Birchbox Supporting CoppaFeel!

I have just received the October box for Birchbox and it is absolutely fantastic again this month! Supporting CoppaFeel!, whom if you haven't read the few posts ive done about them here is a little background to them. 

CoppaFeel! aims to stamp out late detection and misdiagnosis of breast cancer by ensuring that people know that signs and symptoms of breast cancer, know what their boobs look and feel like normally, check their boobs regularly throughout their lifetime and have the confidence to seek medical referral when they detect abnormalities. Currently 5% of diagnosed cases are already at stage IV with breast cancer being the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women under 30 in the UK (181 new cases diagnosed and 12 deaths annually). CoppaFeel! strives for a country where no one dies of breast cancer because of late detection or misdiagnosis. The charity receives no government funding and relies solely on voluntary donations.  As October is Breast Cancer awareness month, this is such a good idea of Birchbox to do a collaboration.

Inside the box this time as you can see, there is this amazing pink make-up bag which is the perfect size for fitting everything within the box in it! The idea behind the products is to focus inward on health and wellbeing with the products to help you 'work it' and to get motivated to tackle whatever your day brings.  So inside my box there is:

KMS California Free Shape Hot flex Creme - Apply it to towel dried hair and comb through before drying.  It is said to smooth curls, waves and/or frizz. This is a 50ml sample.

Cindy Crawford Meaningful Beauty Glowing Serum - A Sumptuous radiance-enhancing anti-ageing serum to be used in the morning before your moisturiser or anytime for an instant pick-me-up.  This is an 8ml sample.

Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm - This is a nourshing cleanser which uses oatmeal powder to exfoliate dry and dead skincells. Perfect for normal-dry skin but also balances oily skin too.  This is a 40ml sample.

Shaveworks The Cool Fix - Said to be a genius cooling gel lotion that treats ingrown hairs, razor bumps and redness after hair removal.  Can be used morning and evening until the redness fades.  This is a 29ml sample.

Pixie by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm - I have Ripe Raspberry and when used on the lips it does leave a hint of colour which you can work up to a much bolder colour should you wish.  Using Shea butter, this lip balm leaves your lips feeling soft and smooth.

The final item is the Birchbox Lipstick pen which I love, it is such a brilliant extra item to have and one that will appeal to most beauty bloggers.  

Finally the most important aspect of this box is Copping a Feel, knowing your Boobs can save your life!  Inside the box on the pink card is a little and it features some really useful and important information and this is it:

I hope everyone who got this box or who is reading this post looks at the instructions on this card and does CoppaFeel!  It is so important and as someone who has three friends at various stages with the disease, I can't tell you enough how important it is to check!

What do you think to this months Birchbox?

Gina Conway Salon Experience

Have you ever wished you could find that perfect haircut, go along to a salon and say "I'd like that please" knowing you will love it? Well, I was recently introduced to website called HAIRCVT which was described to be as something that would allow Londoners to find the very best salons and stylists around them to give them the very best hairstyle possible. Relying on Google maps or friend recommendations (when you have completely different hair to your friend) is a thing of the past now! Finding those great little salons and stylists throughout London!

So I decided to put it to the test! Once you get to the site, you simply choose your options which are clearly shown in the left hand side of the screen. Then once your options appear in a matter of seconds, you choose the one you want, call the salon where it was styled and off you go. This is the style I liked the most, note this is not me in the photo.

To get this style, my selected salon was Gina Conway in Chelsea and last week I finally went to have my hair sorted out. I have been quite bad and havent had so much as a trim since April, which meant my hair had got to that stage where it was in dire need of sorting out and the Gina Conway Salon in Chelsea came to my rescue. 

Gina Conway salons are part of the Aveda Salon and Spa who like to approach every guest with fresh eyes and by listening and caring about each individual we can create a bespoke plan for them and deliver and delight above expectations.

The salon is situated down The Kings Road, one of my favourite roads in London and it looks amazing from the outside, never mind the inside. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted like a long lost friend which really put me at ease and as my coat as taken, I was shown to a chair to begin my consultation with the lovely Saffron. As we went through my options, the one thing that struck me is that for once, I actually felt I was being listened to about my hair rather than guided to or having styles recommended to me, something ive found quite rare. Once the options had been taken through, I was told I was about to have a lovely Chakra Ritual & Massage which as more amazing then I can begin to describe:

"Balance your energy systems by choosing from the Chakra Aroma Range while you receive a relaxing shoulder and head massage"

I won't give away any of the secrets of how this works, but by the time it was finished, I possibly resembled someone who had just woken up from a very deep sleep, that is how relaxed I was and I had had an extremely stressful day with one of my cats being taken really ill resulting in frantic calls too and from the vet and then to work.

