Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Pomegranate & Cassis

One of the hair care products I hear the most about is the iconic Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, the one everyone has used, tried and loved.   Now with a slight spin on things, I was kindly sent the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer in Pomegranate & Cassis (£34 for 150ml) to try.  

My hair has grown a lot since I have had it trimmed almost a year ago (oops) and to be honest, it is need of a makeover to sort out the differing lengths and overall condition because nothing I am using currently is helping to do anything with it.  So in the meantime, I thought I would give this a try.

Described as being a luxurious pre-shampoo conditioning treatment, the original Elasticizer was in fact formulated for none other than Audrey Hepburn, which is quite the claim to fame and how it became a cult icon.  It is designed to boost elasticity, manageability, bounce and shine as it deeply conditions the hair, all without weighing the hair down.  The first thing I noticed about this cream is how wonderfully fruity the scent was and that is due to the use of Pomegranate and Cassis which just smell divine and it is a scent that lingers on the hair.

As this is a pre-shampoo treatment, using it is much easier than I had expected it to be and depending on much TLC you feel your hair needs, there are two ways of using it.  The first is before shampooing upon which you apply to damp hair and the easiest way to do this is to section your hair and apply it to mid-lengths and end only, ensuring you give as much coverage as possible.  Then cover your head with a shower cap or a towel, depending on your preference and allow the heat this creates to allow the nutrients to sink in and work their magic and at this point, you need to leave it on the hair for between 10-20 minutes and then rinse your hair thoroughly and shampoo and condition as normally. I always shampoo twice to ensure I have no residue left behind.  The second way to use this Elasticizer is to apply it to your hair as previously mentioned and then leave it on overnight as a mask and wash it out the following morning. 

The end result for my hair is that my hair feels just incredible, it is soft, it is smooth, it is shiny, it looks healthy, it is feels nourished without being greasy but most importantly for me is that I can style my hair, using my 10-year-old Straighteners which get warm rather than hot and not have to constantly glide them through my hair to do their job. 

Are you a fan of Philip Kingsley Elasticizer?

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

Upcircle Beauty Body and Face Scrubs

I absolutely love the scent of coffee, whether it is being freshly brewed, is within a fragrance or a candle and even within skincare.   One of the brands I came to know and love, Optiat, have rebranded themselves and are now known as Upcircle and just when you think a brand couldn't better what you came to love, but manage it, you want and need everything within their range.  

I was kindly sent the Face Scrub and Body Scrub by Anna, one of the brand owners to try and having used them for the past few months, I can confirm that they are absolutely brilliant, but then I kind of knew they would be.

The Upcircle Face Scrub with Coffee and Floral Oils (£12.99) was the product I was most wanting to try and the fact it is perfect for sensitive skin makes it all the more appealing.  The scrub which is made from reused, repurposed and reloved top-quality Arabica coffee grounds which are sourced from artisan coffee shops. The coffee grounds themselves make an incredible yet gentle exfoliator on the skin and it has some amazing properties. It helps to stimulate blood flow to the area of application, it is high in antioxidants and caffeine has natural anti-inflammatory properties which help to calm swelling and redness.

Alongside the coffee grounds, this scrub also uses Chamomile which is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties and chamomile also helps to soothe redness and irritation. Rosehip Oil which is rich in essential fatty acids, including linoleic and linolenic acid. Rosehip oil is also effective in hydrating dry, itchy skin and my skin absolutely loves it as an ingredient. Jojoba Oil which is rich in vitamins E and B and interestingly, jojoba has a very similar composition to sebum, so it helps the skin to maintain a balance and prevent an excess build up of it. Jojoba Oil is also deeply moisturising and helps dry, dehydrated skin regain hydration.

Bringing all of those ingredients together, this scrub, which is a little bit messy but not the messiest I have ever used, feels just so soothing on the skin. Packaged inside a metal tube, the scrub is always fresh feeling and smooth on the skin.  The best advice when using this scrub is to vigorously shake the tube to mix the ingredients together inside the tube and then apply it to damp skin in circular motions and leave it on the skin for between 1 and 2 minutes before rinsing with warm water. Similar scrubs I have used leave a slight tackiness to the skin after rinsing, but this one leaves no residue on the skin at all.  Instead, what it does is leave soft, smooth and refreshed skin.  Designed to be used 1-2 times a week.

The second product is the Upcircle Body Scrub with Tangerine (£14.99) and again, as with the face scrub, it comes packaged inside a tube to keep the ingredients as fresh as they can be.

