Balance Active Formula Dragon’s Blood Range

Balance Active Formula Dragon’s Blood Range is the new kid on the block and it features three products which I have been using over the past few weeks. Those products are a Lifting Serum, Lifting Cream and Eye Lift Balm all of which work together to in essence provide the ideal all-in-one skincare range. Admittedly I jumped at the chance to try these because of the words 'Dragon's Blood'. I love products which sound slightly weird, have odd ingredients and capture the imagination and if you are a regular reader of my blog, then you will know that Bee Venom, Snake Venom and other such ingredients have excited me a lot.

These products all contain Dragon’s Blood Extract and 3% Liftonin™-Xpress, an innovative active and break-through ingredient that helps the skin look instantly lifted and tightened. It absorbs fast and cools the skin on application. Naturally Dragon's Blood isn't the blood of a Dragon, but it is the sap from the Croton lechleri tree which is also known as the ‘Dragon’ Tree when translated. The resin or sap in question is red hence the term Dragon's Blood and it forms protective film on skin to protect against environmental aggressors.

The first of the three products is Dragon's Blood Eye Lift Balm – This balm claims to instantly lift and tighten the skin around the eye area, whilst reducing fine lines and wrinkles. The balm itself is a lightweight and non-greasy formula which is easily applied to the under-eye area both during the morning and the evening. I don't (thankfully) yet have any wrinkles around my eyes, but the formula is incredibly hydrating and refreshing.

The Dragon's Blood Lifting Serum is my favourite product of the three - Again the serum contains Dragon's Blood Extract and 3% Liftonin-Xpress to leave skin looking firmer and lifted. Helpfully the serum comes inside a bottle with pipette which makes using it much easier. I distribute the serum onto the palm of my hand and apply it to my face and neck before using my moisturising cream both in the morning and the evening.

The final part of this skincare trio is the Dragon's Blood Lifting Cream - Again featuring Dragon's Blood Extract and 2& Liftonin-Xpress, the skin feels smoother and appears lifted and tightened. This has become the final part of my skincare regime and is applied both morning and evening after using both the Eye Lift Balm and Lifting Serum.  The cream is really lightweight and absorbs easily into the skin without leaving behind any greasy residue.

As someone in my 30's taking care of my skin has already be one of my top priorities, to be honest even in my teens I was taking care of my skin.  The three of these products together work incredibly well and when I saw the price, I was incredibly shocked because at £3.99 they perform just as well as similar products with similar ingredients and right now you can purchase all three of these for just £1.97 right here.

All products are light-weight and non-greasy, suitable for all skin types and parabens free.

The Useful Christmas Gift Ideas for Bloggers

Have you got a friend who is a blogger, or is one of your friends a blogger and you are currently scratching your head debating what you can buy them to make life a little easier?  Well I have a great list right here that could just help you!

One item that most bloggers will own is a camera, now whether that is a Compact, an SLR Camera, a Bridge Camera, the cult must have Olympus Pen, the Nikon CoolPix, a Fujifilm Instamax or even just an iPhone camera, all of these terms will be words you have come across in your lifetime of blogging. There is no doubt a camera is a must have item for any blogger and if you are thinking of buying one for yourself or someone else, you will be forever in someones favour.  This gift idea list is mainly centered around items for cameras with a few extra add-ons, it might be that you cannot afford to buy a new camera, but can buy something extra to make that unwanted and unloved camera because loved and very much wanted again.

1. Bloggersphere Magazine - This magazine is an internationally distributed print publication written by bloggers for the blogging and social media community. It is split into six main sections (each edited by an influential blogger): beauty, fashion, food, travel, lifestyle and photography. I really enjoy reading this magazine and whilst it is now available to buy in some WHSmith stores and online, you could buy a subscription as a gift right here.

2. Amzdeal Portable Camera Photo Studio Box Light Lighting - Days without natural light are a constant pain in the backside for bloggers and it used to drive me insane until I got one of these portable studio boxes. I love that it comes with an array of backgrounds, a tripod for your camera, the studio tent, two lights and a hand carry case for it all to be stored in, so even if you are short of space, this is a great product to have and it can be found here.

3. Anker Astro Portable Charger - This is quite possibly the best item I have ever bought for my iPhone. If you are social media crazy and can't go a few minutes without tweeting, Instagramming, watching and recording for Periscope or even Snapchatting then your phone battery is not going to last the day.  This portable charger is ideal for carrying around with you and you can find it here.

4. Hama Star 61 Tripod - If you Vlog and Youtube, a tripod is a must have item, if you take photos then a tripod is a great item to have, I am not too sure that I could now take any photo without a tripod and get the look I am wanting for my photos and if it is something you have been debating buying but don't want to splash out lots of money, this one is a bargain and is right here.

5. Queen of Blogs Mug - Whether you drink tea, coffee, hot chocolate and so on, a mug can be a great gift and this one more so with it's apt slogan 'Queen of Bloggers' which I also think goes well with my blog name and would also make a great secret santa gift.  Found on Amazon right here.

6. Blog Planner - The Badass Blog Planner is Your guide to defining your purpose, creating clarity, and building a year of killer content. This Planner includes worksheets to evaluate and plan blog content, social media posts, products and services, email newsletters, marketing, advertising, your budget, and website design. No more late-night post idea panic or stressing over social media! I think this sounds like pretty a pretty good read and a quite handy go to guide to have and it is available right here.

7. Foldio - The Portable Studio Box, Foldable Light Box for Smartphone Photography.  This is quite possibly one of the coolest items I have come across to date.  I am sure everyone uses Instagram and if you are short of space within your home, then this could just become your best friend.  It is a Smartphone version of the portable studio already mentioned within this post and is impossibly cute, an amazing idea (why did I not think of this) and could quite possibly be a huge game changer with Instagram.  It can be found right here.

8. Camera Light - I was given this light 6 months ago and it is an item I use all of the time in the darker months.  If you need to add just a bit more light to your photos and don't need the whole set up of a studio, this light does just that. Readily available right here.

9. Notebooks - As a blogger I can never ever have too many notebooks. I have notebooks of all shapes and sizes and I find them handy for list writing, idea jotting, blog post details and often when I am on the go and think. My current favourite notebook happens to be this Happy Jackson Green A5 Thoughts And Doodles Notebook which I think it is perfect for what I need it for.

10. Blog Backgrounds - Whether you use the outdoors for that perfect photo shot or props inside, did you knwo your local hardware and DIY store might be a little treasure trove of ideas and help too? Wallpaper samples, Floor Tiles and even Wooden Floor Samples can really help bring those photos to life and it is always worth going to look.

So there you have it.  My helpful guide to useful gifts for bloggers, which contain all of the items I think would be useful.

As a blogger reading this, what items would you want to see on a gift list?

*collaboration

Inner-Soul Organics

Inner-Soul Organics is one of those brands that I just love from the very first try and the fact they are British with products made right here in the UK makes me want to champion them ever more. Inner-Soul Organics offers luxurious skincare for face, bath, body, anti-aging and maternity, created with fine quality, organic, botanical extracts but what I love more is that they have a service that allows you the customer to have your own unique skincare range designed and created just for you. Inner Soul Organics skincare products are also suitable for use as part of vegan and vegetarian lifestyles and we are against animal testing and you can find out more about them right here.

I was sent two sample pots to try and test and I absolutely loved both of them, especially the Rose and Lemon Tender Cleanse Balm.  I am a real fan of cleansing balms, there is just something really relaxing and satisfying about using them to melt off the days make up, dirt and grime to leave you with a fresh, clean feeling face, particularly for me living here in London.  

