Home fragrancing with Neom and Champneys

During the summer I didn't really use any home fragrances, but now that I'm spending most of my evenings at home, I'm obsessed with room sprays and scented candles again. And my 2 favourite scents at the moment - Neom real luxury and Champneys distant shores:

Neom real luxury organic room mist*

Champneys distant shores fragranced candle*

Starting with Neom real luxury organic room mist, which is aromatherapy based and made up with extracts of lavender, jasmine and Brazillian rosewood. I sometimes find lavender to be quite powdery but combined with the floral notes, Neom have blended it so that it's more relaxing than old fashioned.

Because the ingredients are all so calming, this is perfect for spraying at the end of a long day (I often like to use this just before snuggling down to read in bed). The fragrance is quite long lasting too, especially if you spray it onto fabrics such as pillow cases and curtains.

Champneys distant shores fragranced candle on the other hand is a much more uplifting and summery scent. With notes of grapefruit, lemon, orange peel and cedarwood oils, it's very tropical, and if I close my eyes, I can just about imagine sipping on a cocktail somewhere far more exotic and hotter than where we are now.

I tend to use this one straight after work, when I'm feeling a bit lethargic or if I've had a particulary bad day. Even though it's quite a summery scent, because it comes as scented candle, I still find it very warm and comforting. Perfect for this transitional period where it's no longer summer, but I still can't quite accept it's over just yet!

Have you tried either of this 2 products? What are your favourite Autumnal scents?

Elemis think pink beauty heroes

It's no secret that I'm a skincare junkie, but combine it with a pink make up bag and a generous donation to charity, Elemis think pink beauty heroes was pretty much guaranteed to get a big thumbs up from me:

Elemis think pink beauty heroes*

Inside the pink make up bag you'll find generous travel sizes of 4 of their best selling skincare heroes: Pro-collagen cleansing balm, Pro-collagen marine cream, Pro-radiance illuminating flash balm and a limited edition pink pro-collagen lifting treatment for neck and bust.

I've previously talked about their pro-collagen cleansing balm, and to this day it remains a firm favourite with me. In fact the 20g pot was perfect as an in flight carry on and it was my go to cleansing balm in New York. The other product that really impressed me was Elemis pro-marine collagen cream. This has become quite the cult classic and it was nice to get a 15ml sample size to try out.

The make up bag is lovely too, and second to the pro-collagen cleansing balm it's my favourite thing about this whole collection. It feels more expensive than some of the other freebie bags you get and the wipe clean surface is nice and practical too. Perfect as an everyday make up bag!

Overall, a lovely little collection of products from Elemis, and well worth checking out if you want to try some of their skincare heroes without splashing out on the full sized version.

RRP £36.50 with Elemis pledging to donate a total of £10,000 to Breast cancer care.

Have you tried any of these Elemis skincare heroes? Will you be treating yourself to this lovely little kit?

Love me beauty box October 2013

Time for another beauty box post, and today it's all about the newly renamed Love me beauty. Formly known as BeauteCo, they decided to relaunch under a new name in September. Luckily for us though you can still see and choose your favourite out of 3 boxes every month:

 Love me beauty October 2013*

Love me beauty October 2013:

2x Amie spring cooling clay mask sachets

Lord and berry smudge proof eyeliner in

Lord and berry scuba mascara

Weleda millet nourishing shampoo

Balm balm balance bath and shower oil

For the October box I decided to go for menu 1, which contained a good mix of skincare, make up and shower toiletries. I generally find the boxes very similar (with only 1 or 2 product differences), however I do like the fact that you get a choice. Other beauty boxes are the market seem to be entirely random, so even if the choices are similar, I'm still more likely to get a box that suits my beauty preferences.

This month I'm really liking the Balm balm balance bath & shower oil. The mix of lavender and peppermint is surprisingly both relaxing and refreshing at the same time. I'm a big fan aromatherapy oils anyway but I've not been able to stop sniffing this all evening! The Amie cooling clay mask is really good too, and the sachets have been particularly useful now that I'm dividing my time between Kent and London.