Again using top quality ground Arabica coffee, again it works as a gentle exfoliator as the caffeine stimulates blood flow and minimises the appearance of cellulite. The high level of antioxidants also helps to minimise the appearance of the signs of ageing, including fine lines and wrinkles. One of my favourite skincare ingredients is Shea butter and within this scrub, we have unrefined raw which is not only naturally high in Vitamins A, E but also in essential fatty acids. In a scrub like this, Shea butter helps to provide intense moisturisation to the skin post-scrub. To give it a tangy scent, this scrub is blended with grapefruit, tangerine and lemongrass oils which create a beautiful citrusy, uplifting scent that not only gives your skin a revitalising boost but it also helps to lift the mood and awaken the senses. 

As with any scrub of this nature, it is a little bit messy but again, not as messy as other products that I have used. To use, again, shake the tube vigorously for a couple of minutes to mix together the ingredients and then apply it to damp skin in circular motions to encourage the ingredients to work on the skin. Once on the skin, allow it to sit there for a few minutes before rining away. Again, my skin feels so soft and smooth after using and the citrus scent lingers on the skin and it is the perfect remedy for dry, scaly legs that have spent the winter trapped under jeans and chunky knit tights. Ideal for using 2-3 times a week.

Alongside this face and body scrub, there is a whole range of products to choose from within the Upcircle range and now you can choose my skin concerns such as oiliness, redness, dullness or even dry skin to name just as few.  From there you will find bars of soaps, oils, cleansers and other exfoliants as well as pamper kits and bundles. If you love the scent of coffee but with a slight twist then both of these products tick boxes.  They are both sustainable, Vegan and cruelty-free as well as having no SLS, SLEs, parabens, mineral oil, parfum or sulfates.

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

Jo Malone London Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne.

This week is National Fragrance week and if there is one brand that I can think of as being one that people love, it is Jo Malone London.  So, what better way than to start the week off with a bit of Jo Malone is there?  I think everyone I know absolutely loves and dreams of getting a Jo Malone London package. As beautiful as each store or department is, the packaging is second to none on the wow factor.  Having been lucky enough to try Red Roses Bath Oil which featured just a few weeks ago, my only other fragrance from the range is Velvet Rose and Oud, which I happen to absolutely adore.  Today is the turn of another fragrance and one I really hadn't expected to become such a fan of so quickly and that is Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne.

The 30ml size is a wonderful way to try a new fragrance before purchasing a full sized bottle. For me, I have to get to know a fragrance away from a store and wear it within my own surroundings to decide whether or not it is for me. 

London’s Covent Garden early morning market. Succulent nectarine, peach and cassis and delicate spring flowers melt into the note of acacia honey. Sweet and delightfully playful.

The description given above could not be more perfect for this particular one. With top notes of Cassis, what you get as soon as the Cologne is spritzed is a sharp burst of intense juicy fruit which really grabs your attention and as it begins to dry down, the middle note of Acacia Honey add to the sweetness to bring about a smooth scent before the base note of Peach not only adds to that crisp juicy fruit note of Cassis, but it works well with the honey to bring about an almost velvet texture. 

For me, this is the kind of fragrance I want in absolutely everything, in a candle, reed diffusers, room spray, a body cream, a bath oil as well as a Cologne because it is just so wonderful and of course it is available in those products too.  

On my skin, it lasts for a good 6-7 hours before I can barely smell it, for a daytime scent it is that perfect everyday scent.  I can imagine it would layer with other Jo Malone London fragrances beautifully well and I can't rave about it enough.  The perfect Spring/Summer scent and it is available for £47 at 30ml and £94 for 100ml here from Jo Malone London.

Do you have a favourite Jo Malone London Fragrance?

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

Free iPhone Wallpapers and backgrounds

One of my favourite things to do right now is spending time procrastinating on Pinterest. There are some times when I find it quite relaxing and other times when it gives me lots of new ideas for a blog post and Instagram photos which I might not have ordinarily thought of. I am quite new to using Pinterest for my blog, so I can never claim to know how to do absolutely everything, but what I have found since I have started to use it, reading other people's blogs and advice and actually utilising it, I have noticed a huge difference in how much traffic my blog now gets.

One of my new favourite things to pin on Pinterest is backgrounds and wallpapers for both the laptop and my iPhone, something I never used to change all that much, but now do it more a few times a week because there is just so much choice and a whole lot of sparkle to be had.  

I like to have different wallpapers on my laptop to my iPhone and I often change them depending on my mood, good mood usually indicates something pink and sparkly or maybe a funny quote or some words of wisdom and if I am in a bad mood, I might have a favourite Disney quote or a meme that makes me cackle every time I see it and I do have quite a dark sense of humour at times.  

I have also made a few of my own backgrounds and wallpapers too and again, find it quite therapeutic to sit down and do something that is a little different to absolutely anything else I have done and a lot of them you can see on my board and here are some of my favourites, which of course are all pinnable to your own boards!

 

Below is a link to my profile and the board in question which features so many of the pins you can see above.  I would love to know whether not you use Pinterest and if you do, leave me your name in the comments.

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