To use the Roses and Lemons Tender Cleanse Balm, you apply in light sweeps all over the face and neck and when doing this, I use one of my muslin cloths as I find they work really well with. With this balm you are advised to concentrate on the sides of the nose, the dip of the chin and forehead and then to remove, simply moisten the cloth and remove excess balm. Now as you can imagine, it smells absolutely divine and is packed full of amazing ingredients such as:

• Mango and Virgin Coconut Butters are at the heart of our cleansing balm to gently cleanse away dirt without stripping skin of its natural oil content
• Extracts of organic Kiwi Seed, Aloe, Calendula and Rose Hip de-stress and soothe skin and also deal with fine lines and wrinkles by encouraging production of new collagen cells and quenching skin with vitamin C
• Red Raspberry seed acts to boost skin's natural immunity, protecting against free radicals and irritations
• Squalane, Evening Primrose and Spilanthes Acmella will hydrate and leave a beautiful glow on the skin
• Sublime Rose de Mai and Rose Absolute calm and tighten, smoothing away fine lines, whilst Lemon and Bergamot deeply cleanse and reduce dark spots

The True Balance Day Time Moisturiser is a cream which feels incredibly luxurious on the skin and you only need a small amount because as soon as it comes into contact with the skin it absorbs itself leaving behind soft, smooth and really hydrated feeling skin.  As with the cleansing balm, this cream is packed full of amazing ingredients such as Ylang Ylang which has a soothing effect and its balancing action sorts out over-dry as well as overly-oily skin by balancing the secretion of sebum and there is also the inclusion of Apricot, Lemon and Thistle which moisturise and mattify the skin.

What I found with this cream is that the scent is really long lasting and you can smell it for a good few hours after application and it leaves behind no greasy residue.

These sample pots are a really generous size and have really impressed me into wanting to try a few more products from the range. The Cleansing Balm was my favourite of the two and it is just an absolute delight to use and anything which leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean definitely deserves the thumbs up.

Have you ever tried anything from Inner Soul Organics?

Lush Cup O'Coffee Face and Body Mask

Almost two years ago now I gave up caffeine, I got to the point where I became too dependant upon it to get me through the day and one day decided enough was enough and cut it out. Now instead of needing coffee or tea, I have it as an occasional treat and have instead found new things to try instead. However, I love the smell of coffee, I love coffee flavoured things and when I saw Cup O'Coffee as a Face and Body Mask in Lush, it was in my basket before I had even had a sniff!

Cup O'Coffee is a Face and Body mask and as the name suggests it smells like freshly brewed coffee and is heaven in a black Lush tub, it is intense, it is great and I love it, even if I didn't like it as a mask, I would still love it for the scent. As for smelling like fresh coffee, well it looks quite like coffee too as you can see, it is a Mocha shade, so not overly exciting bright pink with glitter, but it matches it name especially well and it does do an excellent job.

So Cup O'Coffee is best described as being an exfoliating mask for the face and body and the idea is that you slap it onto your face and body, leave it for 15 minutes and then wash off. It is definitely more of a shower product than one for the bath and it is also one you need to use when you have 15 minutes to stand around in your bathroom, but it is also totally worth it. The pot comes in two sizes, 150g and 325g and the one I have is 150g and it lasted for a few uses. Again, depending on where you use it, how much you use and how often you use it depends on how long it is going to last. The first time I used it was on my arms and legs and I used it sparingly, the second time I used it on my face and the third time I managed to do arms, chest and face before running out. Having applied it to my skin in a massaging motion as I would with any other mask, waiting for 15 minutes in and then getting into a warm shower to massage it off my skin, the scent, once it hits the steam of the shower is just divine, honestly it is like standing next to a Barista as he makes your coffee.

As you might have guessed, the main ingredient of Lush Cup O' Coffee is of course coffee and it is called coffee infusion which you can read more about here. The caffeine within this product is rich, awakening and boosts your blood flow and circulation to literally wake everything up, even you! Also included is Kaolin which helps to cleanser and exfoliate the skin, Coriander Seed Oil which not only warms and soothes tired achey muscles but also uplifts and refreshes where states of tension and fatigue exist plus it is naturally antibacterial and there is also Vanilla Absolute which is fresh and uplifting scent as well as having an antibacterial effect on the skin, it is also naturally rich in vitamins which help your skin to feel more balanced and healthy.

Once you have removed the mask from your face and body, which I always have done (am on my third tub) using a muslin cloth, my skin felt just incredible. Wearing thick tights most days, can leave my legs feeling really dry and scaly, even though I moisturise every morning and evening. So to use this mask once a week, literally removes all the dead and dry skin and leaves behind soft, smooth, moisturised and glowing (on the face) skin which smells so amazing. I think this is honestly the best face and body mask I have ever used, well it must be, I am now on my third tub and still love it as much now as I did when I first got one.

This Lush Cup O' Coffee Face and Body Mask costs £6.75/150g and £13.25/325g and can be found online and in stores.

New Nail Care Range - Barry M

Barry M is one of those brands which is a total Highstreet Gem and one I find myself liking more and more.  I have always been a fan of the nail polish range and launching into Boots and Superdrug stores on 20th January 2016 is the new nail care range**.

The range has four products, all of which are housed inside cute little bottles and each one costs just £3.99.  There is a Super Mani 7-in-1 Treatment, Iron Mani Ultimate Nail Hardener and two Mani Mask Camouflage Colour and Condition products in two amazing shades.

The Super Mani 7-in-1 Treatment is a super hero twice weekly basecoat and treatment product which offers 7 benefits; hydrating and protecting enamel for healthy nourished nails:

• Encourages Growth
• Strengthens with Keratin
• Nourished with Argan Oil
• Promotes Shine
• Hydrates with Vitamin E
• Smoothes the nail surface
• Protects from breakage

A nice purple shade inside the bottle, it actually goes onto the nails clear.

Iron Mani Ultimate Nail Hardener is designed to help toughen up your nail and help prevent breakages and this treatment works to strengthen, toughen and smooth your nail.

Again, this Mani is a stunning shade of blue in the bottle, but applies clear onto the nails.

Mani Mask Camouflage Colour and Condition comes in two shades - Birthday Suit which is a really lovely creamy nude shade and Bashful which is a cute baby pink shade. 

I love both shades and they are both semi matte and are a perfect finish for your nails once you have added your Super Mani and Iron Mani to your nails.  

If you are looking for a pocket friendly nail care kit, then Barry M has the answer you are looking for. Having used them for the last month, they are just as good as rival and more expensive brands.

Christmas presents you should definitely buy your cat!

With three cats in the house, I might often be referred to as the 'Mad Cat Lady' but they are my boys, my furkids and I don't think they should be left out at Christmas.  A quick Google search gave me an endless list of things I could purchase.  

The first item I absolutely love and it could not be more perfect is Kitty Street - Terrace Cat Houses with Scratchy Roofs.  This is a cat bed terrace, perfect because I have three cats and rather than fighting over the one cat bed we have, they could have one each. Inside there are fur cushions and the roofs are scratching mats.  What I love about this is that you can also add more cubes should you need them.

One thing Hector loves is laying on the laptop when you are trying to use it and no matter what it is we are doing, the save button is constantly over-used because out of nowhere comes this crazy kitty jumping all over you. So this could be the answer to all of my problems - Cat Playhouse Cardboard Laptop. Designed to look like a laptop with screen and keyboard with a rather humorous mouse.  With this, I feel Hector could have a fantastic time sat next to me as I type and if you have a similar laptop obsessed kitty, you can find the laptop.

Having cats means providing stimulating play time or they get bored and can become quite destructive. Hector is now 4 months old and loves to climb, much to my horror. He loves to be as high as he can possibly get, which is normal for a cat. However, in an attempt to stop him from climbing on top of my wardrobes and bouncing off, we have bought the SmartCat Door Climber in the hope it will satisfy his climbing urge

If you have friends, who like me are mad cat ladies and you cannot think of anything to buy them, or they have everything, then forget them and buy something for the cats.  There are two cat hampers which really have caught my attention from Purrfectbox and Cat Hampurr.

My boys are huge fan of the Purrfectbox and we have reviewed a few of the boxes right here on Beautyqueenuk. The team over at Purrfecrbox have an amazing Special Edition Christmas Box is a box of 6 specially chosen products, perfect for those wanting to treat the pets of their friends and family. It costs just £19.90.

The lovely people over at Cat Hampurr have also come up with their very own Christmas Cat Hamper and which will be a hand picked a box full of goodies that will keep them entertained well into the new year. Again the box costs just £19.90 and you can get it  but be quick because they are limited.

