OPTREX WARMING EYE MASK

Rest and relaxation are two of the R's that I really enjoy and try to do as much as I possibly can. With a job that requires my full on attention, three cats, a husband, blogging and house work to manage, life csn sometimes become a little bit much. So once a week, everything is cancelled for one hour. That one hour (sometimes longer) is my time to lay back, relax and chill out. Me time. 

When I saw the Optrex Warming Eye Masks appear in a few blog posts, I made a mental note to go into Boots and pick them up, I was sold on the idea of them and wanted to give them a try. At £3.99 for a pac of two or £9.99 for a pack of 8, they are not going to break the bank, but equally if they work, then they are likely to become a permanent fixture in my life.

Whilst these masks have no skincare benefits for you and nor should they, I can admit to you that they are just blooming amazing and if you haven't given them a try, then run to Boots and grab yourself some and give them a try.

These Eye Warming Masks from Optrex, the eye care specialists recognise the strain the daily grind can have on your mind and body and using the latest breakthrough innovation to relieve and relax those tired eyes in just ten minutes. Using a unique Microsteam technology, the mask starts to warm up when it's opened, releasing 10 minutes of gentle, soothing steam (which is invisible to the naked eye) to relax and revive tired eyes.  Once you have places the mask over your eyes, they hooked nicely over your ears to hold it in place, you can feel the warming sensation after just a few minutes and you can wear them for up to 20 minutes, so I always wait until they have cooled down.

The masks are a great way to encourage you to relax and wind down, especially if you find it hard to switch off or hard to fall asleep.  I often do find it hard to fall asleep, so with the use of these masks half an hour before going to bed, I find that I am ready to drift off to sleep much quicker than I would have done ordinarily.  As these masks come in handy sachets, they would be brilliant for travelling with and would be quite a blessing on those night flights when I always find it hard to sleep.

You can purchase these masks from Boots (here) and if Lavender is a scent for you, there is also the option to try the Lavender scented masks, something that I plan on doing very soon!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Rimmel Only 1 Matte Lipstick Collection

I am lipstick obsessed, I don't feel as though I need to make anyone aware of this because if you have read my blog within the last 6 months, there has been a lot of references to that fact. One type of lipstick I have become more and more a fan of is a good Matte lipstick.

Rimmel, who have clearly been listening to my moans of wanting to find a new Matte Lipstick, have come up trumps with their brand new collection called The Only 1 Matte*, featuring 9 gorgeous shades, some of which are just perfect for Autumn and Winter. And yes, I did just say there are 9 of them!

Packaged inside these bright red cases, which you most definitely will not miss on the shelves, the lipsticks are not your usual shape, gone is the oval bullet shape and in comes something which looks more like a lipbalm with a slanted bullet, but still applies as any lipstick does. The shades themselves are much more pigmented than I expected to find and really easy to apply. I often find with some Matte Lipsticks that it is hard to drag across your lips and instead of feeling super smooth, it instead feels as though the lipstick has stuck to every possible piece of dry skin. Not so with these. They are smooth and sleek when applied and until it dries, that matte feeling doesn't come about. Once it has dried and we are talking just a minute or two, the staying power is really quite good and again, I was pleasantly surprised by this. I only felt I needed to re-apply after eating my lunch and then again when I went out of an evening.

So the shades are called:

• 110 – Leader of the Pink: A bright candy pink, with a bit of depth to it
• 120 – Call the Shots: This is a red-toned pink, which is quite bright
• 200 – Salute: This is a slightly pink-toned nude, perfect for everyday wear
• 500 – Take the Stage: A classic vampy red, perfect for Christmas parties
• 610 – High Flyer: Quite a dusky rose nude, very pretty
• 700 – Trendsetter: A lighter brown-toned nude, also great for a low-key look
• 750 – Look Who’s Talking: A rich milk chocolate shade
• 810 – The Matte Factor: A deeper, darker, richer red than Take the Stage
• 800 – Run the Show: A vibrant purple/plum shade

Swatches from L to R - Run The Show, Matte Factor, Call the Shots, Look Who's Talking, Trendsetter, Leader of the Pink, Salute, High Flyer and Take the Stage.  The top swatch is taken with a flash and the bottm is without. It is really hard to choose a favourite shade because they are all just lovely.  But there are three for me which stand out and they are Trendsetter, Look Who's Talking and The Matte Factor, all of which are totally different shades but all are the ones I wear the most.

These lipsticks are currently on offer at Boots for just £4.99 each and a buy one get one half price Rimmel deal, so if you want to try them, now is the time to do it!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Rituals: The Ritual of Sakura

My very first interaction with the brand Rituals came through a candle called Jasmine Dream, a candle that I have loved for years and one which I have re-purchased time and time again. Now having been introduced to the Sakura Collection, I am bowled over by just how amazing it is.

When this amazing box of products was delivered, I could smell the scent of Cherry Blossom befoe the box was opened and it is just beautiful. The legeng has it that for centuries, the Japanese have celebrated the annual flowering of the Cherry Blossom, or Sakura. Marking an awakening of nature, this symbolises that beauty is momentary and life must be enjoyed. Inspired by this tradition, The Ritual of Sakura collection blends the sweetness of Cherry Blossom with nourishing Organic Rice Milk, to make each day feel like a new beginning.

