Tribe Perfume

The very first perfume I ever owned was called Tribe, it launched back in 1991 and was the bottle that saw me through school, through friendships, breakups and a bottle that I have kept the entire time as a memento in a memory box I started to create many moons ago.  If you don't remember Tribe, it was the bright purple box with the even brighter pink writing and possibly the scent that everyone owned alongside The Bodyshop Dewberry and Impulse 02.  When it disappeared from sale in around 1997, I was gutted but I still had my original bottle - a bottle that has followed me through 6 house moves over the space of quite a few years!  But, it is now back on sale and I have got my hands on a bottle and I couldn't be more excited!

The outer box still looks very similar to the original but the main difference is the bottle.  Gone has the slightly twisted bottle design for something which is much sleeker and also gone is the bright blue and pink lid in favour of a gold version.  So whilst there have been some material changes, I am thankful that the fragrance is just as I remembered it and that there have been no changes made.

Remember leotards leggings and crop tops. And prints and patterns in every conceivable colour, as long as it was bright!How about Cool Britannia and Britpop? Or was it the craze for fitness and dance that got you?What are your memories of the nineties?Now you can them back to life with Tribe® perfume!Or would you simply love to experience this memorable era with this iconic 90's perfume.Treat yourself this nostalgic yet up to date perfume - right here, right now.Tribe® fragrance has risen again!

Described as being alluring and addictive, Tribe is a fragrance which is designed to suit everyone whether you are someone who loves to reminisce about fragrances of your youth or whether you want to try something new. 

Tribe opens with quite the burst of a cocktail of juicy fruits and really packs a powerful punch and it has top notes of mandarin orange, raspberry, peach, apple, bergamot and lemon of which come together and really makes quite the impression. The middle notes of cyclamen, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and rose to bring to life those floral notes which intertwine with the top fruit notes before the base notes of sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss and cedar which breakdown the top and middle notes and allow just a hint of peach to seep through. Many people put this fragrance in the Oriental Floral group.

As you can see from the photo above, the current bottle of Tribe versus my own bottle circa 1992 according to the notes in my memory box, so it is quite dated but there is still some perfume in the bottle and I did spray it against the newly re-released bottle and they are exactly the same scent.

Retailing for around £24 Tribe can be found in all kinds of stores ranging from Amazon, Allbeauty, Fragrance Direct and of course the Tribe website too.

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

Jo Malone London Red Roses Bath Oil

When it comes to luxury and the wow factor, is there anything more delightful than a Jo Malone London package?  With Valentines Day having arrived, now is the time to grab those presents for your loved ones and if spending some quality time in the tub is something your other half loves, then this package has everything you need to impress, wow, pamper and relax.

The essence of modern romance. A voluptuous blend of seven of the world's most exquisite roses. With crushed violet leaves and a hint of lemon, it unfolds like a bouquet of freshly cut flowers. Surprisingly clean and sheer. For a sumptuous bathing treat, our Bath Oil is enriched with sweet almond, jojoba seed and avocado oils, which are natural conditioners that help soften and nourish the skin, while sublime fragrances fill the air and scent your skin.

I am still quite new to the wonder that is Jo Malone and first ever fragrance from the brand was Red Rose and Oud (review here)  and it is one I absolutely adore. I have for some time, dreamt of owning a bath oil and it was very much worth that wait.

I absolutely love the scent of roses, there is something quite extraordinary about the fragrance and within this bath oil, the blend of seven of the world's most exquisite roses. 

With top notes of Lemon which really gives a sharp burst of citrusy freshness as the bottle is opening, the heart notes of Red Roses Accord is where for me, this bath oil becomes that little something special and if you love the scent of fresh roses then this is something you would just love because it is that very same scent that you associate with a fresh bunch of roses as they come into bloom.  The base note of honeycomb adds a slight sweetness to the scent, but not so much that it dissipates the scent of roses.

To use this bath oil you only need one capful within your bath, once the water is running and as soon as the oil comes into contact with the water and steam vapour it comes to life and quickly seeps into every single room of the house to give a lovely scent.  There is no greasy film floating on top of the water and when you finish bathing, my skin felt absolutely incredibly soft and that fragrant scent of roses was most definitely evident, even a good few hours after bathing.  

Red Roses bath oil comes in three sizes - 250ml, 200ml and 30ml and the price of each changes depending on the size of the bottle you purchase. I have the 30ml bottle which is priced at £18 (here) and what I love about this size is that it is big enough to enjoy quite a few baths from and it is small enough to be taken away with you on holiday and long weekends away so you can really spoil yourself.

Do you have a favourite Jo Malone London fragrance/product?

