L'Occitane New Intensive Hand Balm

If you love hand cream and especially that from L'Occitane then you will love the new Intensive Hand Balm which is enriched with 25% Shea butter to provide intense nourishing care, the Shea Intensive Hand Balm forms a protective film for dry to very dry skin.

Shea butter is a natural beauty balm, used by women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the 1980’s, L’OCCITANE has set up a sustainable and fair trade partnership with the women in Burkina Faso who produce it. The L'OCCITANE Foundation is involved in women's entrepreneurship supporting literacy, training and microcredit programs, as well as the development of companies created by women and I mentioned this over in the Solidarity Balm post which you can find here. 

Enriched with allantoin, a naturally moisturising and regenerative ingredient, this ultra-rich balm absorbs into the hands when applied and massaged in and it leaves your hands feeling soft, smooth, soothed and nourished without any trace or greasiness left on the skin.

If you love the original Shea butter hand cream, then you will absolutely adore this.  You can use this as a daily hand cream, or as an extra treat, use it twice-weekly as an intensive hand mask by applying a thick layer to hands and leaving for 10 minutes before massaging excess into the skin.

The Hand Balm costs just £21 and you can grab it right here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

My ultimate Spa Day

It might surprise some people, but I have never been to a spa on a break and had an all out pampering session.  I have visited one or two places for a facial, a massage and a pedicure but I have never experienced the whole thing.

Image Source - Redletterdays

I have an incredibly busy and stressful job and am often feeling tense and stressed. That stress and tension lie in my shoulders and lower back which is often agony, so I should find more time to relax and take care of myself.

This week my inbox has been packed full with offers and money off deals for Valentines Day and the one gift that most of those emails mentioned were a spa break, all of them offering different types of deals and treatments trying to tempt me in.  As a blogger, I do of course pamper myself at home and there are many products that I can use to do that and sites that I can get advice from and purchase items. Ellison's supply wholesale beauty products to spas which help to create the perfect spa experience because the products are just as important as the treatment itself. This got me thinking if I could create my perfect spa day what would it be like?

Well, this post is inspired by many friends and some Bloggers who have shared their stories in print and in the video on their experiences on a Spa break and I have looked at some of those offers which landed in my inbox.  So, my perfect spa day would hopefully be with a friend that I could enjoy the experience with and have some well earned girlie time and a catch-up, I have many friends whom I haven't seen for absolute ages, so the chance to catch up would be amazing and what better way to do it.

Image Source - Redletterdays

The first thing I would love on arrival is to be greeted with a glass of Prosecco and the chance to relax and unwind with access to all the facilities especially the steam and sauna room, having travelled to the destination, the chance to shower, relax and unwind would be absolute bliss.

Having relaxed, it would be time for Afternoon Tea which of course I am a big fan of.  Over tea, my friend and I can have a good old catch up on what has been going on in each other lives.  After tea, I would love to have a full on body exfoliation and mud wrap which would let just lie back and relax, taking in the atmosphere of the spa. I like the idea of a mud wrap removing and eliminating toxins in the body but in a non-evasive and de-stressful way. Then as the mud sinks in, the chance to receive a relaxing face and head massage might just send me off into a relaxed sleep but would be much welcomed.

Once the treatments had finished it a glass or two of bubbly over a manicure or pedicure would also be a final treat to send us on our way back home to reality.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise/Collab

Introducing the Expert Edition from Beauty Expert

At Beauty Expert, they believe that when it comes to skincare, everyone has the ability to be their own expert. With that in mind, they have a great collection of products which have been hand-picked products chosen for their unique, innovative properties.

Image Credit: Beautyexpert.com

Choosing a variety of luxurious, pioneering products for both the skin and hair, this collection has been specially selected to provide optimum results and with it comes the following products:

• ila-spa Body Wash & Lotion Duo (2 x 150ml) - This expertly hand-picked duo can be used as a regular treatment to keep skin feeling soft and revitalised.
• Joico Colour Endure Treatment Masque (250ml) - Visibly improves the condition of your hair with this restorative, luxurious masque.
• Su-Man Face Polish (30ml) - This stunning exfoliator gently buffs away daily impurities, leaving the complexion feeling smooth and refreshed.
• Màdara Brightening AHA Peel Mask (60ml) - This expert mask gently exfoliates skin providing instant radiance and shine.
• The Hero Project Glow Drops Facial Oil (30ml) - This ultra-silky, dry touch facial oil helps to nourish and brighten tired complexions, giving you skin that glows.
• Nuxe Fondant Body Scrub (50ml) - This unique blend eliminates impurities whilst refining skin’s texture to leave it cleansed, smoothed and nourished.
• Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid (118ml) - This powerhouse treatment gives improved texture whilst restoring vital nutrients, leaving skin looking renewed and radiant.
• Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturiser (15ml) - This ultra-light formula renews the appearance of skin without stripping away essential oils to reveal a hydrated, softened complexion.

Worth over £125 but available to buy for only £50 and the bag is fuller than ever and you can find it right here!

*this post contains PR samples/Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise

Dressing up with JD Williams

I am a bit predictable when it comes to clothing. I like black it is my comfort colour and every day for work, I will usually wear black trousers or a skirt with a black top and coloured cardigan or a colourful top and a black cardigan and my shoes are always black - see the theme?  Out of work, pretty similar when it comes to clothing, though at home I am always in lounge pants or leggings. I am a creature of habit.

So, when I was given the opportunity to choose a dress and some shoes/boots from JD Williams, I had decided that black could be a feature but not the entirety of my choices. So I started looking through the site making a shortlist of the dresses I really liked and I managed to get down to a list of three:

My final choice being the dress in the middle from Scarlett & Jo, it is called leaf floral tea dress which has a really beautiful all-over leaf print which I feel I can wear to the office or dress up for a night out. It falls just below the knee on me and with the short sleeves and rounded neck, it is perfect to be worn with or without a cardigan. The elasticated waist is really flattering and it is perfect to be styled with tights and boots or heels for a chic look. With that in mind, I also chose the following:

I have flat feet so high heels are a huge no-no for me, but these shoes are the perfect height and because I need wide fitting these heavenly soles shoes comes in an extra wide eee fit. They have been made using a combination of materials for the front and back parts of the shoe and they have what is referred to as the 'Ultimate Comfort 3 layer padding' to provide comfort all day thanks to the memory foam insert and latex foam under the foot. Priced at £30 they are an absolute bargain.

The sole diva buckle high leg boots also come in different sizes, particularly with the calves in mind, for the comfort fit. The boots have a side zip and feature a double buckle strap which adds a bit of character to these boots. The heel is almost flat and with a gold trim running around the sole of the boot, they are so comfortable and can be styled with so many outfits I might possibly live in them for the next few months.

And here they are:

What do you think to my choices?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise