Autumn Lipstick Wishlist

Autumn has arrived and with it comes a flurry of new releases and products to keep your skin looking fab, your nails in tip-top condition, the biker boots and chunky knits are back out and of course it is Berry Lip time!

Up until a year or so ago, there is not a chance I would have been caught wearing a berry lipstick, it wasn't until the assistant on the Dior Counter in John Lewis convinced me that the shade Fashion Night was for me that I was even tempted, but now there are so many that I want to try.

Those lovely ladies over at Escentual are forever tempting me with their products, their recent blog post (here) featured the Makeup Forever Pro Sculpting Lip - 2-In-1 Lip Sculpting Pen and I absolutely love the look of Rosewood which the lovely Chelsea wears in one of the photos. Rosewood is described as being a medium plum pink and the reason I am drawn to it is the description - The MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Sculpting Lip is the secret to fuller-looking lips in an instant. With an opaque semi-matte lip colour on one end and iridescent powder-to-cream highlighter on the other, it’s the only tool you’ll need to maximise your lip look. I am intrigued by the highlighter section. You can find the Pro Sculpting 2-in-1 pen for just  £18.50 HERE. 

Next comes Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips and the two shades which catch my eye are called Dangerous Liasion and Show Girl. Dangerous Liasion is described as being a muted, medium-dark reddish plum with warm undertones and a semi-matte finish, it looks, from the swatches I have seen to be just divine. Show Girl is more of a warm plum with a satin finish but equally beautiful. Said to glide on like a gloss but give full coverage, it is definitely an Autumn/Winter shade and both can be found for £24 HERE.

Shockingly, I am yet to try any of the Marc Jacobs make up range, but everything I have seen, I have really liked and that includes Le Marc Lip Crème in shade Blow, which in fairness was out of stock when I did want to buy it a few days ago in store. Blow is described as a “dark berry velvet" and it definitely does have a dark berry which is almost a burgundy red tone to it but it has cool undertones and a satin sheen finish.  It retails for £25 here.

As with Marc Jacobs, Hourglass is another brand I swoon over but am yet to purchase and these Lip Stylo's have featured on my blog before. This time however it is shade Warrior which has got my attention. Described as being a dark burgundy with cool undertones and a soft sheen it gived a medium but buildable coverage. The Lip Stylo is also said to feature the colour intensity of a lipstick fused with a luxurious blend of Shea Butter, Jojoba, Mimosa and Sunflower Seed for softer, fuller lips. Priced at £26 HERE.

On the hightstreet, Rimmel have usually always got a lipstick selection that I like and this time it is The Only One Lipstick in shade One of a Kind.  Described as being a Maroon shade with neutral undertones and it said to be the The perfect balance of high impact colour, moisture, all day comfort and staying power. It is priced at £6.99 and you can find it HERE.

Giorgio Armani Ecstasy Shine are lipsticks that I have seen featured all over my social media feed and I love that they are said to "colour like a lipstick and moisturise like a balm with the shine of a gloss" which has totally tempted me, especially as I have again, never tried the brand (bloggers forever influencing). Shade 602 which is also known as Night Viper sits within a trio of plum shades that are available within this range. Again from the swatches ive seen, it is one of the lighter plum shades that is perfect for everyday wear. These lipsticks are priced at £29 and can be found HERE.

The final lipstick comes from the Guerlain KissKiss Hydrating & Plumping Velvet Matte Lip Colour and it is shade Wild Plum that has caught my attention.  Described as being the first hydrating and plumping matte lipstick by Guerlain which delivers rich colour in a luxurious balm-like formula. The formula contains hyaluronic acid and Nigella sativa oil to nourish and plump, while a chilli derivative boosts the smile by performing a hot and cold skin micro-massage. £24.75 HERE

There you have my Autumn lipstick wishlist!  Have you seen any that have caught your eye from my list or elsewhere?

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

Feather & Down | Sleep Matters

Feather & Down is a brand I absolutely love. There isn't a product I dislike and everything I have tried has lived up to its claims, so who and what they are? In short, Feather & Down are a brand who encourages relaxation and a state of wellbeing in an effort to help aid sleep. To do this they use a specially blended sleep fragrance containing lavender & chamomile essential oils which are known to promote a better night’s sleep. Anything that offers to relax me to the state of unconsciousness is always going to get the thumbs up from me.

The kind people over at Feather & Down sent me an amazing package of products which I have been using for the last few months and have in that time stocked up on two of the products I have tried, that is how impressed I am.

