Iconic London Illuminator

When you read that a beauty brand was started from the depths of someone's bedroom and has now become quite the phenomenon within the world of beauty with people such as professional makeup artists, celebrities, bloggers, leading Beauty Editors and even Kim Kardashian, you cannot help but be full of admiration. Jade Elliott did just that with Iconic London.

I was kindly sent some products from across the Iconic London range to play with and my gosh everything is just beautiful, so much more so than pictures make it look.  Rather than put them all in one big post, I have split them up to show individually.

The first Item I opened and am sharing on my blog today is the Iconic London Illuminator (£30 here*) a product I have seen raved about absolutely everywhere and it has had a wealth of endorsement from celebrity fans such as Jourdan Dunne, Jeffree Star and even Khloe Kardashian. If you love a good highlighter then you cannot help but absolutely love this, it is just stunning.

Described as being a concentrated liquid shimmer, this product is a little bit of a multitasker and can be added to your foundation, primer or moisturiser, or simply used on its own for a quite the highlighted glow.  You can also use it to contour if that is for you. My personal preference is to add a drop to my Primer and then with a tinted moisturiser over the top, I get a really lovely dewy glow. 

The Iconic London Illuminator is available in four shades and each shade comes in a 13.5ml bottle with a dropper for the application they include:

• SHINE: A pink based shimmer to add a pearly shine.
• BLUSH: A peachy antique-rose based shimmer that adds a warm rosy glow.
• ORIGINAL: A champagne-toned shimmer to add a golden shine.
• GLOW: A terracotta-toned shimmer that bestows a rich bronze glow.

I have the Original Shade and as you can see, it comes housed inside the most beautiful glass bottle, which is see-through and the shade you see within the bottle is the one you get on your skin. Thankfully, it comes with a dropper to make the application much easier than it could have been because, for me, I simply drop 1-2 large drops into my primer and then apply with a beauty blender for that flawless application.

The swatch shown above isn't edited, it was taken in my kitchen where I get the most natural light and this was from one drop on my index finger swatched across my wrist.  It is incredibly pigmented, it applies smoothly, it doesn't run, flake or clump, it sits on the skin without disappearing and best of all, it is lightweight and doesn't dry or feel drying.  One of my issues with a few liquid highlighters that I have purchased is that everything is fine and dandy until they settle and dry on the skin, then it feels as though I have a mask that might crack if I so much as move my face.  You don't get any of this with Iconic London.

I have used this bottle of loveliness ever since it has arrived, given the hot weather we are having right now, I really don't want a full face of make-up, so it has been just my go-to primer with a few drops of this Iconic London Illuminator and a tinted moisturiser to see me through the day and I have had quite a few compliments on my glow, with some people assuming that glow is something it most definitely is not!

Have you tried any products from Iconic London?

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

Happy 10th Birthday Emma Hardie Skincare

This year Emma Hardie Skincare is celebrating 10 innovative years of must-have, award-winning skincare products.  Launching back in 2009, the brands' best-selling product is the Moringa Cleansing Balm and not only has it gained cult status amongst beauty editors, Emma Hardie Fans, influences, celebrities, make-up artists and it is one of my must-have products too.

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the brand, Emma Hardie Skincare are launching a limited edition 200ml Moringa Cleansing Balm complete with Rosehip Exfoliating Seeds and Dual Action Cleansing Cloth.  

You might also have noticed that the box has had a bit of a makeover too and that is because the 10th Anniversary limited-edition packaging features a botanical illustration design which references some of the brand's best-loved ingredients and it was created by leading journalist and illustrator Susannah Taylor.