The two main ingredients for this range are Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom and throughout Asia rice is a symbol of abundance, happiness and fertility. Formulated with the essence of rice milk your skin is left soft, supple with a healthy glow. The fragile blossoms of the sakura tree (Japanese cherry) is often described as spring snow by Japanese poets. For the Japanese cherry blossoms symbolise the rebirth of nature and purity since ancient times. The delicate fragrance is wonderfully relaxing.

Within this box of joy are four products which come together to make a really beautiful gift.

The Ritual of Sakura Foaming Shower Gel (200ml) - This gel-to-foam formula body wash works to cleanse and soften your skin. It is enriched with naturally nourishing Organic Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom and smells absolutely incredible. Once it comes into contact with your skin and water, this gel transforms into a rich, luxurious moisturising foam and effortlessly lifts away impurities whilst nourishing and moisturising. Skin feels fresh, revitalised and supremely supple. Infused with a delicate fragrance. Priced at £8.50 it is designed to last for 50 washes and is one of those products from which one squirt from the can is more than enough.

The Ritual of Sakura Body Cream (220ml) - A cream which is rich, velvety and whipped, this is an amazing luxury to use.  once on the skin it has a creamy texture that absorbs quickly to deeply nourish, soften and moisturise. Using the properties of antioxidant Vitamin E and Centella Asiatica to leave your skin feeling silky, supple and smooth.

Delivers a gentle fragrance of natural Rice Milk and Cherry to the skin and it is just divine. At £19.50 this is a real luxury item but one which lasts. 

The Ritual of Sakura Shampoo (70ml) - This is a nourishing shampoo that works to cleanse, soften and protect your locks. Enriched with nourishing Rice Milk and fragrant Cherry Blossom, the formula is suitable for daily use and expertly lifts away impurities whilst protecting colour integrity.

Hair is left refreshed, more manageable and easier to blow dry.  Priced at just £4 this is a product I am enjoying using and will be taking away with me for a few days.

The Ritual of Sakura Scented Candle - This is my favourite item from my box, I am a candle obsessive anyway and burning candles is one of my favourite things to do in Autumn. A relaxing scented candle based on Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom, combines the soft scent of the ingredients of Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom for a delightful sweet and creamy aroma.

Ideal for burning in your living room, bedroom or bathroom to create a special atmosphere and it has a burn time of around 50 hours. Priced at £21.50 it is more than worth every penny.

For me, The Ritual of Sakura is just absolutely beautiful in everyway and with s many products within the range (here) I cannot wait to try others from the range. It really easy a lovely treat for spoiling yourself or a loved one and it would make an amazing gift for Christmas.

You can find out more about Rituals and all of their collections on their website HERE. If you haven't yet got yourself an advent calendar, then the Rituals of Advent is an amazing way to get to know this brand and try out some of their amazing products.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Diet Coke and L'Oreal Exciting Promotion and Beauty Hacks!

Hands up if you love Lipstick, Diet Coke and Money off your Makeup? Well get your skates on and run off down to your nearest Boots store because you have just a few hours left to get £3 off a L’Oréal Paris Color Riche lipstick in three different shades - Bois de Rose, Rose Tendre or Red Passion and all you have to do is purchase a 500ml bottle of Diet Coke.

All three of these lipsticks are just stunning and if you like your pinks then Bois de Rose (302) is for you, for those who love a good nude then Rose Tendre (303) is perfect and finally for the loud, proud and lovers of red lips you haven't been forgotten because Red Passion (297) is the one for you.

Once you have got your new shade of lipstick did you know that you can use it as more than just a lipstick! Well I didn't either.  But you can use it to make your lips look larger, use as a cream blush and even use it as a concealer!

To make your lips look larger just by using lipstick and a Diet Coke bottle? Apply your chosen shade all over your lips, then choose a shade in the same colour family but slightly lighter. Use the bottle lid to mark where the centre third of your lips is – that’s where you need to apply the light shade of lippie. Voila, a gorgeous, full pout.

You can, believe it or not, you can use lipstick as an under eye concealer to neutralise dark circles, a trick I have seen quite a few Bloggers mention, though I personally haven't tried it. However all you need to do is ensure you pick the right colour to suit your skin tone – try a pinky or peachy hue is you have fair skin, or an orangey-red for darker complexions. Apply the lipstick under the eye, let is set for about a minute and then apply your usual concealer.

Finally, you can use that lipstick and double it as a blush - genius. Give your cheeks a subtle flush of colour by using your fave lipstick as a blush. Apply your chosen lippie to your first two fingers and gently dab onto your cheek, blending as you go, by doing this you can have as little or as much of a pop of colour that you are comfortable with and it means you can carry less makeup up around with you!

So all you have to do now, is go to Boots, grab your bottle of Diet Coke and your Lipstick and try some of these hacks yourself, or maybe you have tried some already. If you have, I would love to know what works for you!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise