A roundup of my favourite face cleansers and scrubs

Now that winter is in full swing and my skin has taken a good battering from the wind, rain and central heating, it has been a good time to assess which of my vast array of skin scrubs and cleansers are really working. When I want to use a nice, gentle cleanser I like the Monu one, which smells of calming lavender and is easy to carry around. This was supposed to be for my kit but I can't seem to leave it alone! The Antipodes Juliet cleanser has a gel consistency and smells really fruity. With manuka honey and kiwifruit amongst it's ingredients, it gives the skin a nice antioxidant boost and helps to brighten my complexion when it's tired and dull looking. There is also something really appealing about washing my face with what feels like grape juice. My most recent discovery is the Clinique redness solutions one which my gran ( an avid Clinique user and fan of the whole redness solutions range) recommended. The cream is silky feeling and gently swipes off makeup while helping to reduce any redness and inflammation. This is lasting me quite a while and will definitely be a long-term purchase- you only have to read the reviews on websites such as Boots to see what a mighty cleanser this stuff is! The Jason Apriot Scrubble is good if you're into your natural skincare and after something more abrasive to exfoliate any dry skin. Word of advice though, I tried using this with both a Clarisonic and Foreo cleanser and it didn't work too well, I recommend massaging it in with your hands and wiping off with a flannel. It's also nigh on impossible to remove with cotton pads; you will get through half a dozen and still find flecks of apricot kernals on your face, so yes, use a flannel! Finally in my face wash hall of fame is another Antipodes product, the Grace gentle cleanser. What can I say about this that I probably haven't said already, I just love the stuff, my friend loves the stuff and my mum loves the stuff. I reckon it's suitable for all skin types, it's just the most gentle, soothing, buttery cleanser ever. It isn't too perfumed and gently cleanses without stripping your face of natural oils. It's 100% natural and is packed with nutrient rich ingredients such as avocado oil which feel really nourishing. I love the process of massaging this into my face and leaving it on for a few minutes as a little face mask!

Pacifica Makeup

I have spent the past week trialling a nice selection of vegan makeup products from Pacifica, who have just released a whole new range of products to their existing one. There are a few stunning products which have become firm favourites, and as with any large range, some not so stand out ones too. The CC cream is a nice little fluid that is gentle and does a pretty good job of brightening my complexion. It didn't actually colour correct as such, but the coconut water infused ingredients and SPF17 certainly ensured that my skin didn't go any redder. The eyebrow gel has probably got the least reaction out of the lot because I'm not really excited by eyebrow gel, ha. It doesn't feel as if there is much gel in there so I won't be rushing to add this to my kit. How many people actually have eyebrow gel for everyday use anyway?! The concealers are where the range really shines, especially the under eye brightening one...magnifique! They are thick and creamy but blend out really nicely to give a fresh and very dewy luminosity, which I actually really like although if it looks to much you can tone it down with powder. The blue under my (very tired!) eyes are eradicated and I look noticeably more awake.

As for the glosses, they are all pretty good and have a nice amount of longevity. I have never been a gloss girl but if they are your thing then you'll probably like the variety of colours and non-stickiness. The eyeshadows come in palettes and little duos (a duo is seen below). Now I have a palette which I love but the colour pay off for the little duos isn't that great which is a real shame as the shades are lovely. You could wet it for a bit more intensity but I still found it needed reapplying after a few hours. In this same vein, I was a little disappointed with the golden lotus highlighting powder, which is a barely there gold. This is definitely something for those who have a fear of going overboard with sparkly, golden makeup for fear of looking like a disco ball- there is definitely no risk of that! Maybe it's the formula but it just felt a bit useless and rubbed off really quickly. Adding another welcomed surprise into the mix though are the impressive coconut multiples, which  I have been using for a while but wanted to include. I really love how buildable these three colours are- they are so flattering on all skin tones. Also because they are vegan and natural you can safely use them all over and they look fab. They actually remind me of colour lip balms because they have the same look and feel, but the colour is obviously more buildable!

In my bag- The Autumn edit

The first day of October saw a sudden and noticeable change in how early the evenings are closing in. This is my favourite month of the year so I'm relishing every day of it! The golden leaves staining the pavements with little leafy stencils, the watery sun bathing everything in the most beautiful glow, fresh mornings, sharp evenings, hot coffees....there isn't one thing that isn't glorious about it. Naturally the day to day items I cart around with me have been updated and the light tinted moisturiser I'd grown fond of is now a thing of the past.

As you can see I have tried to be more practical in what I pack. The headphones are by Marshall and are a MUST as I can't think properly without music and there is no way I will make it to the gym if I don't at least have a motivation playlist at hand! An umbrella because, well, London (interesting colour and print, nobody in my household has a clue where it came from!). The Verto black pebble is a portable phone charger which is amazing- probably the most useful gift I have ever received and one of those things I didn't know I'd use so much until I got it! This one is great as it comes with a range of plugs for Iphone, Samsung etc, and if you charge it for an hour or two it has enough power in for three charges! 

In terms of makeup I have gone back to my fail safe Inika foundation in cream as it's a little heavier than a tinted moisturiser and doesn't show up the dry patches some of us get with the change in weather. I'm not sure if you read the post I did during spring about this foundation but honestly it is the best foundation for transitional weather. Shame they only have three shades at the moment though! Lipstick wise I have been drawn to this Kiko matte lipstick in shade 2. It's a really muted, elegant pink which stays put right through the day. My current favourite eyeshadows are the Moonshadow colour infused pens which are also by Kiko and they are absolutely lush. There are four shades: a sparkly gold, plum, turquoise and mocha colour and they are the lazy persons answer to taking you from drab to fab in moments. Nothing shows you have made an effort like a sensual matte lipstick with a little gold on the inside of your eyes and perhaps glimmering turquoise blended in there too ;) I'm going to do an in-depth post about my Kiko haul over the weekend and give you proper colour swatches. The eyeliner is Eyeko which I have a constant love hate relationship with. The nib is perfect but why oh why do they dry up so fast?! The nail varnish is Max Effect by Max Factor, it's the bronze shade and has a gorgeous  shine. I feel like this is the grown up version of a glitter nail as the colour is metallic and a little playful, but still looks presentable. There is something really autumnal about a bronze metallic nail so I think I'll be wearing this a lot over the next month or two!

Of course being a lip balm hoarder there is one on me at all times! This is just pure Nutiva coconut oil. I have about five of these babies and am forever pulling them out of my pockets when I'm doing the washing!

The hand sanitizer is one I discovered in Wholefoods some months ago and I now have one for my kit and another for personal use. It's a brand called Bentley Organic and it's just a really gentle foam that effectively kills bacteria without drying your hands out. It's also alcohol free which is pretty ace, I've never seen alcohol free sanitizer before! And I sounded a little too excited there...

My sunglasses are by Pepe Jeans and are a godsend. Just when I put them away, we had an icy morning and then blistering sun during the afternoon where I honestly couldn't see where I was walking, so back out these came! I have really grown used to putting on a pair of sunnies when I'm tired, recovering from a heavy night, sad, antisocial, watery eyed from having a cold or simply wanting to people watch strategically, it was a low moment realising that they'll spend months in storage soon! Poking out from the corner of the shot is  Late Fragments, Everything I want to tell you about this magnificent life, by an author called Kate Gross who was terminally ill when she penned this touching and incredibly personal book to her young children. I am almost halfway through and when I'm not writing down quotes from it in my little notebook, I'm mentally pep talking myself to not let emotions get to me. If there is ever a moment where you forget to be mindful, this book is a pull back to reality and all that really matters. I'm going to do a book review once I have finished, although I'm currently deliberately reading it little by little. That's my sensible and relatively light bag at the moment, I'm quite proud of my organisation skills these days!

Antipodes Nirvana wash

Shower gels are not a product I usually get too excited about, but this little bottle is absolutely divine and my whole household enjoys using it because of how therapeutic it is. With spearmint leaf, cardamon and hibiscus flower it doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped or dry like most showers gels do. My friend who introduced me to this says she doesn't even feel the need to moisturise afterwards. Scent wise it is like sniffing a fresh sprig of mint. I have been sitting here with the bottle like some sort of shower gel connoisseur trying to work out what it reminds me of and it hit me-mojito! A little pricier than your average shower gel but if you want something that will make you feel so relaxed and as fresh as mountain dew then this well worth it. Also for any clued up men reading this, it's unisex so I'm talking to you too. You can buy it from Wholefoods and online for about a tenner I believe.

Clarisonic VS The Foreo

Last month I was given the opportunity to test out the Foreo face cleanser which was great as I had already been using the Clarisonic Mia night and day for a few months so being the two big names in face cleansing systems at the moment, I could really compare the two and see whether either are worth their pretty ample price tag!

Clarisonic Mia 2  £99-£125

I'm not really sure what the difference between the regular Clarisonic, the Mia and the Mia 2 are (or if there is any real difference aside from cost!) but I did a review on this back in June after I had been trialling it for about a week, so for general product information and my thoughts after my first few uses, read here. To sum the product up in short, the Clarisonic consists of a rotating brush which gently exfoliates and dislodges the dirt from pores. I did a lot of research into the product before splurging out and was impressed with the reviews. Many said that their spots had cleared up and that it made their skincare more effective, having smoother, more exfoliated skin as a base. I noticed after the first use that my face felt squeaky clean and with continued use over the following week, I had no dry patches so my makeup sat better throughout the day. That said, I think I was expecting a miracle product to sort out a certain type of acne I have been battling this year, and the novelty of the Clarisonic did wear off as I compared the price with the minor change in my skin! 

Foreo £99-£145

Much in the same way that Clarisonic uses an extremely gentle approach to exfoliating that you can barely feel, the Foreo which is made of silicone has a pulsing movement that vibrates, rather than a brush which spins. The website boasts some pretty impressive claims, such as 'anti-ageing' technology, and while I'm not entirely convinced how much this is true it's certainly an excellent face cleanser which made my skin smoother than the Clarisonic and my spots  noticeably smaller. My colleague Rebecca at Biteable Beauty has been using it for some weeks too and is so impressed with it- her complexion has a new found smoothness and glow to it that I noticed after a week! 

Thoughts?

Both have been excellent in exfoliating and getting rid of those pesky dry bits of skin which prevent makeup from sitting as smoothly as it could do. I like the timer on the Clarisonic which makes sure you allocate enough time to each section of the face. I also enjoy the control I have when I hold it and direct it around my face. From a practical point the Foreo feels slightly awkward, or is that just me? I'm never sure whether to make use of both sides of the device or how to hold it when I'm cleaning my nose!

Despite the awkward handling situation, the Foreo has impressed me more for the following reasons. a) I have noticed more of a difference in my skin tone. Having a friend who's had the same experience shows it wasn't just a fluke. b) The Clarisonic brush needs replacing every three months and the brushes cost £25 which is an additional £100 for each year of use, and the difference it made just isn't worth it, in my view.
c) The Foreo is lighter, slightly smaller and has a better battery life, making it easier to travel with
d) It has different speed settings, (yes i'm still talking about a face cleanser, stay with me here!) so you can experiment with gel, cream and oil cleansers on different speeds until you find one which works best for you.

The world has gone smoothie bowl mad

I think fellow Instagrammers know exactly what I mean. The invasion of strategically placed fruit bowls which are topped with every colour of the rainbow. They look like exotic works of art, almost too good to ruin by stirring together all of the carefully arranged fruits and seeds!

So why the craze? Well firstly they are a really quick and fool proof way of putting together a nutritious and tasty meal. Whether it's for breakfast, a snack, dessert or to support your work out, you can play around with the ingredients and make it as guilty or guilt-free and as light or substantial as you wish. I have seen people uploading photos of their bowls which contain kale, avocado, almonds, puffed rice, kiwi, frozen fruits and all sorts of other ingredients I haven't heard of and wouldn't know where to buy (what is sprouted buckwheat and where do you buy cranberry powder?!). For less complicated bowls a granola or yoghurt base makes it more of a breakfast dish but a fruit or milk based smoothie is also a great base. Then it's just a case of topping it with anything you fancy and playing around with different variations. I made one on Friday which was a almond milk, banana, honey and blueberry smoothie topped with figs, peach and chia seeds...delicious! In addition to being tasty, these bowls are easy to prepare in advance and transport around. Below is a photo of Friday's bowl, I need to hone my presentation skills a bit more though, ha!

Monu Skincare

A fairly recent discovery and impressive skincare brand on the blog today. Monu use a range of essential oils in their products which not only target specific skin concerns, but feel really therapeutic and luxurious to use. My favourite is the Soothing Hawaii face oil which contains sandlewood and lavender.

Sometimes I use this as an overnight serum and wake with really plump, hydrated skin but it's also good patted on sparingly five minutes before putting makeup on. There is something about the heavy glass jar which makes it feel more costly than it's £26 price tag! I'm also really liking the rosewater toner and lip balm which are both incredibly gentle and smell just wonderful. The lip balm contains vitamin A, wheat germ oil and beeswax and has a silk like texture. I like to put quite a generous dollop on and let it sink into my lips, although it's definitely something I do in the comfort of my own home rather than at work, ha.

The recovery balm is a good back up product for anyone who is prone to inflammed skin such a rosacea. I whip this out at the first signs of getting a heat rash as it helps calm that insufferable itching. It's also light enough to layer with other products and works particularly well with the Monu skin perfecter. The perfecter makes a good little primer as it subtly creates a sort of film over any pores and inperfections. Being paraben free and pretty natural I prefer to use this on good skin days when I want something light and subtle to give my makeup more staying power. I think this would be good for more mature skin also as it gives skin a nice satin like texture without sinking into fine lines. You can see more of the brand here 

The demure damsel

Something has happened which is a big deal in my book. Having loyally carried around the same shade of Maybelline lipstick with me for no less than five years, I always had it in my head that nude lipsticks were boring, not very rock n'roll and very unforgiving on lips prone to dryness. I imagined a nude lip needing constant maintaining throughout the day, not to mention making anyone who didn't have a gorgeous warm toned complexion look washed out. Basically before this week I never felt compelled to wear a nude lip myself.

Introducing the result of some insomnia induced late night shopping, Charlotte Tilbury's lip liner in Iconic Nude paired with the K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Nude Kate. I think I have finally found my shade! It's a natural looking skin toned shade with just enough pink in to refrain from looking like tip-ex. The formula is creamy and comfortable to wear and it gives my usual black eyeliner with jeans and a t shirt a pulled togetherness! There are only six other Tilbury shades I am after, then I'll be content with my lipstick collection....for now! ;)

A/W 2015 Style Forecast- High Street Buys

So judging by this year's A/W catwalks, retro prints, bright colours and pattern clashing are set to be a BIG thing.

Think paisley dresses with a tweed bag, retro earrings and checked loafers! Get the jist? While few of us could pull off grocery shopping in the sort of mismatched, oversized garments models stride down the catwalks in, that is not to say we can't have a little fun with some (slightly more purse friendly) key pieces.

 

 

 

From top to bottom: Michael Kors, Missoni, Gucci and Maison Margiela

A highstreet nod to the catwalks

 

Coat- £95 Zara, Tweed skirt- £76 House of Fraser, Barbara Bixby green sterling earrings- £75 QVC, Ribbed knitted top- £111 Tory Burch, Brown crochet wedges- Catherine Malandrino £38, Printed trousers- £60 Mango, Aztec colour block poncho- £38 Chicwish.com. Purple paisley print dress- £10 Newlook, Knitted wrap mini skirt- £80 Rebelle.com

hot weather must-haves

I have been steadily swapping my previous go-to skin products for natural alternatives, and Antipodes has triumphed as my favourite brand for a good year now. Two fantastic products which I carry with me in this warmer weather are the Saviour Skin Balm and Ananda toner.

The Saviour balm in its sturdy vintage style tin is, in my humble opinion, a bit of a super product. With potent ingredients among which are tea tree, vinanza grape and echinacea, it is antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial thus fantastic in ailing rashes, bites, stings, dry skin, you name it. I pretty much use this on my knees and elbows when they get a bit dry, on heat rashes, as lip balm, around my eyes when I don't have eye cream, the list goes on.

For this reason it has become a good addition to my kit as multi-purpose products are quite literally saviours! I can't recommend this buttery balm enough to those of you who have sensitive skin and/or children.

The Ananda toner is good for spritzing on my face when I'm commuting on a busy train during rush hour, or heaven forbid crammed on a packed platform during a strike and preparing my elbows for some serious jousting to make it on the train in the first place! It's really cooling and has calming rosewater, raspberry seed and aloe vera in. I find that most toners are really alcohol rich and sting my cheeks but haven't had an issue with this. Oh, and did I mention it is 100% natural? Well worth a try if you're into your toners!

Sweet potato, coconut and chilli soup

I made this soup on Tuesday night and underestimated a) how delicious it would be b) how popular it would be with my family c)how many of my friends would comment saying it looked delicious. Another culinary success! Here is the recipe. I recommend serving with rye bread. Any good quality bread would be nice though!

4 sweet potatos

2 tbsp Coconut Oil

1 Onion

4 Garlic Cloves

2 tbsp red curry past

1 tbsp green curry paste

1 tsp Coriander

2 tsp Salt

1 Lime

4 Cups of Chicken Stock

1 Can of Coconut Milk

Fresh Coriander to Serve

Pumpkin Seeds to Serve

Method:

Peel and cut the sweet potato into smallish squares

Heat the coconut oil on a medium heat. Finely dice the onion and pop into the pan with a pinch of salt, cook for 5 minutes then add in the sweet potato, garlic, curry pastes and coriander. Stir for 5 minutes then pour in the stock, coconut milk and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes until cooked through. Blend these ingredients until there are no lumps and squeeze in the juice from the lime.