If you have never come across the Moringa Cleansing Balm before, it is one of those products that you cannot help but absolutely love.   Described as being a purifying botanical cleansing balm that removes all traces of face and eye make-up, deeply cleanses the pores as well as balancing, hydrating and moisturising all skin types. Packed full of amazing ingredients, you will find:

• Grape Seed Oil and Sweet Almond Oil rich in essential fatty acids help to plump and soften
• Moringa seed extract, Wild Sea Fennel and Vitamin E balance, purify and help to minimise the appearance of open pores
• Essential oils of Orange, Neroli and Mandarin rejuvenate and revitalise the skin whilst calming the senses
• Jasmine and Rose help to recondition dull, dry, dehydrated and mature skins

For me, this is the perfect way to take off the day and it is a great first cleanser for my double cleanse. I apply with my fingers and gently massage onto the skin, moving in circular motions as I go. Then, when I am ready to remove, I use my Emma Hardie Cleansing cloth which will have been soaking in warm water, squeeze out the excess water and wipe away what is left. You can also use this balm as an overnight facial too.

I love the inclusion of the Rosehip seeds within this Anniversary set and I have used them before from the Christmas collection. The idea with these seeds is that you add just a pinch of the seeds to the balm for a gentle exfoliation whilst you cleanse, they are not at all abrasive on the skin and it really does give a wonderful bespoke at home facial.

Finally, the Dual Action Cleansing Cloth is perfect for use with the cleansing balm.  One side of the cloth is a gentle microfibre material for deep cleansing and removal whereas the other side is a muslin cloth for polishing the skin. 

To further celebrate 10 years of Emma Hardie Skincare, hidden inside 5 Limited Edition boxes are 5 Golden Tickets and each Golden Ticket entitles the winner to £500 worth of products from Emma Hardie.  If that isn't enough, throughout the year, Emma Hardie Skincare Facialists will be offering the Natural Lift and Sculpt Facial - described as being a unique non-evasive relaxing facial treatment.  This facial incorporates a rejuvenating one-hour linear massage technique which helps to drain away toxins, reduce puffiness as well as releasing tension in the face and boosting circulation - now this I would sign up for!

This Limited Edition 10th Anniversary Moringa Cleansing Balm 200ml is priced at £68 and is available at Cult Beauty*, M&S Beauty*, SpaceNK and the Emma Hardie Website right now.  

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

Fushi Sea Buckthorn Organic Oil

I have featured Fushi on my blog a few times now, I first got to know the brand via their Rose and Jasmine Collection followed by the Fushi Bio-Vedic Face Care Collection and most recently the Fushi Pomegranate Oil.  Today I am sharing the newest launch of the Fushi Sea Buckthorn Oil (50ml). 

Fushi (which means ‘eternal life’) began with the combined cultural heritage of the founders Rannesh Jansari and Ria Pattni. Both were handed down ayurvedic family recipes by their grand-parents who blended oils and infused herbs to create natural remedies. Fushi uses only the purest ingredients, sourced from the most ethical producers and freshly blend them in our London workshop to create award-winning products.

Sea Buckthorn Oil is renowned for its Palmitoleic Acid (Omega 7), Provitamin A (carotenoids, in particular, beta carotene) and vitamins E and K. This oil contains a high concentration of the incredibly rare Palmitoleic acid which is described as being a fatty acid that naturally occurs in the sebum of the skin. This fatty acid promotes nourishment, protection of the skin and is known to support skin cells and aid healing.

The robust deep red berries which produce our Organic Sea Buckthorn oil are the most nutritious and unusual of indigenous fruits, found primarily in Europe and parts of Asia, predominantly in mountainous regions. Our berries are grown sustainably in Germany from which this oil is extracted in its virgin form, using a pure mechanical separation procedure to retain the oil’s natural composition and potency. Our unrefined 100% pure Sea Buckthorn oil is of an orange hue and has a beautiful fruity scent.

It really does have a bright orange-red hue and when I first tried using it, I was so surprised by the brightness of that orange, I was worried I would turn into an Oompa Loompa if I put it on my skin, thankfully I haven't because it does wash off. I also happen to just absolutely love the wonderfully fruity scent.

