Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream

Every so often a product comes into my posession and having read an introduction to it, I go 'Wow' and this is what happened with Yu-Be Moisturising skin cream.  It was invented back in 1957 by a pharmacist and has since then been one of Japan's top-selling skin creams, yes for over 50 years! This is where I said wow!

Yu-Be is a moisture rich, petroleum free formula which contains the highly nourishing Vitamin E and B2 alongside Glycerin which helps to preserve moisture and Camphor which helps to soothe irritation as well as a menthol-like fragrance, which I find quite soothing.

Yu-Be can be used from head-to-toe and it helps with all forms of stubborn dryness such as flaky red skin, chapped lips, dry knees, elbows, on the cuticles and even on the dry skin of your feet, infact, I have smothered my feet in this cream, put some socks on and left them for a few hours to soak in the cream, which resulted in incredibly soft and smooth skin in place of FitFlop causing dry skin around my heels. 

The formula is a thick, yellow cream which means you only need to apply a thin layer at any one time and there is a menthol fragrance to this cream which does fade quite quickly, but when applying the cream to my skin, I found the fragrance quite soothing.  I love that it can be used on all kinds of skin and how gentle the formula is and knowing it has been used by Sumiyo Tsuzuki, a world class climber and explorer, to protect her skin as she climbed to the tallest peak of Mount Everest, really speaks volumes as to how good this cream is.

The Yu-Be skin care range includes a lip balm, body lotion, moisturising socks, a travel kit and of course this amazing cream and prices start from £7 and it can be found in stores such as BeautyMart, SpaceNK and on Amazon.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Feelunique Beauty On The Go Kit

I love this idea from Feelunique and think it is something that can make travelling, whether it is for a few days, a long weekend or even longer, that little bit easier, less stressful and of course something you can adapt and change to suit your needs.  

The Beauty on the go Kit is a compact for all your travelling needs.  For £15 you get this lovely soft pastel blue pouch which fits inside your hand luggage or handbag really easily and inside it are products that the lovely people at Feelunique think you need. 

With 8 handy travel sized items, I think there is alot of essentials covered, as you can see within my pack I have:

• A Blue Nail file - This is a mini nail file rather than a full sized and definitely a handy must-have. I know I have been on holiday, broken a nail and cursed myself for not packing a nail file, the last thing I want to be doing is munching on my fingers! 
• A Mini Hair Brush - I do always have a mini hairbrush in my hand bag and I love the idea of having one in a travel kit just incase I do happen to forget to pack mine. This handy little wooden brush makes it way through my hair without scraping my scalp and it brushes my hair really well.
• A Blue Mirror - A handy mirror like this is a must for me, I am always paranoid about having food in my teeth or panda eyes from my mascara.
• The Jetsetter Eye Mask - I do love an eyemask and wear one to bed most nights. I hate it when light creeps in through the curtains, so I need all the help with sleep I can get. Even better to have one to hand for a disco nap!
• The First Aid Beauty Vitamin Hydrating Mist - If you read my blog regularly then you will know that I am obsessed with face mists and always have one on my bedside table and my desk at work. First Aid Beauty Vitamin Hydrating Mist is described as being an instant fix for weary, dehydrated skin, anytime or anyplace. It is a vitamin enriched, alcohol-free mist which is designed to reawaken skin, restore hydration and protect from environmental aggressors. I am looking forward to giving this a try!
• Some Popband London Essentials - I love that these fit in with the theme of the bag and are different shades of blue. I am a huge fan of Popbands and always use them to tie my hair up when it is really hot and I need to feel cool air on the back on my neck. I love that they don't leave a kink in my hair no matter how long I wear them for and they are handy to have around your wrist just in case!
• The final item is the cult classic Eight Hour Cream from Elizabeth Arden. I have had a love hate relationship with this cream, I hated everything about it the first time I used it but having persevered with it, I now really like it and love that it has so many uses - chapped lipped, soothing burns, it soothes dry cracked skin and is perfect for heels, elbows and knees too.

I do think this is a brilliant idea and one which you can use constantly. I now have mine packed in my long weekend bag so that should I forget what I refer to as my essentials, then I have a back up plan.  

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Ghost Dream Eau De Parfam

I am quite new to Ghost fragrances even though I am a perfume addict and shockingly even though the brand has been around for almost 20 years and there are over 10 fragrances within the range. Their latest is GHOST Dream Eau de Parfum.  

The description reads:

GHOST Dream is a captivating and enigmatic floral oriental scent created for young women who embrace their femininity and independence. Deliciously transparent; light yet complex, Dream encapsulates the pink clouds of a hazy sunset, the play of light on rippling water. 

A multifaceted, floral fragrance with a subtle depth. The scent opens with delicate 100% natural Rose Essential and fragrant Moroccan orange flower. A floral heart of heady Egyptian jasmine and pretty violet dev elops to reveal a sensual base of woody notes, ambroxan musks and patchouli.

Central to the fragrance is the unique Aquaflora note creating a delicate aqueous floral scent to interpret a transcendental reality.