Melting Shower Cream - Cleanse your skin, clear your mind, and let daytime stress wash away says the blurb for the Shower Cream. When used the Shower Cream melts into a really lovely calming oil and as it is massaged into your skin, it not only leaves it feeling beautifully soft and deeply nourished but the scent of Lavender is just divine.

Did you know that taking a quick shower before bed helps to prepare you for sleep. It is said that the feeling of warm running water on your skin relaxes your body and eases tension after a long day. This Shower Cream retails at £6 for 250ml here.

Soothing Body Oil - A massage of the skin really does help to de-stress and relax and this body oil is incredibly soothing as well as moisturising for the skin. Used just before bed time, the scent of Lavender with Jojoba Oil helps to wind down and relax in preparation for sleep.

To use the oil, you spray it onto the skin and gently massage in, even better if you can get your better half to do the massaging. Priced at £8 for a 125ml bottle which is available from Boots here.

All Purpose Sleep Balm - This balm contains both Lavender and Chamomile essential oils which are blended with nourishing Vitamin E. Designed to be used on your pulse points to help ease your mind and encourage a restful nights sleep.

Placing fragrance onto your pulse points (wrists, temples, and neck) makes it last longer due to the beat of your heart. I find that this is one relaxing balm and it is one that you can used during heightened periods of stress as well as helping to calm and aid sleep. This tub is priced at £7 and is again available in Boots here.

Pillow Spray - I am a huge fan of pillow sprays and do find that they help relax, calm and aide sleep. This spray is an infusion of Lavender and Chamomile essential oils which help reduce an anxious mind and encourage calm to aid a restful night’s sleep.

To use all you need to do is spray a generous amount onto your pillow and around your bedroom to help relax you as you drift into a peaceful night's sleep, I use mine approximately 30 minutes before I am about to attempt sleep, meaning no more reading, no TV watching and no scrolling through social media. Priced at £7 for 100ml here it is definitely worth buying.

Calming Candle - I think it is now common knowledge that I am obsessed with candles and have quite a growing collection. For me, a candle creates a relaxing atmosphere and even the flicker of the wick is instantly calming. With this candle from Feather & Down, as soon as the candle starts to burn essential oils are released and calming fragrance fills the house with an incredible scent.

Priced at £18 here, you only need to burn this candle for a few hours at any time to ensure you get the full benefits of its calming and relaxing scent.

Having really enjoyed using these products from Feather and Down, I have not only bought and used the Bath Essence which again uses the essential oils of both Lavender and Chamomile to create a bath full of calming bubbles, I have also purchased the Bath Essence and Sleep Salts which I am looking forward to trying and again every products from the range is available from Boots.

Have you tried anything from Feather & Down?

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

Pür Cosmetics Bare It All 4in1 Skin Perfecting Foundation

Pur Cosmetics is a new brand to me, new in that I have been playing around with it for quite a few months and now I find that I need everything they do, a simple walk round Marks and Spencers for example could leave me bankrupt.

One product I have really, really loved using is the Dare to go bare with the Pür Cosmetics Bare It All 4in1 Skin Perfecting Foundation. It is everything I should dislike but is infact just beautiful and I am sure from the description, it would make you want to try it:

Skin is the sexiest part of the body and this high performance, 12-hour demi-matte foundation helps to cover imperfections and instantly perfect the skin while helping to correct problem areas over time so you can confidently bare it all. Designed for face and body and formulated with PÜR’s proprietary Energy Complex and Ceretin® Complex, this formula renews the look of your skin and goes the distance. It will not fade, quit or crumble under any condition you may face throughout your day.

The PUR Cosmetics Bare It All is as the description states, a 12 hour 4-in-1 demi-matte foundation which claims to cover imperfections and instantly perfect the skin. In doing that it attempts to help correct those pesky problem areas over time so that you can confidently bare it all. I have made no secret of the fact I have red patches on both cheeks, they tend to flare up when I am stressed, during that time of the month or due to seasonal changes and whilst part of me has just learnt to live with it, but, there are times when I just want to cover them up.

The foundation is available in 6 shades, I have got the shade Porcelain which is the lightest of the 6 and is described as being for fair skin with golden undertones. Next is Light - Ivory, beige skin tones followed by Blush Medium which is for Medium beige with pink undertones, Golden Medium which is a medium beige with yellow undertones, Light Tan for olive skin with yellow undertones and finally Tan which is described as being for Medium tan with rosy undertones.  So I think there is a good range of shades available.

The formula was the testing point for me, I like my foundations to not be overly thick and this one is quite a thick formula but rather than leaving my skin feeling caked and unable to breathe, it is instead really lightweight and I love how it feels on the skin.  Given it is quite thick, you literally need a small amount to cover your face but one word of advice in that it does set quickly and it does last pretty much all day too.  I have combination skin which leaves me with an oily t-zone but a slight dryness to the cheeks, but I have found that this foundation neither slips or sticks and it uses, what are referred to as 'Age-defying ingredients like Ceretin Complex®, combined with good-for-your-skin antioxidants' each of PÜR’s products corrects and perfects the skin.

The brush that accompanied this foundation and the one I use to apply it is the PUR Skin Perfecting Foundation Brush.

It is a large, thick handled oval brush which is so incredibly soft and smooth, it is full of cruelty free, synthetic micro fibre bristles which are really dense and blend the foundation so effortless onto the skin. This is quite possibly the best Oval Brush that I have tried to date too, it is study, it doesn't bend when you use it and I just really, really like it.

You can find the PUR Bare It All 4in1 Skin Perfecting Foundation here Marks & Spencer, for £29.00 and the PUR Skin Perfecting Foundation Brush HERE for £19.00.

If you like a foundation that gives Full Coverage and is High End, then Emmy over at EmmyWritesAbout might have something for you.

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

Avon ANEW Reversalist Infinite Effects Night Treatment Cream | The one with the massive waiting list!

When headlines in newspapers scream that a product you have been trying out for a review has a waiting list of 30,000 people, you do feel quite special. Avon's NEW Reversalist Infinite Effects Night Treatment Cream launched on September 7th and it has seemingly got everyone into a frenzy trying to get hold of it.

In fairness, Avon has created a world first with this cream in that it is the world's first rotational anti-ageing night cream and it took more than three years to develop, it has been clinically tested for a whole year being used by over 100 hundred women and when I saw the results from some of these studies I was blown away.  The idea of  the NEW Reversalist Infinite Effects Night Treatment Cream came about via Avon's own customers who felt that over time they reach a plateau with their skincare, so taking that comment on-board, Avon wanted to create one which continued to work.

Avon's scientists took inspiration for this product from the wellness trend for rotational exercises and eating plans such as HIIT and 5:2 fasting, both of which keep the body guessing to ensure you don't ever hit a plateau.  The end result being a two-step night serum which you rotate each week also known as the new Reversalist Infinite Effects Night Treatment Cream.

The black and red tube is split into two phases - the prep phase (red end) and the treatment phase (black end). The Prep phase contains hero ingredients such as Phytol, a plant dervived anti-ageing active and high levels of Humectant. Combing the two, they prep the skin, replenish and moisturise the skin.  

Phase one also prepares your skin to receive the Super Retinol Complex in phase two.  So Phase Twp which is the treatment uses a Super Retinol Complex which helps reduce the signs of ageing and boosts collagen.  So by binding to your skins surface, the Retinol Complex then has the ability to improve the tone and clarity of the skin as well as reduce fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots.  Retinol is an ingredient that we are all now aware of and it is simply a natural form of vitamin A which is found in a lot of over-the-counter skin creams. It works to boost the thickness and elasticity of the skin and is seen as an effective method for decreasing signs of ageing.  

The cream in phrase one is luxurious and not too thick but a little goes a long way and in phase two the cream takes on a serum like cream and again, you need only a little, two-three pumps max to ensure you have covered your face and neck.  To use the treatment, you switch back and forth between phase 1 and 2 every seven days, it is said that by doing this, your skin doesn't become resistant to the cream and your skin will reap the benefits of the Super Retinol Complex.

By switching back and forth between the two creams every seven days, your skin will reap the benefits of the anti-ageing super retinol complex. And we all know how great retinol is for the skin right? It’s long been considered the best cosmetic treatment for wrinkles. But with this new cream, you get results that intensify over time. As the switching process ensures your skin doesn’t become resistant to the cream.

What I have found since using the cream is that whilst I have minimal lines and wrinkles on my face, I do have lines on my neck and there has been a slight improvement there, but for me the real difference is in how different my skin feels.  Even after just a few weeks, my skin is soft and smooth to the touch, it doesn't feel dry or dehydrated and when I use a serum in a morning, it definitely doesn't slurp it up as though I have starved it of moisture for weeks, but instead the serums now absorb at what I would call a normal rate.  

The Avon ANEW Reversalist Infinite Effects Night Treatment Cream is currently on offer for just £25 here.

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