Learning to Flat Lay with Burt's Bees

I am a huge fan of Burt's Bees and the story behind the brand, so when I got the chance to go along to a masterclass with Burt's bees and food stylist and Chef Anna Jones for a flat lay masterclass, I was really quite excited. One aspect of blogging that I know I need to work on is my photography, sometimes I wing it and hope for the best, sometimes I can spend hours just getting one shot I am happy with and other times, I just go for the easiest shot available to me without experimenting.

We all know that bloggers do love their flat lays and some do it so amazingly well I am green with envy, so the chance to be given hint and tips was something I looked forward too and enjoyed. Designed to give the present a chance to experiment, we learnt about fresh ingredients that go into making the Burt's Bees lip balms and it was those ingredients that we were to use to create that flatly. Being taught that textures and shapes can give a photo that little something extra, Anna told me not to be afraid to mix colours and textures and that there is no right or wrong way. Start with what you think will show off the centrepiece and then add or remove other items until you are happy and take photos as you go along so you can see how the photo takes its shape.

Using one of my favourite Burt's Bees lip balms as inspiration - Blueberry and chocolate, I chose a few textures and patterns and then chose the items that I felt would work and this is my end result:

Along with the table of food and getting to meet Anna we were gifted with an amazing box of all the current Burt's Bees lips balms which included a video about the brand which is just such an education in itself. I love the philosophy:

Your skin is beautifully alive. It’s a living, breathing thing—your body’s largest, loveliest organ—and when it’s healthy, it shows. Just as the right mix of foods from the earth nourish your body, the right mix of ingredients from the earth help nourish your skin, giving it a fresh vitality that comes from balance.

If you have never tried anything from Burt's Bees then you need too, it is an amazing brand and though Burt Shavitz himself sadly died last year, his memory lives on.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Joan Collins: Timeless Beauty

Timeless Beauty is the moniker given to a range of makeup, beauty and fragrance products from Dame Joan Collins and coming from the lady herself:

“Beauty is not just for the young. I believe with a little care and attention any woman can look good through her 40s, 50’s, 70’s and beyond.”

Joan Collins Timeless Beauty is a new international luxury beauty brand, created by one of the most glamorous icons of our time. It aims not just to inspire women, but to provide them with the tools to feel and be beautiful at any age. The collection features some beautiful products any one could own from nail polishes, eyeshadow quads, palettes and lipsticks alongside skincare, fragrance and accessories. 

Today, I am sharing what’s new in from Joan Collins Beauty.

I AM WOMAN Dry Oil Body Polish £18 - With a blend of mineral rich Himalayan Salts, Avocado, Olive and Jojoba oils and Kiwi seeds.which have some amazing properties such as:

• Kiwi seeds contain several skin friendly nutrients such as vitamin C, E and antioxidants which are essential for boosting and rejuvenating your skin’s health. 
• Himalayan Salts have high mineral content and helps to draw out toxins within the body 
• Avocado Oil - Has a high vitamin E content and helps to soothe the skin, prevents inflammation and itchiness, anti-ageing, UV protection. One of the most important avocado benefits for skin is its ability to soothe dry and itchy skin. The oil is easily absorbed by the skin and can act as an excellent moisturizer. 
• Olive oil is packed with anti-aging antioxidants and hydrating squalene, making it superb for hair, skin, and nail an antioxidant. It is also rich in vitamin E and A and helps prolong youth, hydrates the skin, maintains its elasticity and softness. 
• Jojoba Oil is a great nourishing oil which has a composition similar to the skins own oils. It contains myristic acid which also has anti-inflammatory action, it acts as an emulsifier with the skin's natural sebum and gently unclogs the pores and lifts grime and embedded impurities and an excellent moisturiser and ideal for all skin types.

This scrub does a fantastic job at leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth to the touch. Perfect for removing dead and dry skin cells, this body polish is a really lovely treat and a perfect addition to your pampering session.

TEN EFFECTS Skin Treat & Makeup Fixer £20 is designed to revive and rejuvenate skin whilst keeping make-up in place. I always used a setting spray or powder having applied my make up, even as the weather turns cool because I have combination skin with an oily t-zone and my make up can often just disappear part way through the day.  But Ten Effects is more than just a makeup setting spray because as well as working to keep your make up in place, it also has ten skin benefits (hence the name).  From one spritz these products is said to minimise your pores, hydrate and firm your skin, refine your wrinkles, improve the tone of your skin, add a pH Balancing Layer, soften and calm any redness, lock your makeup in place and cool your skin!

The product contains a blend of seven natural ingredients which are organic rose water, Pomegranate, Comfrey, Mango, Hyaluronic acid, Glycerine, Vitamin E and red algae gel all of which work together to rejuvenate, calm, soothe and hydrate.