Staying with the theme of food and hampers, my boys were very kindly sent family-owned US brand of natural pet food, Wellness, which has just launched at Pets at Home. Wellness offers wholesome, healthy nutrition for cats and contains no wheat, corn, soya, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. The recipes use delicious, real-foods like deboned meats, healthy fruits and vegetables and easily-digestible carbohydrates to provide the perfect balance of protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the healthiest way possible. The range my boys have been trying is the CORE Divine Duos, an indulgent savoury pâté topped with protein-rich cuts in gravy. Dishes include hearty cuts of beef, chicken liver, tuna and salmon – balanced with nutrient-rich broccoli and carrots and it has been absolutely lapped up and loved.

Anyone who has any experience with kittens and cats will know that they love to scratch everything including you, your furniture, your carpet and anything you can do to encourage them not to do this will be in your favour and will also lower your stress levels. So a perfect gift for any cat is a scratching post, mine absolutely love them and they are the most used and loved item we have. The good news is that they also come in all shapes and sizes and are widely available and range in price from around £10 right up to £50+!

Anyone with cats will also know about catnip.  Catnip is part of the mint family but it has an essential oil in it called nepetalactone which has a powerful effect on cats who are sensitive to it, though not all are, and it turns them totally crazy and has them running around like a big fun-filled bag ecstasy, dribbling everywhere and generally just attacking the toy it is in or on.  Again, they are readily available and come in all different shapes and sizes but are really budget friendly and your cat will absolutely love it and you.

One final item that is synonymous with Christmas is stockings and yes there are stockings and stocking fillers for cats which all contain cat treats and are perfect for spoiling your little fur ball and again they range in price from £2 right up to £8 so they won't break the bank.

So here you have just a few ideas as to what you can buy your kitten, cat or your friends, family or neighbours cat as a gift.  There is naturally a whole host of other items I could have included within the toy section, the ideas are endless.

Do you have a cat or indeed any animal? If so, do you buy them a Christmas present?

You Beauty Discovery Box - December 2015

The December You Beauty Discovery Box is just brilliant.  I had a really hard choice trying to decide what I wanted to try more from the list we are given to choose from, but managed to narrow it down to my allotted two items.  December is all about Winter Wonder Shortlist products and they have been carefully chosen to help restore, rejuvenate and ready yourself for the party season.

As always within the box is a selection of treats and this month we have a sachet of Studio 10 Miracle Effect Priming Serum. Described as being a revolutionary anti-ageing skincare reduces wrinkles instantly and has clinically proven and tested results in just 15 minutes. The supercharged breakthrough formula dramatically improves the signs of ageing - wrinkles, age spots, dark circles, puffiness, dehydration - delivering powerful, real-time visible results that completely redefine the complexion.

The second item is a perfume sample of Narciso Rodriguez, Narciso.  It smells absolutely beautiful and I liked it from the first spritz. it uses top notes of white peony meld with bulgarian rose to compose a heady white floral bouquet that transforms the signature musc into a crystalline yet sensual heart. Enhanced by voluptuous woody accords - black and white cedars and a most elegant vetiver - the eau de toilette is hypnotizing.

When it came to choosing my two items, I had the choice of eight products covering a wide variety of areas such as skincare, makeup, relaxation or bodycare.  I decided to choose two items I have heard of, have seen and have been hankering after for a long, long time.

Pixi Glow Tonic.  I have read so many reviews about this that I cannot wait to try it.  It has become one of the most sought after and internationally revered cult skin treats of the last 2 years and there are seldom few who dislike it.  So what is it? Essentially it is an alcohol-free skin toner is packed with plant extracts & 5% Glycolic acid, and has a triple function:

• It gently exfoliates the skin, which brightens the complexion and smoothes the texture of the skin
• It soothes and hydrates the skin, leaving it with a beautiful healthy glow
• It balances the skin for a flawless finish

In my YBD box this is sample sized, very cute 15ml bottle which is more than enough for a few days to see if there is any reaction.

The second item in my box is from Kiko.  Kiko have become one of my favourite brands to use and the item in question is a long lasting eye shadow stick which is water-resistant with a creamy formula for extremely long lasting, pure, vibrant colour that won’t budge.  These eyeshadow sticks are available in 32 intense shades the creamy formula is easily blendable to help create a smokey eye effect, once set the colour remains radiant.  I have shade 06 and it is a beautiful Golden Brown shade which I absolutely love and have used a lot since it came into my possession.

So there you have my box of treats for this month and all for the bargain price of £6.95 and I think this is an amazing box and it is one I am really happy with. Had I been unable to have these two items as my main choices, I would have been more than happy with anything else that was given.  What do you think?

I Love... Christmas Bath Collection

As a huge fan of the I Love range, I was really excited to try out the Christmas collection which is just bursting with stunning fragrances and colours.  What I love about the range is the element of fun that comes with using it after all, who wouldn't want to bathe in chocolate orange scented bath foam?

I Love... Big Barrel of Love Cherry and Raspberry is just huge! Packaged inside this sweet baby pink coloured tin, inside there are four products which smell good enough to eat. Cherry and Almond Sparkle which is a Bubble Bath & Shower Creme plus a tub of Body Butter makes you smell good enough to eat and better than your mum's Christmas Cake.  There is also a Raspberry and Blackberry body Spritizer and hand cream which both smell as though someone has just freshly picked both fruits, juiced them and then bottled them and of course a puff to help you enjoy your bath experience even more.

This tin for me is such good value for money, it has an RRP £20 in Superdrug but is currently on offer for just £10!

I love... Lots of Bubbles Festive Edition which contains everything you need to enjoy your bath and shower with a different scent for almost everyday. This set features six 100ml bottles of fruity Sugared Cranberries, indulgent Chocolates & Oranges, delightful Mixed Berries, warming Spiced Cinnamon, sweet Iced Cookie and Cherry Almond Sparkle making each and everyone of them perfect for the Christmas Season, perfect for making you smell good enough to eat and brightly packaged and designed to look amazing in anyone's bathroom.

This set would usually retail at just £6 which is a bargain, but again, Superdrug has an amazing offer on right now where you can get this set for just £4.

The final set that I have is perfect for travelling or for that long weekend away.  So if you are lucky enough to be spending Christmas at a hotel, then this is the perfect item for your bag.  The I love... Little Bag of Love set is nicely and easily packaged inside this handy travel package and contains 100ml Cherry & Almond Bubble Bath and Shower Creme, 100ml Raspberry & Blackberry Spritzer and a White Shower Puff.

This set for me also makes a really lovely stocking filler and makes a great little secret Santa too.  Usually priced at £5.50 it is currently on offer for just £4 right here.

I Love products are not tested on animals and smell exactly as their names suggest, which for me makes me lots of fun and great gifts to buy for yourself and she give to others.

Do you have a favourite I Love scent?

House of Glamdolls Spirit Doll Look

I have been waiting to see the Freedom Makeup The House of GlamDolls palettes ever since I saw a sneaky peek of the collaboration on Instagram, so when one dropped through my letterbox I was even more excited. If you haven't seen them, then I have one to share with you, but the palettes are a partnership between Makeup Revolution and David Horne (was at Illamasqua) and if you simply Google him there are so many amazing looks he has done.

Spirit Doll Freedom palette is a beautiful palette which was said to be inspired by earthy natural and geological shades, to reveal your inner beauty and as a palette it is just stunning, not only does it have everything you need - ten eyeshadow Shades, three powder highlighters, two blushers, three lipglosses and four eyebrow powders but there is also a really handy mirror.

The Palette as you can see has some really amazing shades such as Euphoria, Zen, Crystal and Haze and I think there is definitely something for everything, whether you like your neutrals or the out there bright shades.  

At the top of the palette are the four eyebrow shades in Taupe, Brunette, Bark and Ebony and for my, Taupe is almost the perfect shade and ebony works well as an eyeliner if you use a brush!  All of the shades are easy to apply and are buildable depending on how prefer to have your brows shaded.

From L-R Bark, Ebony, Taupe and Brunette

The three lipglosses are surprisingly non-tacky which pleases me immensely and whilst they are not overly pigmented, they do work really well on their own or over a lipstick. I use Delight, which is the lightest shade as a base for my lipstick as it works well as a lip primer for me. Love is the kind of red shade I am comfortable wearing because it isn't a vibrant red and Love as a shade is an inbetween shade of the other two.

