Jurlique Opens first UK shop on London's Oxford St

Jurlique is one of those brands I just love. The Rosewater Balancing Mist is a must have desk item for me and I go through around 4 bottles of it a year, it is soooooo good! So upon hearing Jurlique were to open their very first UK store was quite exciting, more so to go along and see it for myself and honestly, it is a little aesthetically pleasing treasure trove which makes you want to touch and photograph everything - it is so instagrammable!

Based on Oxford Street here in London, just a stones throw away from Selfridges, the flagship store is described as being 'A little taste of the Jurlique farm from Australia and an oasis of calm on Oxford Street.'  As well as featuring all of Jurliques products, plus a few store exclusives, there is a treatment room to be found at the back of the store. Inside the room, I was treated to an amazing hand massage in it with the warmest most comfiest treatment bed I have possibly ever sat on, and it is just so calm, so relaxing and so quiet! You would never ever think you was inside a store on one of the busiest roads in London.

At the store opening, if you follow me on Instragram, you might have seen that I got to create a herb jar.  In this jar I was able to place some herbs - Lavender, Calendula and a few others before adding an essential oil of choice and I chose the Revitalising blend which promoted a revilitised and clear sense of being to leave the body feeling energised and refreshed - something I think we could all do with from time to time.  

Now the jar sits on my desk at work and when I feel the need to be refreshed and revitalised, I open the jar and inhale the scent, such a lovely idea and I am glad that I have one.

The new flagship store can be found at 489 Oxford Street W1C 2AU and will be open from 9.30am-9pm Monday to Friday, 10am-9pm on Saturdays, and 12pm-6pm on Sundays. I can't wait to book my facial and go back for a visit.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Create your own necklace with J&S Jewellery

When given an opportunity to create my own necklace with charms, life got a little bit interesting.  I absolutely love my Pandora and Thomas Sabo charm bracelets, but a necklace is a whole new ball game. Based in Norwich J & S Jewellery have an amazing tool that gives you the opportunity to create something unique, something very you and something that would make an amazing gift.

Why buy off-the-peg jewellery when you can customise your own personalised pendant necklaces online without a hefty price tag? At J&S, our mission is to make it easy for you to express your style and individuality with bespoke charm jewellery.

I have just created my very own necklace which is personal to me and I found it so easy to do and a little bit obsessive and you can see my creation and how I did it throughout this post. Get started by selecting your choice of plating - silver, gold or rose gold. Next pick your chain; choose satellite (a delicate chain with evenly spaced silver plain beads between chain lengths) or trace (a simple, dainty chain with uniform links).

Now the really fun part, time to design that necklace with some simple dragging and dropping motions of the charms to the position of your choice. It is at this point that I am sure you will click and drag every single charm across, delete them, re-add them and so on and so forth until you reach a combination that you like. I found it much easier to start with a centre charm, of which there are 11 to choose from, then try a few other combinations with birthstones, chunky lettering and symbols, before adding more centre charms and then removing, re-ordering their place on the chain and then switching between different necklace plating before finally deciding on the 'one'

For me choosing the centre charm and the first charm I didn't hesitate with is the Heart Key Charm and more because of its meaning - "Symbolising awakening, knowledge, curiosity, new beginnings and opportunity, the key reminds us to learn from the past when unlocking doors to a better future. It can also be of romantic significance: key to my heart".

So the other charms that I choose include two letters R and S which could either stand for my initials or the first name initials of myself and the mister.  Then I chose the birthstone option and Ruby a I was born in July and I have absolutely nothing with Ruby in or on it. Sat in the centre of the necklace is the Tree of Life symbol which I was drawn too for its design and the final charm is the Rainbow Crystal disc which stood out to me with the colour of the stones.  Here is my necklace in all its glory.

The reason that I chose these charms is so I can chop and change them as I see fit, I sometimes like to change my charms around on everything else, so it is nice to have the option to do just that with this necklace and it cost just £30 in total. I am also impressed with how well made the chain is and how nice it sits.

If all of that isn't enough, there is a final finishing touch which allows you to add a gift card for free and there is a variety of options to choose from and these are just some of them.

I am really so overly impressed with J and S jewellery from the concept, being able to design my own necklace to the actual product, it was such a fun experience and definitely something I would love to do again because they make such a perfect gift.

If you would like to make your own necklace then I have a discount code for you. For 25% discount on all purchases until the end of December use the code BEAUTYQUEEN16

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Fleur de Force Eylure Petit Fleur & Fully Fleur Lashes

Eyelashes are one of those beauty items that you either love or hate I think.  I love them but hate applying them and at times can be heard to mutter rather a feq obscentities until I get them right.  Eylure are one of those brands I really really like, their products are easy to apply and they come in all different types, textures and styles.