With a pump action bottle, one spritz is enough to cover your entire face without leaving it soaking wet, a delicate rose fragrance is the first thing you smell and since using this, I found it to be really hydrating on my skin and it doesn't smudge or budge your freshly made up face but does help to keep everything firmly in place for most of the day. I love that I can spritz this when I also feel like a splash of hydration in an afternoon, especially if I am feeling that midday slug.

I have been impressed with both of these products and they are a lovely edition and a delight to use. 

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Zadig & Voltaire Fragrances

It is a rare occasion that I smell a fragrance and it wows me immediately, infact it is highly likely that the scent in question might take a good 2-3 weeks before I decide that I even like it. This is not the case with Zadig & Voltaire, it did wow me from the very first spritz and I just absolutely, utterly and without question adore it.

You may have come across the Zadig & Voltaire brand within the world of fashion. With items which are edgy and chic they have a handbag and shoe collection to die for, they are slightly out of my budget, but a girl can dream and for now (and perhaps forever) I am more than delighted with my fragrance.

With a fragrance for both male and female they have a few notes in common but smells incredibly different but just simply stunning. 

THIS IS HER! The female fragrance is described as being sensual, free and jauntily. The woody, floral and gourmand This is Her, signed by perfumer duo Sidonie Lancesseur and Michel Almairac, contains notes of pink pepper, Sambac jasmine, milky chestnut cream, vanilla and sandalwood. As a scent it is cosy, it is sweet, it is indulgent and most definitely unique. I love that it smells so totally different to anything else I currently own or have tried and on the skin it starts out being quite floral until the fragrance settles and is mixed with vanilla and sandalwood it becomes just beautiful and I cannot get enough of it.  Impressively it is one of those scents which lasts all day without the need to re-apply and it can still be smelt the following day if it is applied to clothing.  

This is her comes available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml bottles and is priced between £50 and £75 which is an absolute bargain and for me, this is a scent which will forever remain within my collection.

THIS IS HIM! is described as being manly, wild and free. It is made of grapefruit aroma, black pepper, incense, milky sandalwood and vanilla. Upon opening there is an initial grapefruit blast which is fresh and invigorating and it soon fades into quite a sharp vanilla scent which when mixed with the incense it wows. Once the smokiness of the incense and black pepper settles on the skin the note of Sandalwood comes into its own and it is just a fantastic scent. Once the mister spritzes himself with it, no matter which room he is in, I can smell it and it is just truly divine and again, it is long lasting and the strong scent does last all day. 

Once he comes home from work some 9 hours after leaving the house, I can still smell This is Him quite clearly. This is her comes available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml bottles and is priced between £35 and £60 which is an absolute bargain and for me, this is a scent which will forever remain within my collection.

This is Her denotes the female version and it arrives in an all white box which is as plain as a box can be when featuring just the brand name, some may call it chic. The bottle inside is very edgy with clean lines and a rough edge which stands out to attract your attention, it is only when you investigate the male fragrance do you realise that the bottles fit together, almost as if they should be one.

If you haven't guessed already, I am besotted with these fragrances and wear This Is Her pretty much everyday I love it that much. It is the perfect gift for anyone who loves fragrance and likes something that little bit different because this is exactly what you get.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Liz Earle Superskin™ Dry Oil for Body

The Liz Earle Superskin™ Dry Oil for Body is one of the latest launches and is a product I have had now for a few months. I have said many times that when it comes to moisturising, I am pretty rubbish at remembering to use body butters and creams but give me something in a spray that absorbs quickly without me having to stand around waiting for it to dry or sink in, I want it - well we have a winner!

This Dry Oil is described as being 'Formulated with their Superskin™ botanical blend of cranberry, rosehip and borage seed oils to instantly smooth, nourish and revitalise skin. This lightweight dry oil delivers an irresistible ritual that will leave you divinely scented and silky soft' and with the key ingredients being Cranberry seed oil which has the nourishing Omegas 3,6 and 9 making it super moistursiing, Borage Oil which is one of the richest sources of the essential fatty acid GLA (gamma linolenic acid), which helps to lock moisture onto the skin and Rosehip Oil, which I absolutely love, is a good source of essential fatty acids which help lock moisture onto the skin.

This new body formula is a spray and be applied directly onto skin. Housed inside a stunning glass bottle, the pump when pressed dispenses a fine mist which doesn't soak you through, but there is enough to massage onto and into the skin. One spritz does distrbute a large amount of oil, so be care how many times you need to press it. Once on the body, you smooth in using large circular movements in an upwards direction and as it is a dry oil, it is fast-absorbing so you don’t have to hang around for half an hour waiting for it to sink in, you simply spray, massage and get dressed.

At £35 for 100ml, I actually this it is amazing value for money and because it is so easy to use, it is a spray and it leaves my skin feeling and smelling just incredible, I am all ready to purchase a second bottle.  You can find this product in stores such as John Lewis, QVC, Liz Earle Flagship stores and Boots.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise