no bees are harmed.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise