London in Winter

Living in London can be lots of fun.  There is always something to do, something to see, places to go and things to do, particularly in winter when the city transforms itself from being hot, muggy and smog ridden, to a much more relaxed, serene and beautiful place to be. Links of London asked some bloggers to write about their favourite things to do here in London and these are my thoughts.

As soon as winter arrives and Christmas is on the horizon, everywhere you look, there are bright twinkling lights, Christmas displays in shops and in streets and lots of shopping to be done amongst the hustle and bustle of tourists who are all hunting for that final bargain for the big day.

Some of the things I love to do during this time is to meet with friends and go ice-skating, this can be at Somerset House where the ice-rink is open from November to the end of January with the grand courtyard is transformed into a beautiful ice-rink and you find yourself surrounded by lots of squeals and laughter as being skate around merrily chatting away.

Source

Then from Ice-skating a trip to Hyde Park to Winter Wonderland is a definite must.  It starts towards the end of November and it has something for all the family.  Whether you like to sample the delights of German Bratwurst Hotdogs, Donuts, Belgian Fries with Mayonnaise or simply enjoy a few drinks whilst sampling beers and mulled wines from around the world, you will find something you enjoy.  I have been going to Winter Wonderland for the last few years and always have lots of fun, there is the funfair element of trying to win teddies and bits of tat from stalls such as the rifle range or hook a duck, there are fairground rides for all the family from the big wheel, teacups and saucers to the rides for the more adventurous that chuck you around in the air and spin you upside down.  If that isn’t enough there are hundreds of stalls which sell all kinds of things from world cheeses, Zebra burgers, candles and beautiful lanterns and lights.

If you want something less busy but as equally beautiful, some of the more famous streets of London, such as Carnaby Street have beautiful Christmas displays which make wonderful photos and as well known as they are, I have never found them to be overcrowded, but naturally if the crowds don’t bother you too much, then Oxford Street and Regent Street is the place to be.

Covent Garden is also a great destination for a bit of shopping, followed by lunch and maybe a bit more shopping and it is here you will also find some of the big named store such as Links of London, MAC and Apple to name just a few.  What's more, if you are in need of a bit of entertainment, there is always one of the street entertainers on hand to put on a show and grab your attention for a few minutes.

What is your favourite thing to do in London?

Pebble Grey LED Make-Up Mirror

In my dream home where I have my dressing room with a walk-in wardrobe and a Alex drawers as far as the eye can see, I also want a vanity unit with my very own Hollywood Mirror with Lights, until then, it is a dream on my Pinterest board.  When contacted by the lovely Emma from Pebble Grey about reviewing a compact LED Cosmetic Mirror, I literally jumped at the chance.  Trying to do my make-up in a morning when it is still dark has been a total nightmare, I either wait until I get to work or do what little damage I can so I don't leave the house looking totally ridiculous and orange.

When the package arrived I was blown away by how stunning and beautiful the packaging is even before I had seen the mirror.  Nestled inside this beautiful box which has the pebble grey logo clearly visible, is a black velvet bag, again with the pebble grey logo clearly visible. Inside that bag is this LED Cosmetic Mirror:

As you can see, this is every bit as lovely as you would be expecting to see given the introduction with such beautiful packaging.  In a pebble grey colour is the actual mirror and once opened there are 6 LED lights on the top mirror which make using the bottom mirror an absolute breeze, even the trickiest of jobs like plucking those unruly eyebrows is straightforward, as is applying your make-up. It is also the perfect size for sitting in the palm of your hand, even for someone like me who has small hands.

What I also love about this mirror is that because it comes with an accompanying velvet bag to keep it safe, I can carry it around in my handbag or in my make-up bag and because it is so light, it doesn't weigh your bag down.

For more information or to purchase one of these mirrors, you can find everything you need to know on the main website.

Beat the Winter Skin Blues with Palmer’s Intensive Relief Range + Giveaway!

The cold weather is still with us and if reports are to be believed, if is going nowhere soon, so taking care of your skin is still really important and probably like me you are going through a lot of products to lock in that moisture and keep your skin feeling soft, smooth and supple. 

Palmers, famous for their Cocoa Butter brand, have a new Intensive Relief Range that has just hit the shelves and it is described as follows:

If you are looking for a solution to super sensitive and extra dry skin look no further than Palmer’s new Intensive Relief range. The UK’s favourite Cocoa Butter brand has used its years of expertise in skin softening and smoothing to develop two new products to give even more intense moisturisation, helping those suffering from extra dry and sensitive skin. A unique blend of anti-itch, soothing and deeply hydrating natural ingredients that leaves skin soft to the touch.

The new range is hypoallergenic, fragrance free, paraben free and dermatologist tested – and will provide long lasting moisturisation for up to 24 hours.

Within this range you will find a body lotion and a hand cream which are shown below.  To promote these products, there is a giveaway at the bottom!






Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Intensive Relief Body Lotion £4.89 / 200ml

Perfect for those looking for an all over solution to combat tight, parched skin, this quick absorbing formula will help soothe, calm and leave your skin feeling perfectly soft and smooth. Alpha hydroxy acids gently exfoliate dry, scaly patches, whilst key ingredients Soy and Oat help to alleviate itchiness and natural moisturising factor Urea locks in moisture to maintain radiant skin. Start the day with an instant boost of intensive moisture and relief by adding Palmer’s Intense Relief Body Lotion to your everyday body care regime!

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Intensive Relief Hand Cream £2.99 / 60g

Palmer’s Intensive Relief Hand Cream is ideal for those suffering from ultra dry, itchy and chapped hands that need some extra attention. This luxuriously creamy formula gives long lasting hydration, whilst calming Soy and Oat provide comfort for irritated hands leaving them soft and smooth. The fast absorbing texture makes it an every day essential for keeping hands moisturised on the go!

These products are available from Boots, Boots.com, Superdrug, Superdrug.com, Amazon.co.uk and Asda.

Now for the fun part, as part of the campaign to highlight the importance of Palmers are giving one of you lucky people the chance to win a pair of Cashmere Fingerless wristwarmers.  All you have to do is complete the Rafflecopter entry form below to be in with a chance of winning and it is open for just ONE Week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sample Sunday

This week I thought I would bring back Sample Sunday as I have been making a conscious effort to use up some of the samples of products that I have and use up the sample sized tubs, tubes and bottles of other products that have come on various trips away with me.

This is my progress:

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara which is from a Glossybox and I had two samples of it - I actually really like this mascara, though I didn't love it. The sample itself is just 1.5g and lasted for about a week, so not really enough to gage a formed opinion, but I did like the brush and you can see more detail about it HERE when the first sample appeared.

Soap & Glory Scrub Of Your Life  - One of my favourite products from Soap and Glory, I love the fact I can have travel sizes of this and take it with me when I go away. It is apparently the Ultimate soapy, super-smoothing body buffer.  I love the scent and how effective yet gentle this is on my skin.  It retails for around £3 for this travel size and it does last a long time.

Next up there are two Montagne Jeunesse Facemasks.  I am a huge lover of facemasks and love trying them out and these particular masks are just complete bargains.

The first is Chocolate Mud Pie which is an indulgent skin softening mask and it combines Cocoa and shea butter.  This mask smells good enough to eat, it is like someone pushing your face into a lovely chocolate cake and you leave it on for 15-20 minutes, it dries, you rinse it off using warm water and it leaves you with lovely soft to the touch skin, for 99p this is a total bargain and I got it from Asda.

The second is Manuka Honey Peel Off.  Now I love love love facemasks which you peel off, I know I have probably mentioned it before, but there is something so satisfying about waiting for a mask to dry on your skin and then getting to peel it off, yummy.  Anyway, this mask is described as being a famous natural cleanser and it contains Manuka Honey and Jasmin and as with the other mask, cleanse your face, apply, leave for 15-20 minutes and then peel it off.  Another fab mask for 99p

Next comes three Jenoris sachets which I got back in July from the London Blogger Meet and there are two hair masks and a shampoo within this collection.

The Keratin Shampoo, which is sodium chloride free, contains Omega 3,6 and for a healthy scalp and shiny hair.  It includes Keratin for long-term protection, moisturises the hair whilst restoring its natural gloss and vitality.  I actually quite liked this sample, it smells quite nice in that it has the clean smell and it didn't irritate my scalp and my hair was lovely and soft after using.

The Pistachio Hair Mask is described as being ideal for treating split ends, dry, coloured or lightened hair and as with the Keratin Shampoo it contains Omega 3,6 and 9.  With this mask you apply to your hair after washing and leave on for just 3-5 minutes before rinishing it off but if your hair is in a bit of a state, you can leave it for up to 12 minutes for a more intensive treatment.  I am not too sure this mask did anything for my hair in all honesty, it smells lovely and is easy to use but my hair didn't feel any different after using.

The Keratin Hair Mask is again sodium chloride free and is enriched with Omega 3,6 and 9 as well as Pistachio and borage oils as well as keratin to moisturise and give long term protection to your hair.  After using it claims to leave your hair with perfect softness, shine and glamour.  I preferred this hair mask to the pistachio one but again, I didn't really feel too many benefits of using the mask, it would make a much better conditioner in my opinion.

Apivita express beauty with Apricot - this is a gentle exfoliating gel with apricot and I got the sachet from the London Blogger Meet.  This was my first introduction to Aprivita and I loved this gel.  It smells divine, as though someone has just squeezed the life out of some apricots and put them into this sachet.  It is a gentle but effective exfoliator and it leaves your skin feeling super soft after using.  This is a brand I want to explore further.

Elemis Fresh Skin Skin Glow - Put simply, I am a big big fan of this product and I did a whole review of it which you can find HERE and it is a product I would buy again.

Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm - This product has quite a few mentions on my blog and has its own review which you can read HERE.  Before I got it in a Glossybox I had heard so many people compare it to Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream which I dislike, I fully expected to dislike this product as well... WRONG... I love it and am sad it has run out, though I fully intend to purchase a full size version.  it has been an absolute lifesaver in this cold weather, I smother my lips in it before bed and it also makes a great base before applying lipstick.

So those are my empty samples for this month and I think I have done quite well in using them up and remembering to keep them for this post.  Have you ever tried any of these products, are you a fan of any of them?

January's Glossybox!

It has been a long time coming this month, but here is the January edition of Glossybox! I haven't been all that impressed with Glossybox in the last quarter of the year, some of the products left the mind blogging as to why in earth they would be included and even some of the 'themes' made no sense compared to the accompanying products.

Anyway it is now 2014 and here I am hoping Glossybox have got their act together before I log in and finally hit that cancel button...  Here is the contents of my box:

So back to basics is the topic and subject of the box and Glossybox has had a bit of a make-over.  The box is much pinker than usual and glossier and the ribbon on the inside is a nice touch... but the products this month... well:

Anatomicals Puffy The Eye Bag Slayer Wake-up Under Eye Patches - made me giggle as the name is funny and apparently if you look like a character from The Walking Dead these eye patches should reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and revitalise the delicate area around my eyes.  A full size pack of 3 retails for £6 and in my pack there are two.

Vaseline Essential Moisture Lotion - a non-greasy moisture lotion to keep your skin supple and looking great.  This is a 50ml bottle, nowhere near fullsize (which would cost £4.99) not too chuffed to have this in my box as I am not that much of a fan of Vaseline products personally.

Balance Me Super Toning Body Wash - another 50ml product and one I am happy to see because I am a huge fan of the Balance Me range and this is a product I am yet to try.  Said to have a blend of juniper, bergamot, geranium and lavender essential oils, this body wash is a good way to start your day.

Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream - 2 sample tubes with 3g in each.  This product is a multi-use cult moisturising cream from Japan which revamps your skin, enriching it with Vitamin E, Vitmain B2, Camphor and has a uniquely high glycerine content.  Not heard of this before, but will see what it is like once I use it.

The final product, the one I knew would be in the box is this lovely floral design tweezers from The Vintage Cosmetic Company.  You can never have too many pairs of tweezers and these ones are actually quite good and retail for £8 and I believe the only full sized product in the box!

So, erm that is it! What do you think?

Graham's Natural Skincare

Grahams skincare are natural based products for people who suffer from skin conditions such as Eczema or Psoriasis.  It is new to the UK and comes all the way from Australia and I was very lucky to get to try out a shampoo*, conditioner* and some bath oil*.

Grahams describe themselves as being:

“NEW to the UK Grahams Skincare, Australia’s best-selling natural skincare range of top-to-toe treatments for eczema and sensitive skin conditions has been borne out of a fathers’ desire to ensure his son did not have to suffer from such debilitating physical and psychological effects of severe eczema”.

Living in London, we have hard water and it is one of the things which my hairdresser thinks irritates my scalp (as well as stress) and every now and again I suffer from a flare up of dry skin and my scalp can become a snow globe and it is really annoying.  So I am more than happy to try anything that will help.

Each product came packaged in this lovely bright yellowness as you can see below, a product you certainly wouldn’t miss if it was on the shelves in your local drug store with the bright blue lid giving it a real finish.  Colour aside, the packaging is fairly simple to look at and everything you need to know if before your eyes.

The Shampoo and Conditioner both contain manuka honey and coconut and I should mention they are also SLS Free for those of you will need to know and that they include a gentle blend of organic and natural ingredients to relieve and protect a dry and sensitive scalp.  When using the shampoo, the first thing which shocked me was that the shampoo itself is a pale blue colour, not what I was expecting and having taken the lid off to look inside both bottles, it seems that the shampoo and conditioner are infact blue!  Colour aside, they smell divine, the honey and coconut scent hit your sense of smell as soon as they are released.

Having used this on my hair for the last month, really well timed because my scalp has been a nightmare, I have to say I am impressed that it helped clear up my issue, it didn't cause build up, didn’t make my hair any greasier and left my hair smelling really lovely.  The same with the conditioner, though I don’t tend to condition every time I wash my hair because it simply doesn't work for me, when I did use this, it left my hair really lovely and soft with no knots. Also, when I used my GHD’s to straighten, they glided through my hair.

Then we come to the bath oil.  My favourite of all 3 products and something I really love.  Whenever my skin feels really dry, despite how much I moisturise, I love to add a bit of oil to my skincare routine and sometime there is nothing better than a bath oil.  This particular bath oil contains manuka oil and honey as well as other natural oils such as Olive Oil, Apricot Kernal Oil, Almond Oil, Emu Oil and Vitamin E oil all of which help to cleanse, replenish, nourish and protect the skin without drying it out.

As you add a few drops to your bath water, and I mean a few drops because it is an oil and adding too much can make your bath slippery when you get into it, you can see the oil within the water, so it isn't a good idea to wash your hair (does anyone still do that?).  As you get into the water the oil literally coats your skin and once you emerge from the same water, again taking care not to slip, my skin was amazingly soft, the rough skin on my elbows as was very smooth, the same with my knees and I for one am very impressed with this product.  It can also be used on its own as a massage oil and is gentle enough on the skin to be used on a daily basis.

If you have a scalp issues like me or suffer from Eczema or Psoriasis, I would highly recommend trying out these products.  They are available HERE.

Beauty Products I want to try in 2014!

Not quite a wishlist but when you read other peoples blogs and think "Ooh I want to try that" I decided that I would create a list of products I want to try:

So it is almost like having a wishlist really, some of them I have seen reviewed and some of them I haven't, but they are:

1. Billion Dollar Brows Brow Boost - Billion Dollar Brows Brow Boost is a deep conditioning treatment formulated to help strengthen and condition thin, weak brows which mine most certainly are due to over-plucking and one dreadful waxing experience in a salon (never again).  Retails for around £25

2. NARS At First Sight Eye & Cheek Palette which includes - Deep Throat Blush and Laguna Bronze as well as Eyeshadow Top Row: All About Eve, Nouveau Monde and Eyeshadow Bottom Row: Bellissima, Cordura (II).  Retails for £45

3. This Works dream believers - I often suffer from broken sleep (cats meoqing at the window to come in and out all the time) and this little kit has a really lovely description "Wrap yourself in a cocoon of soothing essential oils – any place, any time – with our versatile hand and body cream, deep sleep dream cream. Let the calming properties of Lavender relax your senses by applying our protective sleep balm to your pulse points". which makes me want it more.  Currently on offer for £16 (and I have the sleep balm already).

4. Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - seems to be a cult favourite amongst the world of #bbloggers and is yet to be a bandwagon that I am to jump on. Prices start at £14.75

5. Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot - an oil absorbing, shine controlling face powder for all skin types, which sounds perfect to me and is available in Boots for £12.

6. Glam Glow Mud Mask - Another product that I see frequently on beauty blogs and people rave about it, so naturally I want to try it.  Apparently great for when you need great skin and a glowing complexion in just 10 minutes.  Retails at around £25

The next three products are listed because I am intrigued, slightly scared and a bit obsessed with them:

7. Rodial Dragons Blood Eye Cream - The product description for this is fabulous

"This instantly cooling gel refreshes and hydrates puffy tired eyes with Rose Water, Arnica and Dragons Blood. Instantly brighter, the delicate eye area is restructured to thicken translucent skin and plump wrinkles. Hyaluronic Acid comforts dehydrated skin and refines the skin's surface for wide awake eyes" - it contains Dragons Blood!!  Anyway it costs £45.  I also want the Snake Mask which I have a sample of somewhere in one of my jars, I just haven't tried it yet, hence why it doesn't appear on my list.

8. Heaven by Deborah Mitchell Bee Venom Mask - Again the intrigue comes with the words Bee and venom it sound stingy but is it really?