From L-R Passion, Love and Delight.

The two blushers are probably the two shades I use the least off the palette but they are just fantastic shades. Cherish is quite pink and can be built up to be really pink and Cherish is almost orange and as you can see, they are fairly pigmented.

The three powder highlighters I absolutely love - Starlight, Light and Haze are all different coloured highlighters and I like each one of them. The stand out shade is Haze which takes on a shimmery rose gold shade which is really pigmented but for me, I adore starlight and it has been my most used with Light being used below my brow arch.

L-R Starlight, Haze and Light

The final part of this palette comes from the ten eyeshadows and again there is something for everyone as I have said and some of the shades really stand out and are lovely shades and others are much more within my comfort zone of being neutral shades.  Again they apply absolutely effortlessly, they blend really well and there is very little fall out.

L-R Crystal, Utopia, Euphora, Hope, Peace and Zen

There are some stunning eye shadow shades on this palette, some I still find quite scary like Crystal and Euphoria, but just look how amazing they are. My most used currently are Peace and Serenity, which make for a great nude eye.

For the bargain price of £8, this palette is simply amazing and it is one I have enjoyed using and getting to know. There are another three palettes in this series which are - House of GlamDolls Exotica Doll, The House of GlamDolls Vintage Doll and The House of GlamDolls Fairy Doll ensuring there is something for everyone.

Have you tried any of the House of GlamDolls palettes yet?

Orla Kiely for the Home

I absolutely love Orla Kiely prints, there is something eye-catching and mesmerizing about them which makes them stand out and look absolutely amazing and most definitely Pinterest worthy. 

Orla Kiely is an Irish fashion designer who is based in London and she is renowned for her retro-inspired patterns which appear on a variety of items from clothing and home ware to beauty, Fragrance, books and candles.

I have three items within my collection which look just amazing and would make the perfect gift.

Basil and Mint Scented Candle - This candle is presented in a stunning glass jar which is embellished with one of Orla Kiely's signature designs.  The scent features clean, aromatic notes of fresh basil and green mint which are blended together with pure essential oils of caraway, may chang and lemon peel to create a scent that is both really refreshing and incredibly calming.  It is perfect for lighting when you come home from work and just need a few minutes to sit and relax.

Each one of Orly Kiely's candles are made from 100% Vegetal wax and they feature a pure cotton wick.  They also come with an individual heat mat to help protect surfaces.

Lavender Diffuser - Lavender is one of my favourite scents when it comes to relaxing and this diffuser is again beautifully presented in a glass bottle which is embellished with a signature Orly Kiely design, it also has a set of reed sticks. 

Using the pure essential oils of aromatic French lavender; zesty lemon; earthy geranium; and mint the fragrance is absolutely amazing to help you relax and unwind.

Orla Kiely Geranium Bath & Body Hand Wash Set - Presented in a beautiful tin you will find a Geranium scented Hand wash and Hand lotion plus a stylish ceramic dish which doubles up as a great little bathroom accessory which you can either stand both bottles in or you can use it for decorative purposes.

• Geranium Hand Wash - This is a gentle foaming hand wash which is enriched with violet leaf extract, known for its antibacterial properties, and nourishing pro-vitamin B5 to leave your hands feeling thoroughly cleansed. There is also a blend of 10 essential oils, including geranium, eucalyptus, lavender and clary sage, to help relax and refresh your mind as it cleanses.
• Hand Lotion - Helps to hydrate and nourish your hands and is enriched with passion flower oil and vitamin E to help moisturise your skin, the lotion also contains a blend of 10 essential oils, including geranium, eucalyptus, lavender and clary sage, to help relax and refresh your mind and body, and leave your hands feeling soft and smooth.

Each bottle within this set is 250ml which means they are going to last you quite some time.

These items would make a great gift for any fan of Orly Kiely prints and they look just amazing added to any home with their bright vibrant patterns and prints.

Are you a fan of Orly Kiely? Do you own anything with her prints on?