20 Years of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir

This year Caudalie are celebrating 20 years of their Beauty Elixir which was created back in 1997 and to celebrate that anniversary, Caudalie has created a special edition bottle with delicate golden details.  Mathilde Thomas discovered a historical recipe for the 'Elixir of Youth' which was prepared for Isabelle, the Queen of Hungary in the 16th Century and it is this recipe which inspired Mathilde to reinvent the mysterious herbal infusion for herself.

Pitched as a modern woman's Elixir, Mathilde created a product which was quick to apply, instantly refreshed the skin, calmed the mind and would fit into anyone's beauty routine.  I love this special edition bottle with the gold detailing and think it is quite fitting to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

The Beauty Elixir is Paraben-free, Vegan and 100% natural which back in 1997 made it an incredibly modern product and one which now fits into the most popular of categories, I am constantly asked if the products I used are Vegan or Paraben-free, so Mathilde really was ahead of her time. 

Once spritzed this Elixir fills the air with notes of benzoin, myrrh, orange, blossom, grape and rose, all of which work to give your complexion a rosy glow. Add to that astringent rosemary and the stimulating essence of lemon balm and mint and the scent is really quite incredible and it is of course really gentle on the skin.  The ingredients coming together to smooths away fine lines, tightens pores and gives the complexion an instant boost of radiance, helps calm redness and not forgetting that this product can also be used to set makeup!  Quite the multi-tasker in one bottle and one of my other favourite ways to use this Elixir is to moisturise my beauty blenders.

I like that just a few spritzes are enough to cover my face entirely without soaking it through. It instantly refreshes and on a hot summers day is just ideal for a bit of a cool down and a refresh. The limited-edition is available now in both a 100ml full size or 30ml travel size here.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Christmas 2017 with REN Skincare

The dreaded C word has arrived already and with the constant Facebook reminders that there is around 150ish days to go, the launches have begun.  REN is an amazing brand and being obsessed with the scent of Rose and also the wonder that is Magnesium, I was hoping the Christmas launches would be special - and they are!

REN Skincare has collaborated with Silken Favours, famed for their kitsch and warm-hearted hand drawn prints, to create little boxes of joy filled with everyone’s REN favourites. Quite different to anything else I have seen for Christmas, the REN packaging is quite kitsch and far from being festive.

This year’s line-up includes:

ROSE TO THE WORLD - £36 (worth £44) 

I love the Rose Otto range, there is something about the fresh scent of roses. Rose to The World gives you the chance to experience REN’s multi-award winning soothing Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash and replenishing Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion. Together they will leave the skin looking and feeling beautifully healthy.  A true cult classic.

Contents:

• 200ml Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash
• 200ml Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion

ENERGISING FESTIVE SEA(SON) - £22 (worth £25) 

One of my favourite ranges right now and one I cannot rave about enough. An excellent source of magnesium and stress-fighting algae to revitalises and re-energises the skin. REN has harnessed the power of ocean plants to fight fatigue, stress & pollution within a 21st-century context. The perfect tired body ‘pick me up’!

Contents:

• 100ml Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash
• 75ml Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating body scrub
• 100ml Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium EnergisingLotion

‘TIS THE SEASON TO FEEL ROSEY - £45 (worth £52)

A luxurious selection from REN’s multi-award winning Moroccan Rose Otto range, to leave your skin soft, smooth and lightly scented with 100% natural rose oil.  This set will be exclusive to Space NK and it will also include a colouring book and pencils. 

Contents:

• 200ml Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash 
• 75ml Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Polish 
• 100ml Moroccan Rose Gold Glow Perfect Dry Oil

SILENT NIGHT, WAKE WONDERFUL – £34 (worth £38) 

The perfect party season prep! Wake up to brighter, smoother, more rested looking skin in just one night. Featuring the brilliant Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial, which again I absolutely love this is one of my favourite kits on offer.

Contents:

• 50ml V-Cense™ Revitalising Night Cream 
• 15ml Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial 
• 15ml Wake Wonderful Night Time Facial

ALL IS CALM, ALL IS BRIGHT - £29 (worth £43) 

A select lineup of REN’s best-selling skincare products and for me, the perfect introduction to the world of REN Skincare if it is something you have never delved in to. For skin that looks and feels smoother, brighter and more lifted.

Contents:

• 50ml Evercalm™ Global Protection Day Cream
• 15ml Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask
• 10ml Keep Young & Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot 

MERRY LITTLE LUXURIES – £16 (worth £20) 

REN’s Mini Body Kit contains perfect travel size duos of the award winning Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash and Lotion and invigorating Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium. Great for weekend breaks or party season gifting. 

Contents:

• 50ml Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash 
• 50ml Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion 
• 50ml Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Anti-Fatigue BodyWash
• 50ml Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Body Cream

STOCKING FILLERS – £10

REN’s best selling Moroccan Rose Otto and Atlantic Kelp & Microalgae bath oils in miniature make for this year’s most coveted stocking fillers.

Contents:

• 10ml Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil or
• 10ml Atlantic Kelp & Microalgae Anti-Fatigue Bath Oil

Limited edition packs of hand balms featuring Moroccan Rose Otto and Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium essential oils – £14

Contents:
50ml Moroccan Rose Otto Luxurious Hand Balm or
50ml Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Energising HandBalm

I think there is something for everyone right here and for every budget too. If there is something that has caught your eye, then you only need to wait until the beginning of October when they become available!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Laura Geller Pucker Up Lipstick Trio - Pink

I have been lucky enough to meet the wonderful Laura Geller and chat all things blogging and makeup and there is no doubting that some of her products are simply incredible - Gilded Honey Highlighter for example! So when this Laura Geller Pucker Up Lipstick Trio, which is a limited edition set arrived I was quite excited.

The lipstick set comes in two different options - Natural or the one I got which is Pink. They are both priced at £25 and have launched to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Laura Geller Beauty. 

Each lipstick within this collection is a high-shine, buttery lip shade which glides onto the lips, coating them in some extremely pigmented shades of pink, all of which by the way is really flattering. The three shades of lipstick are:

• Petal: Energetic fuchsia which is an incredible pink
• Pink: vibrant pink with red tones
• Rose: A light pink which is nude toned and really lovely for everyday wear

I really like the mix of colours you get within this trio and you can even layer them to make your own pink shade. With a satin finish, they stay on the lips for a good 4-5 hours before you need to re-apply. I love how creamy the formula is and how it feels on the lips. 

Are you a fan of Laura Geller makeup? 

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

REN Perfect Canvas

I first came across REN Perfect Canvas at a press day and wanted to take it home with me there and then because I was so intrigued by it. Described as being The Ultimate Skin Perfecting Serum, I think it is an exciting launch and one which not only looks after your skin but improves how your makeup performs when applied.

Perfect Canvas is designed to be applied after your moisturiser and before you begin applying your makeup, but you can if you prefer to, mix a few drops in with your moisturiser. Once applied it is designed to leave the skin smoothed, lifted and naturally filled as well as mattified by removing any excess shine.  It is a clear serum like fluid which is added via the use of a pipette, something I am thankful to see when products like this are in my possession. 

When it comes to ingredients, with REN you know you are going to get something a little bit different and a little bit special.  To that end, Perfect Canvas is formulated with Probiotics Extract which are said to influence the speed and quality of the epidural growth, boosts the production of essential proteins and enzymes, improves the skins barrier function and promotes the overall skin health and structure. Add to that the inclusion of Hyluronans which help increase the skins hydration, elasticity and wrinkle depth.

The one thing which stands out to me is that it is silicone free, something I suspect will capture the attention of a lot of people.  One thing I see most often within the blogging world is people wanting products that are silicone free, especially makeup and that is where an ingredient called  Algave Tequilana Extract comes in.  Its job is to provide an instant filling effect and mattify the skin without the use of silicones before finally a-Glucans work to rebalance the homeostasis (that is on-going renewal to you and I) of the skin by promoting the growth of skin-friendly bacteria which optimises skin health.

So with the sciencey and ingredients bit done, how did it fare?  Well admittedly it did smooth and hydrate my skin and when you use a product with Silicone as an ingredient, namely a primer, it does and can feel like you have a sort of film on your skin, with Perfect Canvas you don't get that at all, it feels really natural on your skin.  I am using Too Faced Born This Way Foundation currently (a re-purchase too) and Perfect Canvas didn't effect its usage or longevity, I got a little more wear time than I would do using a silicone based primer and my foundation didn't slip mid-way through the day meaning I needed to re-apply.  I also, but noticed that it did help with blurring especially with the pores on my nose and it did stop the foundation clinging to a dry patch of skin on my cheek much better.  As Autumn draws in, I will need to switch up to a fuller coverage foundation, so I am excited to see how it works with that.

I am a fan of this product. I love how it feels on my skin, I like the lack of a film feel once applied, I like that it is silicone free and I love that it cares for your skin as well as making my makeup perform much better. Perfect Canvas launches on 1st September and is priced at £50 here.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here