As you can see from the photo above, which is unedited, the oil from the bottle is definitely a shade of orange-red you won't miss.

This Sea Buckthorn Oil is quite the multitasking product because as well as helping to regenerate the skin to help nourish dry skin, help with the healing of scars, sunburn and other conditions, it can also be used for the following:

• Rejuvenate and renew your hair - Due to its rich nutrient profile, a few drops of Sea Buckthorn Oil can also benefit your hair and scalp. It is packed with Vitamins A and E which as we know are super antioxidants and they help to fight aging in the hair and it does this by combatting dryness, brittleness, thinning and breakage. It also contains Vitamins B1,B2 and B6 and again, each one of these vitamins is essential for the rejuvenation and creation of healthy skin, hair and blood.
• Vitamins for the nails - Again the Vitamin profile alongside the Sea Buckthorn Oil can help fortify the nails by stimulating collagen production while smoothing and nourishing your cuticles.

It doesn't end there either. Sea Buckthorn Oil has been used as a natural remedy for thousands of years against various ailments. Taken internally, it is known to be beneficial for inflammation, supporting digestion and weight management because of its ability to help with balancing the sugar. It also promotes healthy skin, hair and eyes.  So using 1-2 teaspoons daily, or drizzled over a salad or blended into your daily smoothie.

This Oil costs £25 for 50ml from Fushi and it is a great oil if you are looking to purchase something that is a great multitasker and a product which looks after you inside and out.

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

The Best Tools For The Job

As well as running my beauty blog and all my social media channels, which I do on my own without any help at all, I also work full time in quite a stressful and incredibly busy job, this sometimes includes working evenings and weekends throughout the year.

Photo by on Unsplash

Running an office with 6 members of staff is quite full on and to be able to do all of the above, I spend a lot of my working week online, be it writing emails, sorting websites, delivering campaigns, doing my own social media, writing a blog post, uploading and editing photographs, I need to ensure I have all the right tools available to me and the most important one is having the best Fibre Broadband I can have.  I need to ensure that my provider gives me the fastest upload and download speeds available within my area and I also want to ensure that each staff member has everything they need to do their job, if all 6 of us are online at the same time, I don’t want it to affect the broadband speed with constant buffering.

So, having just had my office completely renovated from top to bottom, I now find myself in a brand new part of the building that had never before been used.  There was no telephone lines, no media ports and not even a single plug socket that had been used.  This meant that having ended my previous telephone and broadband contract after 15 years, I was able to look for a better deal. So, one single look using my work postcode as to which company offered the best deal took less than 5 minutes to complete and now instead of having less than a 20mb speed, which was quite shocking, we now have 59mb and the difference is incredible, a report takes less than 2 minutes to upload onto our online portal now whereas it could be anything up to 15 minutes before we switched over.  Meetings on Skype no longer buffer and constantly state we have connection issues.

The majority of my work is now done online, I have business skype meetings, phone conferences and whilst I am in the office, especially if I am working late then I have the ability to have music on in the background and in the office we are all hooked up to Spotify and each takes it in turns to play our choice of music, I usually always have the news on in the background, some days I need background noise to be more productive than I would usually be, other days it might be the cricket or my newest love for crime podcasts, there is nothing quite like swearing at an excel spreadsheet whilst listening to a serial killer programme, it removes the temptation to just throw the monitor out of the window!

For blogging, I often write posts during my lunchtime, whilst on a break or before an evening meeting and that often means I need to do a bit of research, fact-checking and photo editing and uploading all from my office.  If you have a slow broadband connection, it can take forever to load some sites due to their fancy graphics and constant pop-up adverts (annoying). The one thing I've noticed a huge change with having better broadband is just how quickly I can do all of the above.

I fully accept that having the internet is a luxury and having superfast fibre-optic broadband more so, especially when some areas of the country struggle to get a signal on their mobile phone never mind WiFi, but it is a luxury that I need to do my job and to blog. 

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