Spend £100 on Jo Malone London and choose a full-size complimentary gift*

GIFTONE - English Oak & Redcurrant Cologne 30ml
GIFTTWO - Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense 50ml
GIFTTHREE - Peony & Blush Suede Shower Oil 250ml

Terms & conditions
*Promotion is only valid between Thursday 14th February and Friday 22nd February 2019
Only one gift available with each order. Promotion applies on all orders of £100 or over on jomalone.co.uk.
A promotional code must be added at checkout in order to receive the gift.
Promotion excludes Travel candles, Charity candles, gift cards and e-gift cards.
Promotional code is only redeemable once per customer and not available in conjunction with any other offer.
Gifts will vary per promotional code and are available while stocks last. Gifts cannot be returned to store or online for exchange, credit, or monetary value.

Please note that if you wish to return the qualifying purchase part of your order in store, a proof of purchase/order confirmation must be presented and this will only be processed if the complimentary gift has also been returned

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

Tonic15 - the new site for K-Beauty

I am a huge K-Beauty fan and even have a page dedicated to all of the K-Beauty reviews I have done to date, detailing all of the products I have bought, been sent and used. Over the last 18 months, Korean Beauty has started to seep into the UK market pretty rapidly, gone are the days of struggling to get hold of the most basic of brands and that is thanks to sites such as Tonic 15. 

Tonic 15 is my current go-to K-Beauty site and it exists to bring simple K-Beauty methods to create flawless beauty to the Western market. Sourcing the finest products from Korea, the founder Jin Kwon (Jin and Tonic get it!), whom I have had the absolute pleasure to meet, is the fountain of all knowledge when it comes to some pretty incredible brands and also believes that spending just 15 minutes every day just focused on you in a skincare routine can make not only a huge difference to your skin but also to your overall wellbeing.

What I love about Tonic15 is the ability to search for products by brand or by concern, the two important factors for me when it comes to purchasing new products.  When looking at skin concerns you have the choice of oily, dry, sensitive, blemishes, pigmentation or anti-ageing and from here you will be directed to a page with products dedicated to that particular issue.  I have combination oily skin so I would need to look under both the oily and dry sections of the site and decide which products I want to try.  For me, my t-zone is oily but my cheeks are often dry and to combat this, I do tend to use different products on different parts of my face when I am really suffering.   From your designated page you will be presented with a whole host of products across a wide-ranging spectrum - facemasks, toners, Emulsions, eye patches, mists, oils, moisturisers, serums and exfoliators to name but a few.

I was very kindly gifted some credit to use on Tonic15 to grab some products and try them out.  Despite wanting to try a whole host of products, I did manage to pick four products which I have been using over the past few months and they will be appearing on this blog in coming weeks.  But I chose the following:

Aromatica, which has been around since 2004, is a registered partner of the Vegan Society and uses only organic botanical ingredients and never uses animal-derived ingredients.  I chose the Aromatica Orange Cleansing Sherbet which I loved the scent of this when I was introduced to it by Jin and couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  

I am a huge fan of cleansing balms and this cleansing sherbet is literally like heaven in a tub.

I then chose products from Klairs whom I have had my eye on for some time now after reading rave reviews. Klairs is a Vegan-friendly, cruelty-free brand which is developed specifically for sensitive skin. Klairs include the most essential ingredients (no colourants, no alcohol, no parabens and no artificial fragrances/fragrance-free). Klairs products are extremely gentle  on the skin and suitable for all skin types

Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Mask - I absolutely love sheet masks and try to ensure I do at least once a week. 

From Klairs, this mask is perfect for those with oily skin because it uses ingredients to help balance sebum levels.

The final products I chose also come from Klairs and they are the Gentle Black Cleanser and Exfoliator work together a duo to provide deep cleansing and exfoliation to your skin. 

I love that the two of these products come together to provide an incredible skincare experience and it is one that I will be sharing on the blog soon.

Alongside Aromatica and Klairs, you will also find brands such as Huxley who have the most amazing sounding Sleep Mask which is on my wishlist to try, JayJun who are best known for their eye patches, Lotus Skincare who have the most amazing story to share, By Wishtrend  Mandelic 5% Skin Prep Water and so many more brands to be discovered.

If K-beauty is somewhere you have been wanting to explore then Tonic15 is an incredible place to start.  Delivery is free on orders over £15 and if you use the code LunarNewYear you can currently grab yourself a 15% discount.

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

ION-Sei Sonic Iconic Electric Toothbrush

When it comes to toothbrushes, I know it isn't the most exciting subject but it is an important one. Over the last few years I have featured a few different branded toothbrushes on my blog and as someone who has Hellenologophobia, which is a phobia of false teeth (yes really), taking care of my teeth is as important to me as taking care of my skin, my hair, my scalp and despite my protests of not being a fan, my feet. My last electric toothbrush suddenly stopped working, refused to charge and when ION-Sei got in touch with me to see if I’d want to give their ION-Sei Sonic Iconic Electric Toothbrush a try, I immediately said yes. 

A brand I had never heard of, the ION-Sei a home appliances brand which has an interesting fusion of Japanese thinking and philosophy, combined with top German product design and it is developed by Sanyei from Japan. Sanyei is currently working on a whole host of products but right now, with its patented technology, the ION-Sei toothbrush is the first and it makes quite the impression.

“There’s a new hero in your bathroom. Whereas most electric toothbrushes only remove plaque and bacteria, ionic technology suppresses the bacteria causing plaque too. You’ll experience smoother, cleaner feeling teeth over time. And can expect a healthier mouth with less risk of cavities. 

ION-Sei’s superpowers lie in its patented technology. Whereas most electric toothbrushes only remove some of the plaque and bacteria (S. Mutans*), ionic technology actually suppresses the bacteria causing plaque too. The ION-Sei electric toothbrush uses an Ultra Violet (UV) LED light that reacts with a Titanium Dioxide bar in the brush handle, to create ions that suppress the bacteria that cause plaque. 

The negative electrons are sent to your mouth via water or saliva. Although ION-Sei uses advanced technology, it harnesses nature using “water and light”. ION-Sei also works with your body’s natural electrical charge through a conductor on the handle, producing a weak charge that inhibits bacterial growth and helps to attract bacteria from teeth onto the brush. The technology used to create these super powers are proprietary and patented. The TiO2 (titanium dioxide) semiconductor” and “UV LED” negative electron generation, are unique to ION-Sei.“

There is quite a lot to take in with this toothbrush and I love that there is so much more to it than the sleek design.  I want a toothbrush that does more than cleans my teeth, I want something that leaves my entire mouth feeling clean, I want that feeling I get after a visit to the hygienist across every single tooth in my mouth. 

The Sleek design is worthy of a mention because it is easy to hold and is lightweight, so if you travel a lot, it is perfect for slotting into your travel bag, but be warned there isn't any protective case for it to go into at this stage, it is charged by USB. It has three different brushing modes to suit all needs and these are shown by the three dots below the on/off button.  The first option is for sensitive gums and it is incredibly kind on the gums but is still effective at cleaning your teeth,  The second option is called Standard and this is suitable for everyday cleaning whilst the third and final option is called Deep for a supercharged clean and this is the option I choose to use once a week to ensure my teeth have a really good clean. Other worthy pointers about this toothbrush include

• 31,000 strokes per min sonic vibrations – to give you deep yet gentle cleaning power. 
• Innovative brush head - normal spiral bristles are combined with tapered ones that are softer for your mouth. 
• UV LED light and patented TiO2 bar – UV light strikes* the TiO2, (titanium dioxide) bar and makes the OH radical (hydroxyl radical), generating ions** 
• Weak current from conductor panel – The ION-Sei works with your body’s natural electrical charge – producing an opposite weak charge that inhibits bacterial growth and helps to attract bacteria from teeth onto the brush. 
• Creating a longer lasting and deeper clean, through ionic technology – reduces the bacteria sticking to teeth and therefore plaque build-up, gum disease and cavities. 
• You don't need toothpaste - This toothbrush is a more natural cleaning option using water instead of toothpaste for cleaning. Electrons generated travel through simple water and saliva onto your teeth. No toothpaste is needed unless you want to use it.

The ION-Sei Sonic Iconic Electric Toothbrush retails for £129.99 on Amazon and you can purchase further brush heads, which are sold in packs of two for £11.99 and the options are in to choose from are Standard, Compact Soft and Soft. Inside the box, as shown in the photos above, you will find everything you need to make this brush work. There is the brush handle, two brush heads, a USB charger and cable, a mains plug for the UK and Europe as well as a charging base and an in-depth manual, if you need something more, then there is an online technical brochure which features a lot more information on the technology behind the toothbrush, including that of its three patents.

I have been using this toothbrush for the last few months and I like being able to swap and change between the settings for cleaning my teeth.  I am lucky enough to not have sensitive teeth, but I often use this setting anyway because it is gentle. I love the deep clean setting and what is the most important factor for me about using any toothbrush is how it makes me feel and the one big difference I have noticed is that my molars, especially where my wisdom teeth constantly attempt to make an appearance, feel a whole lot cleaner than they have done in such a long time.  I appreciate this is not something I can necessarily prove or show, but it is important to me.  I also love that I don't have to use toothpaste, sadly, I am in a habit of using toothpaste, it is something I have done for most of my life and will possibly not stop doing, but the option of not having to faff with a toothpaste tube, is something I like the sound of.

My toothbrush has been fully charged using the USB adapter and I have been using it twice a day for the last 9 weeks and it has yet to need another charge.  So again, for anyone who travels extensively, this is pretty amazing.

I would love to know your thoughts on this ION-Sei Sonic Iconic Electric Toothbrush

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