Once my hair had been washed, cleansed and conditioned, I was back in the chair ready to await my transformation. The whole time my hair was being trimmed and cut, Saffron would constantly tell me what she was doing and how she was doing it, so throughout the entire process I felt at ease and almost in charge of what was happening, rather than the stylist just cutting away with their scissors and you waiting until they have finished to see what has happened.

One my hair was complete, dried and then styled, I was able to go through a list of products that had been used and the one which really caught my attention is the Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother which is appear in its own review shortly.

This is one amazing salon, the whole experience is wonderful and the staff are just really lovely from the minute to arrive to the second you leave. There is abslutely no pressure on you the customer to do or have anything you do not want or are uncomfrtable with and the added extra of a spa treatment is such a nice touch, it is worth booking an appointment just for one of those.

If you are looking for a new salon, then please visit Gina Conway who can be found via the website HERE and if you are looking for some hair inspiration HairCVT might just have something you'll like and I would love to know what you think to it!

Beauty Christmas Crackers 2014

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Whilst beauty calendars might have been and gone, sold out or are too pricey for you to have, there is one other option - Beauty Christmas Crackers - yes! I did a similar post last year where there was a whole lot to choose from and it looks as though there is to be a similar amount this year - the details of which are only just trickling in, so these are the ones I have so far.


Harrods - A handpicked selection of the best the beauty world has to offer, the set of six crackers are enveloped in our signature silver and black colourway and tied with embossed Harvey Nichols grosgrain ribbon.

Each cracker contains: a snap, silver foil hat, motto and one of the following treats: ESPA Pro Serum 8ml, Bliss Energizing Mask 10ml, bareMinerals 'Inspiration' Ready Eyeshadow Duo 1g, Prada Candy Florale Eau de Toilette 7ml, Laura Mercier Lip Glacé 6ml, Deborah Lippmann Nail Varnish 8ml

Boots No.7 - Presenting this selection of our favourite No7 mini nail polishes and skincare products in 6 beautiful crackers. The No7 Cracker Collection makes an indulgent festive treat for ladies this Christmas.

Contains:
No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish in Temptress (4ml)
No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish in Beanie (4ml)
No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish in Damson Dream (4ml)
No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream (25ml)
No7 Protect & Perfect Night Cream (25ml)
No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Eye Cream (5ml)

    Jo Malone - well if there is one cracker I would quite like it would have to be this one, I can't afford the calendar but this looks equally good.  Priced at £32 this cracker looks amazing!

     This Works – Can currently be found at places like Feel Unique and Debenhams for £10 and inside this cracker you get a 10ml deep sleep body therapy spray which is an innovative spray on body treatment that helps you fall asleep. Priced at £10 per cracker.

Balm Balm The All Over Body Cracker - Priced at £21 this cracker includes:

• Balm Balm Calm All Over Balm 100% Organic 30ml 
• Balm Balm Detox All Over Balm 100% Organic 30ml 
• Balm Balm Indulge All Over Balm 100% Organic 30ml 

Lancôme's Christmas crackers which cost £54 for 6.  They contain six premium products including:

• Hypnose Volume Mascara (black), 
• Le Crayon Khol Eyeliner (black), 
• Advanced Genifique 
• Youth Activating Concentrate, 
• Lip Lover, L'absolue lipstick and 
• Bi-Facil Eye Make Up Remover.

Clarins - Add the perfect final flourish to your table setting and make sure your festive season goes off with a bang. Enveloped in opulence, these crackers offer a selection of iconic miniature Clarins products such as Beauty Flash Balm and Nail Treatment Cream.  Priced at £39 for six you will find inside

• Wonder Perfect Mascara 3ml
• Gentle Refiner 30ml
• Beauty Flash Balm 30ml
• Hand and Nail Treatment Cream 30ml
• Eau des Jardins 30ml
• Rouge Eclat Lipstick 1.4g

Cowshed - The name says it all really as this gift set from Cowshed would make a cracking stocking filler and comes in a Christmas cracker-inspired box, adding a touch of fun during the festivities. Filled with two luxurious little treats to restore and moisturise hands and lips daily.

Set includes:

• Cow Herb Restoring Hand Cream, 50ml 
• Natural Lip Balm, 5ml

Molton Brown - Pamper someone from head to toe with Molton Brown's Pink Pepperpod Christmas cracker body care gift set. Each item is beautifully presented in a festive, cracker-shaped box with pretty ribbon detailing, making the ideal Christmas gift and priced at £20

Set includes:

• Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Replenishing Hand Cream, 40ml
• Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Body Wash, 50ml
• Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Nourishing Body Lotion, 50ml

Philip Kingsley - Ive spotted two different ones from Philip Kingsley so far this year. The is choice is between Soft & Shiny or Body and Volume for the cracker and they cost £10 from sites like FeelUnique.

Inside the soft and Shiny Cracker you get:

• Elasticizer, 40ml 
• Moisture Balancing Shampoo (20ml) 
• Moisture Balancing Conditioner (20ml) 

Inside the Body & Volume Cracker

• Elasticizer (40ml)
• Body Building Shampoo (20ml)
• Body Building Conditioner (20ml)

Arran Aromatics - Choice of three different crackers, so will it be
Frankincense & Myrrh, Mandarin & Petitgrain or Christmas Spiced Vanilla, Each beautifully embellished festive cracker includes three votive candles.

So these are all the ones I have to date and I have no doubt there will be more to follow. As and when I do get some information, I will update this post!

Do you think you will be treating yourself or a friend to a Beauty Cracker?

Lush Christmas Launch 2014

A few weeks ago, I excitedly made my way to the Lush Christmas Launch just off Regent Street with the lovely Kimberley and Zoe.  What I love most about Lush Christmas is the launching of new and exciting products that I am yet to try and the bringing back of trusty faithfuls that I cannot help but love - yes Snow Fairy... Get It Now!!

Once inside Lush it was nice to see a massive turn out but more excitingly the chance to see all the products, gift sets and of course the Lush Advent Calendar which I mentioned on my blog HERE and to see it in front of me was amazing because it is rather large!

There are a lot of gift packages also available again this year and they range in price from around £8 right up to over £100 and within each package you get a good selection of products.

As you can see there are some trusty favourites from last year such as Snow Fairy, Candy Mountain and The Christmas Penguin, but there are some lovely new products too such  as The Christmas Hedgehog (how I am going to squish him into the bath is beyond me, he is far too cute), Dashing Santa, Butterbear and Baked Alaska Soap to name but a few!

If like me you are massive fan of Lush and love what they have on offer for Christmas, I can only advise you to get down there quick and buy something new and exciting as well as someone you might buy every year, because there is a whole lot more than I can possibly show in one blog post!  Go Go Go!

What is your favourite Lush product?

Isle of Wight Natural Candle Company - plus reader offer!

Autumn here and the candles are burning quicker than they do all year round and I always seem to run my selection right down during the autumn months, even though I burn candles all year round.

Anyway, today I want to introduce you to some new candles called Isle of Wight Natural candle company and each candle is lovingly hand poured in the Garden Workshop.  Each candle has the highest quality soy wax to ensure they deliver a perfect, cool, even burn, with no toxic chemicals in sight such as petrochemicals! One of the aims of the IWNC.Co is to make paraffin wax a thing of the past, and introduce the clean, tunnel free burn that all candle fans deserve!

I was very kindly sent a Lavender and Lavender & Bergamot scented candles and as soon as I opened the box, the scent was absolutely amazing. If like me you are a big fan of Lavender, then you will love this, it is just as though you have been walking through the Lavender fields, the scent is that fresh.  As soon as you place the candles in a room or within two different rooms as I have done, even after a few minutes the scent is really noticeable and that is before they are alight.

The Lavender and Beragmot candle is described as being one that will "instantly restores a sense of calm and balance. The cleansing fragrance of Lavender has been celebrated for centuries, and is said to relieve tension and headaches; paired with the fresh and uplifting notes of Bergamot it provides the perfect indulgence for any time of day".

The Lavender candle is describe as being one that will "melt away the tension and strains of the day melt away as you drift off to a deeply relaxing place. The aromatherapeutic benefits of Lavender have stood the test of time, restoring a sense of wellbeing for many".

These candles come in three different sizes and three different prices and I was quite surprised at how good value they are.  A small candle which will burn for approximately 19 hours costs just £5.50.  A medium sized candle which will burn for around 36 hours is only £10.50 and the biggest candle which burns for around 45 hours is an absolute bargain at £13.50, details of which you can find on the homepage linked above.

All I can say about these candles is that they smell every bit as wonderful as you can imagine from their description.  Both are extremely relaxing, both leave a lovely scent to flow throughout the hour and if burned together, really compliment one another well. 

If you would like to try one of these candles, I have a discount code just for you, simply type in BEAUTYQUEEN15** at the checkout for a lovely little discount and it covers all sized candles, but do it quick because it expires on 7th November!

Do these sound like the type of candles you would enjoy?

***Enter promo code at the check out. Discount code not to be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts. Offer expires 31/10/14

WOW Facemask

Now I love a good face mask and I have tried quite a few in my time. I try to make it a weekly ritual that I will spend at least 2 hours of me time to pamper myself from head to foot. When I was asked if I would like to try the new WOW mask, I hadn't finished reading the introductory blurb before i quickly responded 'Yes please'.

That blurb reads as follows:

"WOW mask is a brand NEW Bio-­peptide Aqua Gel mask that contains innovative natural ingredients to restore the skin’s tone, elasticity and hydration to reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles. It releases the essence of nature’s most potent skin-loving plants at exactly the right speed for your skin to get the maximum benefit".

The packaging of the mask is quite something and there are little anecdotes which really made me chuckle such as "WOW are dedicated to the caused of perfect looking skin without the intervention of needles or a pact with the devil" an important yet light hearted statement.

Clinicians in Switzerland and beauty fanatics in California came together to develop this mask using ingredients that help to restore the skin’s tone, elasticity and hydration as well as to reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles. The mask isn't a cream, lotion, potion, powder or watery substance, instrad it is a Bio-peptide Aqua Gel Mask, which comes in two pieces to cover your face.

When it comes to using the mask, you need to ensure that your face is as clean as it can be and then dried. Then placing both sheets on your face, allow it at least five minutes to settle onto your skin, the reason for this is because it does feel a little slippery when first applied, but given those five minutes, all you need to do is sit back and relax for between 20-40 minutes as per the description on the packaging. After those allotted minutes, of which I chose 40, you simply remove the sheets from your face.

Institute Hyalual Switzerland, a scientific research centre dedicated to skin rejuvenation, created the mask as the simplest and most effective way to combine the moisturising effect of Hyaluronic Acid (HA), Argireline (famed for its skin firming properties) and RMCP-complex (a combination of ingredients that include fruit and leaf cell culture and flower extract). It’s the interaction between HA, Argireline and RMCP-complex which results in such a complete anti-ageing effect. The mask also uses newly developed Transdermal Cosmetics Delivery technology which is activated by skin temperature to allow the ingredients to reach the deeper layers of skin. This means that WOW mask provides 200% more hydration than other collagen-based moisturising treatments.

So after all that sciencey bit, what you are getting is a fantastic sounding face mask, which is very unlike any other that I have tried and when I did get round to using it, my skin had been a real nightmare all week. I don't suffer from breakouts as such, but my roseacea had flared up on both cheeks, it tends to do so when I am stressed, then it goes again within a week to ten days. So I decided to put this mask to the test and this is the result!

As you can see my cheeks beforehand were quite red, not as bad as they usually are, but it is obvious that I am not just flushing!  Then you can see the mask on my face after I first applied it, then as it begins to settle down on my face and form a sort of second skin, it is quite hard to describe, but it does feel really cooling on the skin and it does smell amazing, not at all chemical and really natural.  Then after I had removed it, wiped my face clean, the redness is a whole lot less than it was, infact amazingly so, I took a lot of photos of my face just to ensure it wasn't the light or the darkness, it was just the effect of the mask and one which remained for two weeks after using it.

The phrase "It’s not magic but WOW mask offers the best that nature and science can provide in terms of beautiful and youthful looking skin". I think is one that certainly speaks for itself.  Soft, smooth, moisturised and hydrated is exactly how my skin felt for days after using and the experience was incredible.  This mask isn't cheap, infact they come in a box of five and are priced at £99.99 which means every mask is valued at around £20 and I actually think it is well worth the money spent.  If my skin ever had a really bad Roseacea break out I am reaching for these as it is the only thing to date that I have found which works.

Do these sound like the type of mask you would love to try? 

Pulling the Woolover your eyes!

With Christmas on its way, buying for the men folk in my life is always the hardest, my dad especially who never wants anything and usually ends up with the same presents every year - his favourite whisky and some fishing vouchers.  Same for the father in law funnily enough.

Wool Overs are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year and the winter season’s coming up on us quicker and quicker and there are just so many lovely items that ive put together some of the ones that have made it onto a short list for present options, where it is men's jumpers or men's cardigans there are so many to choose from.

The best part about these products however is their price! Starting from around £25 and rising in price to around £40 per item and if you get in there quick there are some amazing offers which might just help you finish off your Christmas lists. Top left features an Arran zip neck jumper which comes in a variety of sizes and colours and costs just £39. The two pictures below feature Crew neck jumper in purple for £35 and a British Shawl Collar Cardigan which costs just £39. The right hand side of the screen features a Lincoln Zipper Cardigan which is just £28 followed by Cable V-neck Cardian at £45 and finally a Zip Neck hooded Cardigan which costs £35. 

My dad can be quite fussy about what it is he likes to wear, but as long as it has no pattern on it and has a pocket he tends to wear it. What I like about all of the choices I have made is that they will suit men of all ages.

So whether you’re on the search for a heavily knitted, pure British Wool Jumper for enjoying the Outdoors or a smooth Cashmere Slipover for the Golf Course, you’re certain to find the perfect garment in the selection Men and women. Whether you're looking for cardigans, sleeveless cardigans or jumpers, they do come in a range of great colours and styles, including v-neck, crew neck and hooded.

 Would you buy these for a man in your life?

**This post contains a sponsored link