"Containing Manuka Honey, renowned for its soothing and healing properties, it also contains the magic Bee Venom ingredient that works to control the facial muscles for immediate lifting, tightening and firming, whilst getting to work on frown lines and wrinkles"  and it costs £25.30 for 15ml

9. Dr Organic Snail Gel - Yes another gruesome sounding product and I simply want to try it because it sounds totally gross and it does actually contain Snail Slime, here is the description:

"Dr. Organic Snail Gel is a moisturising, soothing, anti-aging gel which harnesses the remarkable cosmetic benefits of Helix Aspersia Muller, a unique substance the snail produces to quickly regenerate its own shell and skin when damaged. Combined with organic Aloe Vera and our proprietary blend of bioactive ingredients it effectively soothes and hydrates the skin". It retails for £19.99

The final products on my list isn't something gruesome sounding it is:

10. Naked 3 Palette - Yes totally hopping on the bandwagon with this one, it seems like everyone has it and I don't and from the three of them, this would be my preference.  Retails for £37

11. MAC - Not just a Lipstick but there have been quite a few products that I have seen of late that I really want to try, the only problem is the stores scare me.  I have only ever walked into one and was pounced upon before I had even shut the door with the lady telling me how many amazing products she could see me wearing, that I turned around and left. Oh and Sharon and Kelly Osbourne doing a range - I want it!

So there you have a list of products that I really want to try in 2014.  Do you have a list and have you tried any or many of these?

Rose & Co.

I love being introduced to new brands.  Without being a blogger, I doubt very much I would discover and love as many brands as I am doing now.  One of those new brands that I have been introduced too is Rose & Co.

Rose & Co. to give a brief introduced was created by Patricia and Caroline Rose when they bought an old druggists shop in Yorkshire. With a love of all things vintage, beautiful and romantic, they restored the shop to its former Victorian splendour and a quirky but charming beauty apothecary was born.

I went sent a lovely box of products from Rose & Co*. and oh my did they look delightful. Not only were they beautifully packaged inside this lovely box, inside was so many lovely products that I didn't know where to start.

So, inside my lovely box I had this wonderful Lip Balm Collection which contains Rose Petal Salve, Cherry Kiss and Sweet Vanilla Salve.  They are packaged inside these wonderful little tins and they smell amazing.  The perfect gift for someone like me who is something of a lip balm addict.

A Sugared Violet Handcream which is described as being "A moisturising hand cream fragranced with the delightful scent of sweet violets. Apply regularly for soft, sweetly scented hands and nails. Beautifully packaged in a glass jar and decorated with violet "scraps". Handcream aside, it is simply adorable to look at and the scent reminds me of Parma Violets, those sweets you might of had as a child.

Sugar Rose Fairy Cake and fancies for the Bath which you simply put into the bath as you would any similar product and it is packed with skin-loving cocoa and shea butters and sweet almond oil not to mention the wonderful lemon Bon-Bon scent it also gives off.  It smells simply divine.

Lemon Bon-Bon Body Cream - this cream couldn't smell more like lemon bon-bons if it tried, it reminds me of the old corner shop near my grandparents where we would go at a weekend for a treat and I would always get my Grandad his favourite lemon bon-bons.

An Excellent All Round Beauty Salve - described as being "The perfect must-have beauty balm for lips, cuticles, rough skin, dry patches, lashes & brows, or anywhere you need a little shine" and it is tube form, so you can use it as easily as you do a lip balm and it is brilliant.

What I love about these products, aside from their scent is how wonderfully kitsch the packaging is.  I am a sucker for pretty packaging and something that stands out from the crowd, these products almost certainly do that.   I also love a company who has their own blog and Rose & Co do just that which you can find HERE and it provides a great insight into their products and you might just find the odd offering of a discount code too.

Rose & Co. products are sold in Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, House of Fraser, Heal’s, Cologne & Cotton and select independent retailers.

Have you tried any Rose & Co. products?

How I get Organised!

I am not the most organised person in the world, I try but if it wasn't for post-it notes I would probably forget what day of the week it was.  So in an effort to stay organised and not rely on my iPhone diary to tell me what is meant to be happening or that I am meant to be in a meeting I bought a Filofax:

What I love about this Filofax is the design, totally not something I would usually go for because it isn't pink, but I love the colour too.  Not to mention it was a bit of a bargain from Ryman being reduced from £34.99 to just £10 with all of the inserts:

So included within this Filofax is a 2014 diary, an addresses section, the personal section where you put your own details should you ever lose it and need it to be returned, a to do list, some plain and some coloured lined paper.

When the lovely Anna from Mrs Brimbles tweeted that she had some Filofax inserts for review from her Etsy Shop I jumped at the chance to do this.  Being a cat lover, I naturally chose the cat ones and what I love about these inserts is that you can sit and colour them in an they are just so pretty, you can see what is in the set HERE and there are some shown in the photograph below.

So, hopefully with this little bargain beauty I will now remember where I am supposed to be and when, what I have to do, my deadline and so on... I use it for both work, private life, socialising and blogging and so far it has been a total god send!

Do you have a Filofax?  How do you keep yourself organised?