Chocolate Beauty Gifts for Easter

Easter is the best excuse there is to eat chocolate for breakfast (along with Christmas) and alongside munching away on your Easter egg, there is a whole host of other chocolatey goodness to be enjoyed.

Hotel Chocolat whom are well known for their chocolate range, also have a beauty section that is worthy of drooling over. This Quilesse Body Scrub is described as being uplifting, enlivening, invigorating – the energising scent of our cocoa groves at sunrise.

Bomb Cosmetics Ballotin Gift Set is a must for any chocolate lover who loves to chill out and relax in the bath. The set contains six luxuriously hand crafted bath products all with a chocolate theme:

• Vanilla Bath Creamer
• Chocolate Orange Bath Creamer
• Coffee Mocha Bath Meltz
• Chocolate Bath Mallow
• Double Choc Chip Bath Gem
• Chocolate Buttercup

All containing natural Cocoa Butter and essential oils.

Lush has one of my favourite facemasks - Cupcake - Using Rhassoul mud, which is highly absorbent, it works with cocoa powder to draw out all the dirt, grime and impurities to give your skin a deep cleanse. The use of fresh mint also stimulates and tones the skin, whilst linseed and cocoa butter soften and moisturise. 

Yankee Candle have some of the most interesting scents that I have come across. I am a huge candle fan and from the new Cafe Culture collection from Yankee Candle, inspired by relaxing city breaks is Cappucino Truffle. Described as being a decadent pairing of bold, roasted coffee and luscious, velvety chocolate.

Too Faced - One of my favourite palettes is the Too Faced Chocolate Palette which I use all the time.  Now with Semi-Sweet on the horizon, it too would make a perfect Easter Gift.  Described as having 16 antioxidant-rich, cocoa powder-infused matte and shimmer shades of warm caramels, deep mochas, bronzy chocolate hues and a pop of sugared blueberry, it sounds totally divine. Add to the Too Faced raving of products comes the Milk Chocolate Bronzer, which I have fallen back in love with and have been using daily, it smells absolutely amazing and works really well with my skin tone too.

Flamingo Candles caught my attention during the week with their Scent Eggs - Scent Eggs are small, oval-shaped eggs which are made from natural soy wax, etched with Florrie the flamingo and come in a variety of simple fragrances. They’re designed to be mixed up, to create wild and wonderful scent combinations!  Place three or four Scent Eggs in an oil/fragrance burner, along with a tealight and wait for the gorgeous aroma to fill the room. Scent Eggs make the perfect gift, packaged in a glass jar with our lovely flamingo lid.

Essie - One of my favourite nail polish brands is Essie and whilst brown nail polish wouldn't be my personal choice, one called Chocolate Cakes certainly grabbed my attention.

What will you be hoping for this Easter?

B. Sweet Collection Make-up Launches

Last week I got invited to the launch and preview of some new make-up by B.  You might have seen their skincare in Superdrug, it is not only cruelty free but also Vegan and using some of the latest technology available, they have worked to deliver some long-lasting beautiful make-up.

B. worked with YouTube sensation and TV presenter Emily Hartridge to model the new collection and once it launches in 350 Superdrug stores in April, you will see how beautifully bright and colourful the collection - suitably named Sweet Collection is.

The first product I was introduced too, I immediately loved and that was the 
B Sweet Popping Candy Highlighing Serum RRP £14.99.

The illuminating pearls which you can see are encased in a lightweight serum which is really hydrating on the skin.  It has been designed to instantly brighten and improve your complexion and as it is so versatile, it can be used as a highlighter, as an illuminating base under make-up or a tip I was given at the launch is to mix it with your foundation to transform it into an illuminating and hydrating base allowing it to do two jobs in one.

B Sweet Whipped Blush is next and it is available in two shades - Peach and Strawberry.  The first thing I love about this blush is the packaging.  The silver base with the bright pink candy stripes is really eye-catching and it stands out right across a room, as I have said, when it launches in April, this is one collection you will not miss.

The blushers are again a really lightweight texture and are designed to give you a soft flush of colour as well as to create an instant healthy glow.  As soon as you touch the blusher, your finger leaves an indentation in the blush which bounces back into shape, quite funky, but you do get a really good transfer of colour.   These blushers will cost £7.99.

B Sweet Lipstick is the final item within the range and they are available in three shades - Orange Bloom, Sherbet Dip and Lollypop, again all sweet themed names and the packaging matches that of the blusher above.

The lipstick above is Lollypop and as you can see it is a really nice shade of pink.  The texture is reallycreamy and moisturising and best of all it has an SPF15, which in the Summer, is something we should all be looking for!  These lipsticks will cost £7.99

I love this collection, it is cute, girly, brightly coloured and there is something for everyone.  My favourite item is the Highlighting serum because it is so unusual and I am obsessed with highlighting products currently.  