A few weeks ago I had an amazing delivery which I did share on instragram from Eylure featuring two brand new lashes from a collaboration with Fleur de Force and they are just absolutely stunning.  They also came with a handwritten note and a beautiful bunch of flowers too, which was such a lovely touch.

Petit Fleur’ is described as being a sweet and subtle textured ¾ length lash with a light kick at the corner. The lash is designed to add a secret lift to your lashes and features softly-tapered tips. 

Fully Fleur is described as being a full & fluttery lash with a kick-out corner and naturally-tapered ends, perfect from desk to dancefloor.

Both sets of eyelashes come with the lash glue adhesive and I love that the packaging is just so pretty with pastel shades working with a grey, black & white tone backgroound.

Fleur de Force Eylure Petit Fleur Lashes are £5.25 and the Fully Fleur Eylure Lashes are £5.95. Find them HERE and are currently on a three for two offer!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

A little bit of Pampering with Bookyourlifestyle.com

So Christmas is finally upon us. The Coco Cola advert has proudly annouced that the holidays are coming, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been and gone and now all that is left to do is wait for gifts to arrive, wrap them, post them to Santa and then run to the supermarket and buy everything you can get your hands on because there might be a zombie apocalpyse and you might just need all that bread as the shops shut for just that one day, well almost all of those shops!

With all the crazy rushing around, sometimes you have to just stop what you are doing and take some time out before you get trolley rage! If you haven't heard of them before, let me introduce you to BookYourlifestyle, a site which was founded in January 2015 by David Smith and Chris Houry of HostelBookers fame. They grew HostelBookers from 0-$100million in 10 years and as good as eradicated the financial burden of cancellations and no shows. So designed to make booking easy, Bookyourlifestyle is a 24/7 application which aims to make booking easy so whether you want a blow dry, massage, manicure, pedicure or all of the above!

The lovely people over at BookYourLifestyle very kindly sent me a gift so that I could treatment myself to a treatment at this busy time of the year.  The booking system is incredibly easy to use.  You can either narrow your treatment down by salon choice - so waxing, nail or hair or example and from there you can further narrow down your search by choosing the treatment you want.  So I decided that I would book myself in for a pedicure because having done a lot of walking over the last month (49miles in total at EuroDisney alone) I thought my feet could do with a little treat and I decided to do this at Cucumba.

The whole booking system took me less than three minutes to complete from start to finish and I was then sent a text message confirmation and an email confirmation to confirm my booking.

So off I went for my appointment and I arrived to a warm and friendly welcome and was introduced to my pedicurist who made me feel very welcome and I was sat into my chair ready to go.  Now I hate feet, not something new to anyone who reads my blog and I am not a fan of anyone touching them, but the pedicure I had was just totally and utterely divine.  It started with the removal of nail polish and then my feet went into a bubbling pot of warm water - totally heaven!  As my feet soaked, I was given a full pedicure which included my toenails being cut, shaped and filed and then the skin all over the underneath was buffed and gosh this was amazing, not a sign of any dry or dead skin now thank you very much! After buffing came a foot scrub and again, absolute heaven.

Once both feet had been scrubbed and buffed, moisturising cream was added and my feet were inserted into some warm boots (i need these at home) and I was left to sit and relax for ten minutes whilst the cream was absorbed.  Once the time was up, each foot was then massaged with further cream and this is always for me, the one part I am always apprehensive about, but it was just so totally amazing that I could have sat there all day! The final part of my pedicure was to have my toe nails painted and I chose Essie Berry Naughty which is quite a nice Berry colour and quite festive.

The whole treatment lasted around an hour and it was just so lovely.  Cucumba is one of those salons you might never come across unless you read about it and now you have, look it up and go and visit because they have a whole host of treatments on offer and it is one of those places I am looking forward to going back too.

Don't forget that Bookyourlifestyle have an online interactive advent calendar (see this post) from which you can win a prize every single day!

*I was given a voucher for this treatment but all words are my own

6 Types of Men You Should Never Date

Image Credit

Before you finally land a husband, you go through the series of dates with different men. It’s clear that you have your ideal husband in mind and every time you go out with a new guy you secretly hope that he’ll turn out to be the one. But very often, already on a first date, you realize that person is not your dream man. Although it’s usually recommended to have a second date in order to get to know the man better, some types of men simply don’t deserve your time. Dating experts from primedating.com compiled a list of guys you should not waste your time with.

The insolvent one

The way a person reacts to different life situations can say much about his or her personality. Watch your date’s attitude to other people and you’ll realize what kind of person he is. There are many things that make us angry but we can control our emotions. If you see that your date talks back to a waiter who is late with the order or overhear him talking down to his colleague, run away from this guy. He will treat you in the same way soon.

The one just out of a relationship

He is back in the game but he hasn’t completely moved on after his recent unsuccessful relationship. People need some time after a breakup to get over it. This pause is necessary to analyze the relationship, make conclusions, and let it go. If you find out that your date was in a relationship and very little time has passed after a breakup, he might not be ready for a new relationship yet.

The workaholic

It’s difficult to deal with the person whose interests are tied only to his job. You’re probably looking for a versatile person because if a man is focused only on making money and thinks that it makes him an interesting personality, you’ll be bored and disappointed soon. A good boyfriend and a potential husband should have his passions and hobbies and have the life outside his office.

The player

You go out on dates because you want to find a future partner and he just finds it entertaining. He doesn’t plan anything serious because he’s totally absorbed in the dating game. If you want to figure the player out already on a first date, ask him something family-related, such as whether he plans to settle down one day and have kids. Watch his reaction to understand his true intentions.

The one with zero ambitions

It’s essential for any man to have a purpose in his life. This is what makes him the real man. If a guy doesn’t want to improve, lacks motivation, and doesn’t know what he wants, run away from him. He is already poisoning his own life so don’t let him ruin yours.

The one addicted to his family

Loving one’s family is a natural thing but if it’s an unhealthy dependency (either financial or emotional), it will have a disastrous effect on one’s future relationship. A family-dependent guy is looking not for a partner but for a mother or maid. It’s obvious that you want to be his number-one priority but he’ll always prioritize his family. So, avoid this kind of men as well as mother’s darlings who report everything to their moms.

*guestpost

Excellent Tips For New Models In The UK*

There is always someone out there who wants to be the next big model. This means that if you want to be a successful model you are always going to have top-notch competition. However, despite what you have seen in the movies modeling is a lot more about being tall and beautiful. You not only have to be unique and have tons of drive, but you also need to posses the talent to back up your looks and drive. Below, you will learn some great tips and information that could possible help you become a successful model in the UK.

Understanding The Market

The first thing you need to know is that depending on the current area that you reside in, some looks and trends might not be as popular as they are in other areas. For instance, if you live in a suburban area, agencies might not be looking for that sleek, ultra sexy look with overstated hair like they are in the big cities. Agencies in the area may be looking for a more natural look. Knowing the market, in your area will give you a much better understanding of what local modeling agencies are looking for. The same thing applies if you are planning to relocate to a different area to pursue your dream.

Knowing What Type Of Modeling You Want To Do

If you want to become a professional model in the UK, you are going to need to know what type of model you want to become. There are several different areas of expertise that you could focus on. For instance, print models are usually the ones that appear on magazines and in photo shoots. On the other hand, runway models have to strut their stuff down a catwalk while showing off new fashion labels. You also have the option of taking a more commercial approach, which usually involves swimsuit or catalogue modeling. Plus size modeling has also become very popular over the past several years.

Choosing The Right Agency

Now, that you know what type of model you want to be and the look you need to have, you will need to find an agency that specializes in your field. Your best option would be to hit the Internet and do a search for the type of agency that you are seeking in your area. However, don’t just choose the first agency that you come across. Make sure that you do in depth research on the agency to see what other models have said about the services they provide. If any agency asks you for money right away of offers a modeling school, your probably want to steer clear, because there are a lot of scammers out there looking to take advantage of young, inexperienced models.

Always Take The Best Photos Possible

Out of all of the excellent modelling tips the most important one is, to always take the very best photos possible. Whether you are applying in person or online any modeling agency is going to ask for headshots or samples of your work. Make sure that you work with a professional photographer to capture the best image of you as possible.

*this post is sponsored

You Beauty Box - November

 The November You Beauty Box is titled the Luxe Gift Guide Edit and with November being all dark and gloomy this edit has been designed to be filled with some of the finest and most beautiful products on the market.

As ever there are always treats inside the box and this time there are Flower by Kenzo perfume sample. Described as being a sensual, elegant and unexpected fragrance, rose, violet and white musk are its notes and as a scent it is quite floral but reminds me of talcum powder.  The second treat is from Popband with a packet of two hair ties and these always come in handy when I am at work and leaning over some form of machinery!  Finally we have a sachet from 7th Heaven (formerly Montagne Jeunesse) with a strengthen nail and cuticle finger masques.  As part of their spa range, these finger masques are described as being bursting with goodness and as they contain argan oil and pomegranate they moisturise and nourish those fingers and cuticles.

My three choices stemmed from having read a lot about the products but not used them myself and my first two choices come from the same brand - Technic. I have seen Technic products sold on Fragrance Direct and have never been too sure how good they are, so now is my chance.

Nudes Eyeshadow Palette is a gorgeous nude eyeshadow palette that can take you from day to night. Ranging from creams, browns and blacks with fabulous shimmer pigments, it is a must have in your make up bag!

Rosebud Sultry Eyeshadow Palette, a versatile six colour eye palette that includes beautiful browns, natural nudes with glitter finishes that will help you to create intense smoky eyes or a subtle day time look.

AA Skincare Frankincense & Rose Moisturising Face Cream 200ml

The brands best-selling Frankincense & Rose Moisturising Face Cream is a daily moisturiser made with pure essential oils and herbal extracts, formulated to rejuvenate skin and reduce signs of ageing.

Helps to uplift, boost and tone all skin types. Packed with more than 20 natural ingredients, it is easy to absorb, non greasy and a naturally effective moisturiser for day or night use.

So there you have the November You Beauty Box and I think there is an interesting mixture of products and I am happy with my choices at £8.95. What do you think?

If you haven't got your advent calendar yet then the You Beauty version (review here) is still available with a £10 off code.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Bigger and Bolder Brows with Benefit

If you hadn't guessed by now, I am a huge Benefit Cosmetics fan and have been ever since I first got my hands on You Rebel foundation which came in a metal tube, ince then I have moved on through Bad Gal mascara, Hoola, They're Real and now my brows. Benefit are the only people, well the beautiful Amy Lou, Lauren and Lauretta who I trust with my brows now and every 4 weeks they are waxed and tinted and their new brow products are simply amazing.

I’ve recently got my hands on the Bigger & Bolder Brows Kit* from John Lewis which is absolutely amazing and ha pretty much every product within it that I use on a daily basis and with Christmas almost upon us, this would make an amazing gift for anyone who loves their brows but more so to those who do not but need too!

Inside this beautiful tin is three products:

• Ka Brow – this is a cream gel formula with a rich, 24 hour build able colour. I think this product is amazing, it has a built in brush and a little really does go a long long way. Featuring a custom built-in brush which is disguised as the handle and it is just so easy to use.
• High Brow – this is a creamy blendable formula in a pencil form. With a matte finish, I love how easy it is to apply to the brow bone and the results it leaves me with!
• Ready set brow – this is a clear brow gel, essentially there to set your brows in place. It applies like a dream and sets super quickly. This taming eyebrow gel from Benefit comes with a custom-moulded wand to catch all eyebrow hairs, while the flexible, flake-free formula.

Also within the kit you will find Benefit’s signature Tips & Tricks as well as a special eyebrow stencil to help you style those brows and work with your brow shape. I love that the collection is housed in this lovely tinned box which you can keep all of your brow products in and then use for something else when you need too.

So there you have it, everything you need for those bigger, bolder brows and all for just £25.

Are you a fan of Benefit brow products?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

#Glitzmas2016: Win with BookYourlifestyle

As advent is upon us and we excitedly open those Beauty Advent Calendars, watch out on instagram stories and snap chat for mine, there are some amazing online advent calendars which you can join up with to win prizes on a daily and weekly basis.

If you haven't been lucky enough to snap up an advent calendar then let BookYourLifestyle give you the chance to win!

Starting today is the BookYourLifestyle interactive beauty Christmas advent calendar which between now and 24th December you have the chance to win one of many prizes worth in total over £4000.  The online interactive advent calendar features 24 days of glamourous prizes such as nail, hair and spa treatments in top London beauty salons and all you have to do is to be in it, to win it!

It is easy to take part. Each day a new window will be available to open and all you have to do is follow the on screen instructions for the chance to win a glamorous experience at one of our top London hair salons, nail salons, spas and other beauty industry partners. Closing date for each entry will be midnight on every day between December 1st and December 24th inclusive. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted.

BookYourLifestyle was founded in January 2015 by David Smith and Chris Houry of HostelBookers fame. They grew HostelBookers from 0-$100million in 10 years and as good as eradicated the financial burden of cancellations and no shows. So designed to make booking easy, Bookyourlifestyle is a 24/7 application which aims to make booking easy that beauty treatment easy.

If you do decide to enter, then really good luck, I hope you will let me know if you win!

*this is a collaborative post but all words are my own.