Flamingo Candles Lemon and Lime Mojito

Flamingo candles is a brand I have seen on many blogs, so when I got the chance to try out my own candle, I was every bit as excited because I am candle obsessed, even as I sit and type this, my Flamingo candle is burning away. If you haven't heard of the brand, Flamingo Candles are handmade candles which use soybeans and natural cotton wicks, they contain no no petroleum, paraffin or beeswax products and more information about the brand can be found HERE.

The candle I was kindly sent is Lemon and Lime Mojito and it smells exactly as the name would suggest and is described as follows:

"Fruity and exotic Lemon & Lime Mojito is a fruity aroma incorporating notes of freshly squeezed juicy lemons combined with notes of warm orchids, infused with fresh lime with added notes of cool aldehydes, mandarin and grapefruit".

Once the lid has been removed there is a sudden citrusy scent which captures your senses and once alight, that scent is magnified and quickly spreads throughout the entire house. I am a huge fan of candles which have a big scent and this one is definitely one of those, it is fresh, zesty and is perfect for those Sunday afternoons once everything has been cleaned, scrubbed and polish to sit back and relax too with a cuppa whilst browsing blogs or reading the paper. 

Flamingo Candles' Classic Jar Candles cost just £12 each and you can find them on the Flamingo Candle website, Amazon and Asos to name a few. They also offer upto 50 hours of burning time which I think is really impressive for a candle of this size. Next on my list of Flamingo Candles to try is
Oriental Lotus & Rose Otto Scent Melt and the Coconut Lemongrass Scent Melt to see if they are as good or better than similar products out there!

Have you tried anything from Flamingo Candles? Do you have a favourite scent?

Bourjois #24HRPartyReady Event

A week or so ago, I got to attend the Bourjois 24hr Party Ready Event which was put together to show us some of their new releases in time for Christmas, along with Bourjois, GHD were going to be joining them to introduce us to some of their new tools - this excited me quite alot. Before the event, I got to meet up with Jenni, Danielle, Louise and Louise's friend Chelsey in Leicester Square for a quick drink before we made our way to the event which was being held at the St Martin Lane Hotel which is stunning inside and is the kind of hotel that makes me want to see what the rooms are like because the foyer is so amazing!

Once we located the room we were to go too, the first thing I was greeted with was a choice of cocktail (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and then given an introduction as to what I could expect to see in the room as well as tasting one or two lovely canapes!

The first I went too was the GHD section, there wasn't much of a queue and I was introduced to the lovely Chris who talked me through some of the appliances I could see in front of me (it was so hard not to fill my handbag when he wasn't looking) and then asked which one I would like to try, so for a change, I opted for curly hair - all of this will come in a post on its own, for the meantime it is back to Bourjois!

The one product that stood out to me was the eye shadow palettes which are absolutely stunning, especially when you can see them all lined up next to one another

Thankfully we had some lovely ladies from Bourjois on hand to show us these Smoky Stories Quads, how to use them and how to get the best out of them. I have to admit that I absolutely loved them all, they are just stunning and can be used as a palette on their own or you can mix and match which to me is brilliant. There are different 8 shades to choose from and each palette has 3 different shades and a top coat shadow with highly concentrated glitter. however what is more amazing is that the lovely cream-powder texture has an integrated base shadow primer so you don't have to use anything else with them to keep them lasting all night.  When asked if i had a favourite palette, I had to admit I couldn't choose one from another, they are all amazing, especially the rose gold one!

Next up came the new releases of the Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks which look something like this

Rouge Edition Velvet has a new shade which is Shade 09 Happy New Year and I have to say is pretty stunning and such a lovely shade to wear. It is matte, lightweight finish and makes your lips feel really moisturised. Unlike other products I have tried, the velvet feel with these products is quite natural, it doesn't feel a though you have stuck velvet to your lips, the colour is also quite stubborn, once it is applied there is no moving it until the time comes for you to use your make-up remover to wipe it off. Other shades you will find within this range are 07 Nude-ist and 01 Personnne ne Rouge which is a stunning red shade, very bold and most definitely an all year round shade.

The new shades within the Colour Edition 24h eyeshadow are the products which also sparked my interest, especially as there are two new shades. I already have a few shades from the range, but am glad I have been able to add 07 Flocon d'or which is a frosty white shade. Once applied it gives a really lovely light colour which I use as both a base and as a highlighter and hen there is 08 Marron Givre which is a warm chocolate brown with a little hint of sparkle, perfect for the party season which isn't too far away.

Sticking with eye make-up we have a new mascara and eyeliner too. The Volume 1 Seconde Ultra Black Mascara is said to be blacker than black and captivating. It features a high concentration of high intensity black pigments which give you an enchanting gaze for up to 16 hours! Add to it the Mega Liner in Ultra Black which has a no smudge formula and an angled felt tip applicator to allow you the ability to control the shape and size of your liner, you have the makings of the perfect night out make-up.

The final products are the 2 new shades within the One Seconde Nail Polish range. We have 44 Grey to meet you - a stunning gun metal grey which has a great shine to it and 45 Glitterizer which is a silver glitter packed full of little flecks of sparkle to add over your Christmas nails to get you in that festive mood, or just because you can and want too!. Also making an appearance was 11 Rouge in Style, whilst red isn't my favorite nail colour, this is a shade which is perfect for for Christmas time. These polishes are great, the "fan effect" brush which makes applying polish a breeze, perfectly fanning out and covering the nail bed in one single stroke.

Thank you for having me Bourjois, I had an absolutely fantastic night, and the goodies I received are out of this world and I am still enjoying playing with them, but here is a sneak peak as to what you can expect to find in future posts.

What do you think to these new releases? Is there anything which has really caught your eye?

Wilkinsons Kiss Apricot Lip Scrub

Everyone loves a good lip scrub and finding them can be a total nightmare, unless of course like me you absolutely love Lush and think Bubblegum is one of the best products you have ever come across!

Whilst in Wilkinsons or Wilko to those of you from the North, I came across the Kiss range which features some really interesting products which included a clay mask, cleansing water, body butter and even a primer, plus lots more.

The one product which really caught my attention however was the Lip Service Apricot Lip Scrub, the little pot cost just £2 for 10g and it contains Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil and Macadamia Oil. The directions for use are really straightforward and they are apply it to your clean lips (remove any gloss, lipstick or balm) using your index finger and then gently massage across your lips.  The scrub itself reminds me, scent wise, of the St Ives Apricot Scrub but is actually really effective, more so than I was expecting to give it credit for. The tiny particles which are sugar work really well at removing those pesky bits of dead and dry skin which cling to your lips, leaving them soft, smooth and buffed after using.

For the grand price of £2 this is a scrub which is well worth its price and one that I am glad to have found.  Whilst I prefer the scent of Lush's Bubblegum Scrub, this works just as well.

Have you got a favourite Lip Scrub and have you tried any products from the Kiss range? 

Beautyqueenuk

One Woman, 100 Faces

Whenever I go to the hairdressers or a salon for a treatment, the one thing I always want to read, rather than the million so magazines, are actual books by actual people. I am a huge bookworm anyway and am never without a book or my kindle in my hand, so the chance to get my hands on 'One Woman - 100 Faces' was too good an opportunity to miss out on.

Described as follows:

One Woman, 100 Faces is a celebration of femininity in its many manifestations. Whether celebrating the courage to flaunt an inner vixen with dramatic eye make-up and bold, beautiful colours or the confidence to display natural beauty sans cosmetics, the book will take readers on an intimate, visual journey of liberation, discovery and transformation.

The book itself is a collection of makeup looks created by Francesca Tolot who you might know better as Beyonce's makeup artist. Inside this amazingly created book you will find 100 different makeup looks, all of which have been created by Francesca and modelled by Mitzi Martin over two decades and Mitzi is absolutely stunning in each and every look.