Love me beauty September 2013*

Nip and fab dry leg fix

Essential care lip silk

Murad  osmolyte tonic

Matriskin collegen serum

Anatomicals no bags allowed eye gel

Finally, just to give you a better idea of what to expect from Love me beauty, I thought I'd show you what was in last month's box too. Unfortunately I was in New York so didn't get a chance to post at the time. Compared to this month, it is very much skincare heavy. Whilst they're not products I would have gone for myself, they are very much suited to most skin types and throughout the month I've actually discovered 2 new favourites in the Nip+Fab dry leg fix and Murad osmolyte tonic spray.

Are you a love me beauty subscriber? Which box did you go for this time?

Giveaway: Win a year's supply of Dove compressed deodrants

Anti-perspirant deodrants, one of those hero products that we use everyday but never seem to give much credit for. Which is why today I've teamed up with Dove to give away a year's supply of their new Compressed deodrants:

Win a year's supply of Dove compressed deodrants

For the first time ever, Dove have managed to compress 150mls of product into a nifty 75ml spray. Amazingly each 75ml can will last just as long as the original full sized version, offering 48 hour protection as well as the skin benefits of Dove's 1/4 moisturising cream. Perfect for gym bags or those crammed bathroom shelves!

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment below, along with an email address so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner.

Competition T&Cs

- There is one prize consisting of a year's supply of Dove compressed deodrants (12 cans)

- The winner must claim their prize within 28 days of being notified

- Minimum age 18 years

- The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternatives will be given

- Prize will be sent directly from Dove
-UK entries only please
- Giveaway closes at 11.59pm on 3rd November 2013

Good luck!

Origins drink up hydrating lip balm in pink guava

It's that time of year again when all the beauty companies bring out pink themed products for breast cancer awareness month. Not only is it a great opportunity to raise money for and highlight such an important cause, it's also the perfect excuse for some guilt free shopping too. Over the next week or so I'm going sharing some of my top picks, starting today with this beautiful Origins drink up hydrating lip balm in pink guava.

Origins drink up hydrating lip balm in Pink guava

During the colder months, lip balms are an absolute essential for me, and the reason I like this one so much is because it's lightly tinted too. Origins have always focused on plant based ingredients and in this particlar lip balm there's jojoba oil, avacado oil, aloe vera and orange peel, all of which help to sooth and moisturise dry winter lips. 

During the day I'm all about low maintenace beauty, and thanks to the squeezy applicator, this is great for whipping out and applying on the go. Colour wise, Pink guava is very subtle, but compared to my other lipbalms there is definitely a hint of something there. It's non sticky and tingy on the lips too.

RRP £16, with a £3 donation for every tube sold.

Will you be giving this a try? What are your winter essentials?

Dr Organic find the face campaign

In recent years there's been a real trend for consumer lead adverts, and the latest brand to come on board is Dr Organic who are on the hunt for a new face to represent the brand:

If you've ever wanted to star in your own photoshoot or just love natural beauty, then this might be the competition for you. To enter, all you have to do is submit 2 photos of yourself as well as a short paragraph on why you should be the new face of the brand.

Also up for grabs is a luxury weekend away for two as well as the possibility of a contract with Premier model management. Entrants have to be 18 or over, but if this sounds like something you're interested in, then click here for more information. Good luck!

*Sponsored post

Rituals laughing buddha body cream and happy mist review

Temperatures may have dropped recently, but with the sun still shining through, I'm determined to hang onto that summer feeling. With that in mind, I've been using these 2 beautifully scented products from the Rituals Laughing Buddha range:

Rituals touch of happiness body cream and Happy mist bed and body perfume*

The whole collection is based around Laughing Buddha, a famous monk who had a legendary smile and brought happiness and fortune wherever he went - something that we could all do with in our lives! The two products that I have in my procession are Touch of happiness body cream and Happy mist bed and body spray.

Starting with the body cream, which is thick, moisturising and thanks to the uplifting scent an absolute joy to use. With extracts of sweet orange and cedar wood it really does smell like summer in a bottle! It's got antioxidants and vitamin E too so ideal for my dry Autumn skin.