The B. Sweet Collection launches on 8th April.

Magic Minerals by Jeroma Alexander

Magic Minerals by Jerome Alexander is a product that promises to conceal, correct and adjust to every skintone and it comes in the form of a pressed mineral powder which is talc and fragrance free. Encased inside this compact, which includes a mirror, blending sponge and is accompanied by a professional stubby brush, is a powder which looks too pretty too use and I immediately assumed it would be too dark for my skintone.

I am always quite skeptical when it comes to these products which claim to be able to help cover and conceal pimples, blemishes, scars and birthmarks, but I am always willing to give them a go, because you just never know. Inside and compressed into the powder you can see tiny flecks of colour, each of those colours are called Colour Correctors and they are said to do the following:

• Lavender - helps camouflage yellow and sallow complexions 
• Pink - brightens dull skin giving a glow over the entire face 
• Mint - Described as being for 'ruddy' complexions, discolorations and mark such as redness and blemishes is to be used all over the face to camouflage and even out overall tone. 
• Yellow - Covers discoloration under the eyes such as dark circles and helps cover skin discoloration and uneven skin tones. 

The new Magic Minerals is now enhanced with nourishing antioxidants vitamin E and vitamin C in a proprietary formula.

On the skin, this powder is incredibly lightweight and it does apply flawlessly, much more so than I was expecting and it does give great coverage. I am not a fan of foundations which feel as though they are sitting on top of your skin, I like them to feel natural and not look as though I have troweled it on. This is what I get with this powder, though on its own I feel as though it isn't quite enough and that I need to wear something else, which is where my Urban Decay Naked Skin powder comes in really handy, as combined, the two work really well together.

I have flare ups of Roseacea on my cheeks (this is partly why you will never see a full face shot on my blog, it is an insecurity) and this powder works really well to help neutralise the redness, though not rid it entirely, but it never claimed to be a miracle product, it definitely does help to conceal, to the point where I am happy with the coverage. The powder doesn't cling to dry skin on the face and it does mop up oily parts much better than I anticipated, the downside to combination oily skin, is that mid-afternoon the shine begins to appear and the coverage lasts all day long, though I do use a primer and setting spray.

  

What do you think to this? Have you tried it before?

Bourjois SS15 New Launches

So last week I was really lucky to be invited the swanky penthouse of the beautiful Edison Hotel in Central London to take a peek at the brand new Spring/Summer launches from Bourjois.

The new releases feature products for your brows, lips, nails, eyes and face - so everything is pretty much covered and there is definitely something for everyone.

As soon as I entered the room, my eyes were immediately drawn to the La Laque nail enamels RRP £6.49. What stands out is the unique shaped bottles which have been streamlined to give them that sleek, modern look. Available in 12 shades, the formula is concentrated in pure, saturated pigments to give full coverage and shine from the very first coat. The accompanying brush covers the nail in one stroke with absolute precision and with a no-drip stem, it means less mistakes and the right amount of enamel. These polishes launch in May this year.

Staying with the nails theme, the Magic Nails Care pot RRP £5.99 is an innovate treatment which provides a new way of looking after your nails. The jojoba oil-based formula intensely nourishes your nails and cuticles meaning your nails grow stronger and your cuticles more supple. The magic sponge inside the pot is designed with an innovative sponge which massages the nail. These are exclusive to Beauty Mart now and available nationwide in April.

Next we have the Rouge Edition Aqua Laque Lipsticks RRP £8.99 which as you know have already hit the shelves. The first thing I love about these is that they are incredibly moisturising, add to that the formula is really light when applied and finally the application itself is so so smooth, the wand just glides across the lips. These lipsticks are available in 8 shades which range from a punchy nude shade, through to a Rose shade and then on through the reds and then to the pinks.

Brows are something I am just getting into you. That is because mine are almost at the point where I can do something with them and maybe get a bit of shape, once I pluck up the courage. You see, a few years ago, a department store brow bar got a tad thread happy and I almost ended up with no brows, so it has taken a long time for me to get them to this point. That aside, Bourjois has an amazing launch of products to be released in the form of a pen, pencil and mascara not forgetting the Illuminating pencil!

The Brow Natural eyebrow felt tip pen RRP £6.99 is equipped with a discreet, semi-transparent formula which allows for you to to much more subtle in reshaping your eyebrows. The precise tip makes it really easy for you to sweep along your brows, it is smudge free and promises to last for 16 hours! What I love about these is the actual felt tip, whether you need small subtle strokes or much thicker lines, the choice is really yours. The felt tips come in three shades - Blond, Chatain and Brun which translates to light blond, light brown and dark brown.

Next is the Sourcil Precision brow pencil RRP £4.99. This is more of a traditional brow product that is designed to fill in the brows using its soft tip and with a handy built-in brush, in one stroke your eyebrows will be neat, reshaped and intensified. This pencil is available in 6 shades - Noir Ebene, Chatain, Blonde Fonce, Blond Clair, Noisette and Brun Brunette. 

Brow mascaras are a new product to me but I have in recent weeks noticed them being mentioned across Twitter. They are designed to give the brows a quick tidy up with minimal effort. The Brow design brow Mascara RRP £7.99 uses a tinting an setting formula to style your brows, using a soft bristled brush, you can tidy up and fill in your brows in an instant. There are 4 shades to choose from which are - Blond, Chatain and Brun plus for those who just want something plain, a transparent formula.

To product that caught my attention from the brow range is the Brow Beauty touch eye illuminating pencil RRP £6.99. Using a stroke of this pencil underneath each brow arch to emphasise your look using the illuminating formula. The one thing I like about this pencil was the non-greasy creamy texture which glides onto the skin and blends with no effort, making your eyes look brighter and more open. Available in one shade - Slightly Pearly.

The Nude Sensation Foundation RRP £9.99 features this incredible light whipped mousse effect, it is so feather light on the skin that it feels as though you are wearing nothing. Said to smooth out your complexion and blemishes rather than camouflage them, there are 4 shades to choose from - Nude Clair, Nude Rose, Nude Dore and Nude Ensoleille. 

As you can see from the swatch, once it has been blended, you can just see the colour on the skin.

These are available nationwide from May but have been exclusively launched to www.feelunique.com now.

So there you have it, this is what Bourjois has to offer for SS15 - have you seen anything you like the look/sound of?

LipGlam Lip Balm

I am now on my second tube of #LipGlam so it is fair to say I am a huge fan.  I first came across it in a November Birchbox beauty box and having used it a few times, could no longer find it, so I was glad to have the opportunity try it out all over again, when the option to choose it appeared in the March You Beauty Discovery Box. 

#LipGlam uses 100% pure lanolin and it is marketed as being the ultimate multipurpose moisturiser that not only acts as an amazing lip balm, it can also be used to prime, banish dry patches, treat cuticles, smooth split ends and set brows in place. Obviously it is first and foremost for me a lipbalm, a job it does incredibly well and it has been a god send in the current changing climate.

Described as follows "The silky balm is formulated from medical grade, ultra pure lanolin, which is a natural emollient derived from sheep’s wool that absorbs 300% of its weight in water and hydrates from beneath the skin’s surface giving long-lasting, moisturisation with results lasting up to 8 hours. One of nature’s finest oils, it holds moisture in the skin for deep, long-lasting hydration".

Arriving in a tube, the balm itself is often quite hard, so you need to warm it between the palms of your hand to loosen up and release some of the balm, this is an issue I hope the makers of Lipglam will soon address because I find it quite annoying, that said once you do have the balm on your index finger, it melts slightly using your body's natural heat to be able to use.

It is Paraben-free, hypoallergenic and dematologically tested as well as being 100% fragrance and colour free, the balm is made of a rich formula which is similar to the texture of Dr Lipp Nipple Balm. Once on the lips, it creates a barrier to help lock in moisture and it works brilliantly as a base before applying lipstick, helping the lipstick to glide across the lips, masking any dry skin that hasn't been exfoliated and it really does help keep your lipstick in place much longer.

As a reminder, LipGlam can be used as a:

• daily lip balm
• cuticle ointment
• split ends smoother
• lipstick and mascara primer
• eyebrow balm
• dry skin reliever (on elbows, knees and knuckles)
• soother for chafing and rashes

This is a great lipbalm, it more than definitely does what it states it will do and whilst I am yet to try it for every purpose given on the list above, my current favourite use for it, is as a primer for lipstick. I keep this one in my desk drawer at work in my emergency kit and it is just so useful to have around. You can buy #LipGlam on the LipGlam website for £9.99. 

Have you tried or heard of #LipGlam? Will you be trying it?

T London - Darjeeling

"Inspired by Tea, the delicacy of its subtle reviving aromas and its unique ability to both refresh and restore the soul. We sound a unique blend of essential oils, a combination that relaxes and renews no matter how hard the far or how long the journey. We created T London. Your hideaway from the everyday"

Now if that description isn't enough to capture your attention, then allow me to introduce to you T London, a new brand I was lucky enough to discover a few months ago and one that I have grown to love. The brain child of Mark Warshaw, who joined both his father and grandfather at Molton Brown and going on to establish the brand in over 70 countries around the world. A trip to Sri Lanka's tea plantations and a by chance chat with Jayne, Marks business partner, T London was borne and you can read more about that HERE.

I was kindly send the Darjeeling Travel Duo which consists of a bath & shower gel and a Hand & Body Lotion, both bottles being 100ml and having an RRP £13 and the perfect size for those long weekends away.  