I have spent a good few hours looking at this book, dreaming of being this talented, it is by no means a make-up tutorial guide, but i am sure some of you would be more than able to recreate some of these looks for yourself.

The book also features a foreword by Beyonce and can be found online from Amazon and in major book shops.

Is this the type of book you would like to have on your coffee table?

LOLA IT Girl Range

LOLA is an exciting New British designed make up brand. Created by professional make-up artists, LOLA offers a wide range of colours, High quality textures and professional artistry tools. LOLA is retailed exclusively at Marks & Spencer.

To date, the only products I have ever owned from LOLA was a miniature kabuki Brush which I got in a beauty box and it happens to be pretty fantastic and one which resides in my everyday work make-up bag and a finishing brush which came in a You Beauty Discovery Box.  So when I was offered the chance to try out some of the make up from the range, I jumped at the chance.

The products found in the IT girl range are inspired from three of the periods (60s and 79s) most iconic IT Girls - Edie Sedgwick, Debbie Harry, Angie & David Bowie.  The range features Lip Gloss, 6 eyeshadows, Automatic pencil, Eye Pencil, an intense lipstick shade, Matte Lipstick, 3 nail polishes.  I have some of the products** from across the three looks - Icon, Factory Girl and Studio 54 which are Eyeshadow in Satinado which is a dusty pink shade, a eye pencil in gold dust and a lip gloss in 009 which is Hot Pink.

The first thing I noticed about each of these products is how lovely they look within their packing, the white writing on a black background looks very classy to me and really standing out.  Then the actual product inside is just amazing. 

Both pinks shades suit most skin tones, even mine which is very pale and the lip gloss and eyeshadow can be used to give a light smattering of colour or built up to give a really edgy shade, depending on your preference. 

Have you ever tried a product from Lola?

Fragrance Club Discovery Box - Autumn Winter 2014

I am a huge perfume fan, love it and I am one of those people who loves perfume samples. What better way to decide whether or not you like the scent of something? We do it with make-up, so why not perfume? Back in April 2013 I brought to my blog a new subcription box from The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club which you can see HERE and again in June which is HERE and then September which is HERE, then the final box of 2013 HERE if you didn’t see it. Already in 2014 I have had the spring edition which you can find HERE and the summer edition which is HERE.

For those of you not in the know this is the description of the box, which is a subscription:

"If you love fragrance, then you'll love our Discovery Club.

Our exciting new club allows you to explore the very latest fragrance launches from the comfort of your own home. For just £5 per quarter, each edition comes with fragrance samples for you to try, details on each of the fragrances included, as well as discount vouchers so you can make some big savings on all the scents featured."

This quarter I have the Autumn Winter Edition 2014 which includes both male and female scents and this is what is in the box:

So inside the box as you can see there is:

Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Intense, which is an update on the original Classique fragrance. The new scent is more vivacious, intensive, oriental and solar, containing notes of tiare, pomegranate and gourmand accords at the top, with the heart of orange blossom, rose and jasmine and the base of patchouli and vanilla.

I have to admit I do like this, I didn't want too though, there is something about Jean Paul Gaultier which annoys me.  This scent contains a lot of my favourite scents - Rose, Jasmine, Orange Blossom and thankfully the Vanilla is over the top headache-making.

Kenzo Jeu d'Amour celebrates the romantic lovers game with an ultra-feminine, sensual and captivating fragrance. While notes of tea, mandarin and pomegranate set the mood, tuberose and freesia sign an ultra-feminine floral heart over a sensual base of musks and creamy sandalwood.

I actually really like this once it has settled on my skin. It is so delicate and floral you cannot help but love it.  One that I am tempted to purchase.

Loewe Quizás Seducción. Representing seductive sexiness, Quizás Seducción has a fruity-floral aphrodisiac quality. Top notes of blackberry, passion fruit and sweet orange give way to elegant sambac jasmine with strong tuberose and orange blossom. Base notes include caramel and vanilla.

I am currently not a fan of this scent, it smells nice until it hits my skin where it then smells horrid which is a shame because it has all the ingredients of being a lovely scent.