Happy mist on the other hand is scented with Mandarin and Yuzu, which is more refreshing but still just as summery. Now I'm by no means a morning person, however I love using this to help wake me up. I find citrus ingredients very energising and often use this as a mid-day pick me up too. It's particularly good if I'm in a bad mood or feeling low. With such invigorating and happy ingredients, it's hard to stay in a bad mood for long!

Have you tried anything from the Laughing Buddha range? What are you favourite pick me ups?

In flight skincare essentials

Whilst New York was an amazing experience, the dry aeroplane air on my skin, not so much! Having endured long haul flights before, I decided to be proactive this time and pack 9 products to use in flight, ensuring my skin was well hydrated and at least somewhat presentable on arrival:

In flight skincare essentials

Starting with a travel sized Elemis pro-collagen cleansing balm and Bioderma micellar water. I try and deep cleanse with the Elemis balm before boarding but if that's not possible than Bioderma and some cotton pads are a good alternative.

Skin cleansed, it's time to get on with a hydrating mask. Clinique moisture surge overnight mask is nice and clear and designed to be applied for a long period of time, making it ideal for a plane journey.

I try and keep the mask on for as long as possible. When it's time for it to come off, I like to rinse it off with water, then use Sk-II facial treatment clear lotion to get rid of any last residues. After that I'll apply Sk-II revival serum followed by the ultimate revival cream.

Sk-II were the three only products that weren't already a part of my everyday routine. I found the moisturiser to be very thick and nourishing, so not something I'd use everyday but great for the dry aeroplane air. The serum on the other hand is packed with active ingredients and felt beautifully light on application, so much so that it's now a new favourite for me.

To complete my skincare routine I like to keep the skin around my eyes hydrated with Soap and glory puffery eye attack and keep lips nice and soft with Lanolips 101 ointment, a must have for any long haul flight.

Finally, before landing, I'll refresh my skin again with the Sk-II facial treatment clear lotion before smoothing out any redness or uneven skintone with my beloved Chantecaille just skin tinted moisturiser.

Skincare routine done, all that was left to do was collect my baggage, go through passport control, and enjoy the rest of my stay knowing I gave my skin the best possible start on holiday! 

Have you travelled anywhere exciting this summer? What were your in flight beauty essentials?

Currently loving...

Hello long time no speak! Firstly sorry for the lack of regular posts recently. Unfortunately real life took over, and what with long hours at work, commuting between Kent and London and travelling to New York last week, Peonies and lilies ended up being rather neglected. I'm determined to get things back on track though, starting today with a quick round up of 3 new favourites:

 Currently loving...

 Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion+

The original version has become quite the cult classic, but in my opinion, the new Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion plus is even better. The addition of hylauronic acid means it's super hydrating (even without an additional serum) and there's urea for extra barrier protection too. Compared to the original, I find this version lighter and more easily absorbed. It still takes a few minutes to fully sink in, but once it does, it keeps my skin nicely hydrated and it works well under make up. A must have for my morning routine!

Pixi soft focus fresh palette

As you may know, I love my girly pink blushers and neutral eyeshadows making Pixi soft focus fresh my ideal palette. As always with Pixi, the powders are soft and buttery, but still pigmented and easy to work with. Because I wear my blushers quite light, I usually need to top up after lunch, however the eyeshadows were nice and long lasting. There are 4 lipglosses too, which completes the look nicely. A versatile palette thats great for both work and travelling.

 Popband

I regularly tie my hair up during the day, however traditional hairbands can be both unslightly and leave elastic marks when I wear them on my wrist. Which is why these Popbands have become such a favourite. The wider width means it doesn't leave any kinks in my hair, there are no tight marks on my arm either. They come in packs of 5, which is quite handy as I usually have one on my arm, a few in my bag and the rest at work. They come with beaded jewels too, and I've currently got tickle me pink and minted saved on my wishlist!

Have you tried any of these three products? What have you been loving recently?