This really is an all round pretty fragrance. The packaging is incredible and really works with the description above when it says 'the play of light on rippling water' because this is exactly the effect the box gives as it twinkles in the sunlight. Inside that box comes a really beautiful bottle. not quite like any I have seen of late. It is what can best be described as a multifaceted multicoloured design which is quite chunky but in the light you can see the colour of lilac and blue which really do stand out and again, I am drawn back to that rippling effect on the water and more so with the metallic lid which is slightly lilac toned plays its part.

For me, this perfume sits within the Oriental Florals and it is quite a clean crisp scent. It has quite a few floral notes with Rose Essential and Aquaflora making up the top notes and that scent of Rose being the very first I can detect, to the middle notes of Violet, Heliotrope, Moroccan Orange Flower and Egyptian Jasmine which in themselves would make an incredible scent but Ghost Dream settles with its base notes with Ambroxan, Musks and Patchouli and whilst they all quite beautiful, it is still the scent of Heliotrope that I can most detect and it is that which gives the fresh, clean scent but with a hint of flowers.

On the skin, I find that just a few spritzes is enough to detect it and it does have a really good lastability, I found that having applied it around 9am, I could still smell it some 7 hours later before I needed to re-apply.  You can also see what Annie over at Musingsofamakeupjunkie also thought of Ghost Dream too.

Ghost Dream retails from £25 at Superdrug, Boots and The Perfume Shop  

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page

Ouai Clean Shampoo and Conditioner

There has been something of a 'thing' when it comes to Ouai hair care and a lovely little package was sent to the mister to try, but being me, I wanted to try it there and then and over the past few months, have slowly made my way through a bottle of Ouai Clean Shampoo and Conditioner.

If you have never come across Ouai before, it is pronounced Way and translates to me Yes! Ouai was created by the famous celebrity hairdresser Jen Atkin and she is responsible for maintaining the locks of Klan Kardashian, Gigi Hadid and Gwen Stefani - quite the celeb list right there and you know what, if it is good enough for them, then I want to give it a try. I am already a huge fan of the Dry Foam Shampoo which I reviewed HERE. 

Ouai's Clean Shampoo and Conditioner are described as being "A clarifying cocktail to eliminate build-up and ‘detox’ congested tresses and is suitable for all hair types and textures". Now living in London can take its toll on the hair. We have hard water, something it took as my skin and scalp a long time to get used too after being from 'Up North' where the water is much softer. For years I was plagued with scalp problems which was linked to hard water and whilst slowly I have become accustomed to it, there is nothing quite like washing my hair at my parents house! That aside, finding a shampoo and conditioner that don't leave my hair feeling lank and greasy, that doesn't irritate my scalp and doesn't make me want to get in from work and wash it daily has been a bit of a struggle, there are very few brands that I feel compelled to use and over the last 2-3 years I have narrowed down my shampoo and conditioner to a very very small number of brands, one of them being Ouai.

Firstly the shampoo. It is a detoxifying shampoo which works to dissolve excess oil and residue without stripping hair or compromising its colour.  You literally need the smallest amount of this shampoo as it is quite concentrated, so less is more, in this case much more and when mixed with water, it creates a lot of lather.  

On the hair the most amazing scent comes to life which is from a blend of Italian lemon, Turkish rose, jasmine, iris, lily and white musk which is combined with a cocktail of nourishing ingredients referred to as the ‘OUAI Smart Technology which includes amino acids, tamarind seed, keratin, ama oil, hibiscus and jasmine to fortify strands, enhance moisture levels, repair and protect from humidity.  Once you begin to wash the shampoo out, again, I use warm water not hot, you can immediately feel a change in your hair, soft, smooth and incredibly nourished. At no point does my hair feel dry and straw like, my scalp isn't itching and the incredible scent lingers on the hair.

The Conditioner, I am not a huge fan of conditioner and only use them a few times a week, some people like them everytime they wash their hair, but that is a personal choice. The Ouai Clean Conditoner, like the shampoo is a luxuriously thick texture and again, you only need a small amount t comb through the ends of your hair. 

This time there is a blend of Italian lemon, bergamot, rose de mai, magnolia, lily, blackberry, cedar wood, amber, patchouli, sandalwood and white musk alongside the all important ‘OUAI Smart Technology’ which is a cocktail of nourishing ingredients and this time it includes amino acids, tamarind seed, keratin, ama oil, hibiscus and jasmine and they work to fortify strands, enhance moisture levels, repair and protect from humidity.  What I have found with the conditioner is that it is incredibly hydrating and it also helps to protect the cuticle which in turn makes my hair much smoother and much more manageable with less frizz and flyaway's, especially if I am straightening using my GHDs.

I am really impressed with both the shampoo and the conditioner if you couldn't tell and it is worth noting that they are both free of parabens and sulphates.  With their sleek and chic bottles for me, Ouai is a brand worth seeking out.  The Shampoo and  Condition both retail for £22 for a 300ml and 250ml bottle respectively (here) and a huge tick for a bigger shampoo to conditioner bottle!

Have you tried anything from Ouai yet?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here