The Bath and Shower gel is enriched with revitalising Lemongrass extract which together with Orange Peel essential oil makes for one fantastically scented product.  Lemongrass is a scent I love for its freshness and it really does wake you up, the orange peel essential oil which is an uplifting scent, which along with Lemongrass helps to condition and nourish the skin.  Also found within this gel is Nutmeg essential oil.  When added to the bath, it is incredibly relaxing and creates a lot of bubbles.  The scent when mixed with the steam is so crisp and fresh, the whole house smells amazing, the kind of scent you want from candles and reed diffusers after a hot sunny day.  The smell also lingers on the skin for a good few hours after using, more so from using it as a shower gel than in the bath.

The Hand and Body Cream uses two of my favourite oils - Jojoba whose own structure closely resembles that of your own skin sebum, making it an excellent moisturiser and ideal for all skin types.  Aloe which is well known for its healing properties on the skin, is also is said to encourage skin rejuvenation. The lotion itself is quite a nice texture, not too thick, not too thin but with a little going a long way, I have used this a few times now to moisturise my arms, legs and body and it really does leave your skin feeling silky soft and smooth. 

Both of these products together also contain one extra ingredient - Darjeeling, which is described as being a rich, crisp, relaxing fragrance which helps to calm and clear the mind.  

No parabens, no sulphates, no artificial colours and not tested on animals, this is such a lovely brand that I am intrigued to find out more about them whilst working my way through the entire range.

.

B. Beauty Makeup Brush Collection.

This Spring, B. have taken a huge leap forward and launched its very first professional quality makeup tools.  If you are familiar with the B. range, which you will find in Superdrug, you will already know that they pride themselves on being cruelty free and Vegan and these tools are no exception.

Handcrafted, these brushes are made using silky-soft fibres which are made of Taklon, a synthetic material used to make other makeup brushes and tools.  Each brush has tapered brush edges which are precision shaped to define and build flawless layers of makeup and have been developed and designed with input from the lovely Cassie Lomas, celebrity makeup artist and B. Ambassador and she has filmed a series of videos which you can find HERE which introduce the brushes, offers advice, hints and tips.

The brush collection has seven different brushes to choose from

• B. Finishing Brush £9.99
• B. Powder Brush £9.99
• B. Blusher/Contour Brush £8.99
• B. Foundation Brush £7.99
• B. Eyeshadow Blending Brush £8.99
• B. Eyeshadow Brush £5.99
• B. Retractable Lip Brush £5.99

All of these brushes are available now from Superdrug and they are on offer, so grab them quick.  I was pleasantly surprised at how lightweight they felt in my fingers, they weigh next to nothing and are nicely shaped to make holding onto them an easy task.  I absolutely love the Finishing brush, which can be used for powder, liquid or cream products and when used as a finishing brush, it really does help to set your make-up in places and blend anything that has been left untouched to create that flawless finish.

Alongside this set is a really handy travel set** which I cooed over as soon s I saw it.  It comes with a really handy travel wallet which fits nicely into any of my handbags, has a zipped compartment for any makeup you might want to store and has a mirror.

As you can see it comprises itself of four brushes and these brushes are perfect mini brushes. There is a Powder Brush, Foundation Brush, Eye Shadow Brush and Retractable Lip Brush.  As with the larger brushes, they have the same professional quality and finish.

Power Brush - This brush is designed to hold the ideal amount of powder whilst still maintaining control and precision. To achieve a polished finish, do not sweep across the face. Dab the bristles into the powder then roll and rotate the side of the brush across the face focusing on the T-zone. This versatile brush can also be used to apply blusher, bronzer and powders.

Foundation Brush - A little tip I was given when it comes to using this brush is to create an even coverage start in the centre of the face!. To use, use the oval tapered edge, working outwards towards the hairline, jawline and blend down towards the décolletage. Blend using circular movements to avoid over application. This brush can be used with liquid or cream foundation.

Eye Shadow Brush - This brush is perfectly designed to add a wash of colour over the eyelid. It can be used to gradually build up the layers of colour to create definition and shadow. You can also use this brush to apply metallic glitter pigment by simply dipping it into the pigment and gently pat onto the lid.

Retractable Lip Brush - I really like this brush, I like how it has a lid to keep the brush clean and to protect the brush, especially if it was to become loose in your bag.  This brush can be used to create the perfect pout by starting at the centre of the mouth and then blend the colour outwards and gradually build up layers. This is a versatile brush within the collection because you can also use it to apply concealer.

This is such a handy set of brushes to have and it is the perfect travelling companion.  Lightweight and doubling up as a handy makeup bag, you can easily fit most items you want and need within it, priced at just £17.99 (though currently on offer) it is, I feel, more than worth its value and the perfect Summer companion.