Loewe Aura Eau de Toilette. The scent represents feminine mystery and magnetism. A relaxed and carefree force that is inescapably alluring. Loyal to the past, loyal to the present, loyal to Loewe. A fresh floral and fruity Eau de Toilette.

I can't decide whether I like this or not, it is one of those fragrances which leaves me sitting on the fence.  It is nice, but I doubt I would buy it, though I would be happy if someone else bought it for me.

For the men folk we have:

Jimmy Choo MAN -  This masculine fragrance is a woody aromatic fougère. Top notes of lavender and mandarin spray are softened by the fruity notes of honeydew melon, followed by heart notes of pink pepper and geranium mixed with pineapple leaf. Finally the fragrance unveils a lasting print of patchouli, suede and ambery woods.

I really don't like this and I should do because it again contains all the ingredients I really like the scent of, but there is just something about it which is really just not for me, not that I would be wearing it, but isn't one I would buy for someone else.

So this quarter has produced a really interesting box again, one or two perfumes I would want to buy and some I most definitely would not.  The thing I do like about these boxes is that I get to sample the products at home. I can wear then to work, around the house, going for coffee with friends or just shopping.  I am not trying them in a department store where I can be easily influenced to part with money for a scent I am not totally sure of.  That said, the spring box did lead to my buying Valentino Uomo for Beautykinguk who has written his own version of what he thinks of the fragrance on his own blog.

So what do you think to this quarters box? Are there any perfume samples you like the sound of?

Glossybox October - Popart edition

This month's Glossybox was to be a Pop-art edition and if you saw my Instagram, you will have seen my excitement about the outer packaging!  Inside the box was just amazing and it is fair to say that I absolutely love this box and it is one I will not be throwing away.

As usual there was one spoiler which everyone would get within their box and it is a 50ml Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche, which is a full sized product worth £19.50.  The masque is said to quench the thirst of the driest skin types to leave your face feeling smooth and moisturised] not to mention radiant.


Next in the box was a full size Ciate nail polish.  I got the shade Ditch in heels' which is a mint green colour, not one I will be using sadly, but watch out for it in a giveaway.  

Rimmel Matte BB cream is next in shade light and it has an SPF 15 which I like and I actually quite like the BB Cream, the colour is almost perfect for my skin tone, I just need to buff a little extra after applying and it gives a really nice feel to the skin, not to mention is great for covering my oily patches!  This is an 8ml sample which is an alright size, you get to use it for a few days before deciding whether or not you want to purchase a full sized tube which costs £6.99 from Boots for 30ml.

So Susan is next, i'm not sure what it is about these products but I start off liking them and then within days come to dislike them.  In my box was a flutter mascara in black and it has an RRP £14.99. Described as being an intense carbon-black mascara formulated with hyaluronic spheres to help you achieve the darkest, curviest lashes possible. The long brush with extra stiff bristles helps to achieve voluminous, multi-dimensional lashes in just one coat. Suitable for contact lens wearers.  We'll see, I can't say I am over-excited about it, but I do love mascara and will give it a try.

Etre Belle comes next, a brand ive never heard of but a product that intrigues me because it is called a Liplift peel which is given the following description "Up to 54% more lip volume and smoothing wrinkles without injections. Pure hyaluronic microspheres smooth quickly and effectively deep wrinkles around the lips and restructure the lip volume. The lip contour is replenished and redefined". Well worth giving it a go and as a full sized product it is worth around £10

The final product is a perfume sample, which I am a fan of in general, especially when they come in actual cute bottles.  From Yves Rocher this is called Quelques Notes d'Amour and it is very very floral, one of those perfumes that you only need the tiniest amount of before you over do it and give yourself a headache.  Possibly not the scent for me, but more for my Mam who would love it, infact it is winging its way to her, so hopefully she does like it.

So there you have my box.  I actually think this is one of the better ones that I have seen floating around and although I wouldn't use everything within in box, I like that I have some new products to play around with.

So what do you think to this box? Good or Bad?