Garnish the soup with coriander and sunflower seeds and enjoy!



Chia, banana and raspberry breakfast bowl

In my quest to become better at making quick, healthy foods I have started experimenting with various concoctions of ingredients and hoping for the best. Once in a while I make something which tastes delicious, so for those of you wanting a little inspiration, I have spared you the countless failed attempts and posted a nice little recipe for a breakfast bowl which is also a good fix for a sweet craving.

Ingredients:

Generous handful of raspberrys

1 tbsp. of chia seeds

100 ml almond milk

1 tbsp. peanut or almond butter

1 banana

4 drops vanilla essence

juice of half a lemon

Method: Put the raspberry's, chia seeds and lemon juice into a bowl. With the flat side of a spoon, crush the raspberrys into the mix and stir together. Leave for a few minutes and give it another mix until it has the consistency of jam.

In a blender put the banana, almond milk, peanut/almond butter and vanilla essence and give it a whizz for 30 seconds.

Pour this into the bowl with the raspberrys and chia seeds and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Voila!



When Doves Cry...

Happy Sunday folks! I picked up an InStyle magazine a week or two ago thinking I'd give the free nail varnish a try. I am making a pretty good attempt these days to wear more colours which aren't black and beige, so this nail varnish seemed like a good start. I am so haphazard when it comes to sitting still and applying nail varnish/fake tan/hair dye properly and letting it set, but I somehow managed it with this one. This shade is called 'When Doves Cry'. Initially the varnish was watery and quite streaky on my nails. I quickly decided it was either another overrated brand, or that perhaps they were given away free because the formulations weren't great but after applying a second coat it set to a really smooth and glossy finish. Importantly, it also dries mega fast. Some nail varnishes trick you; you think they have dried, go to pick something up and before you know it there's a finger print on your nail. At the bottom is a photo of my hand not wanting to let go of my dream car. It's a gorgeous colour right? Lilac in some lights and more of a cornflower blue in others. A bit more intensity and I think the colour would be too bright and girly for my liking but it's just enough to give a chic and polished look.

Summer Skincare Routine- Back to Basics

Before I discuss the products, a little background into my skin so you can decide whether these could be worth trying. So I was commuting a couple of weeks ago, the train was unbearably stuffy and my freshly applied makeup felt like it was melting off my face. Something had to change as my foundation suddenly felt too heavy for summer. Before making a switch to something like a tinted moisturiser, my stressed out skin desperately needed sorting. It was spotty (something I never had before in my life and they just weren't going down) and also had dozens of little bumps all over my face. I'd also got little rashes elsewhere which was the cherry on the cake!! I basically felt as though I didn't know my own body anymore because nothing I used or ate make a difference.

I decided to invest in a Clarisonic cleanser after reading a whole bunch of reviews, and to keep the products as simple as possible. No parabens, little perfume and no sulfates. Also I'd read about the importance of staying loyal to products to give them time to work, so I have not introduced anything else into my routine since.

The Clarisonic cleanser has a 1 minute timer and beeps at intervals so you know when to move on to another section of your face. It gives you twenty seconds for each cheek and ten seconds each for your forehead and chin. I gently massaged the La Roche-Posay Ultra-Fine Scrub into my face and swiped the damp brush around my face for the minute. As many of the reviews point out, it doesn't feel like it's doing a great deal to your face as the bristles are so soft but after the first use my face felt insanely clean. The La Roche-Posay scrub, which doesn't contain alcohol , colourants, soap or parabens works really nicely with the cleansing brush and exfoliates without causing any redness. When this ran out I moved on to the Antipodes Reincarnation exfoliator which is organic and enriched with avocado oil, marigold flower, cedarwood and orange. This cleanser has a creamier texture than the other one and although pricier it lasts me about five times longer.

When the cleansing ritual is over, I apply the La Roche-Posay Effaclar-K face cream and that's it. I am really loving this cream and it seems to have a big following. The cream has a serum lightness to it and quickly sinks into the skin. Since focusing the cream on my spots there has been a noticeable reduction in redness and bumps.

An extra little discovery in this new routine is the Antipodes natural Nirvana shower gel which my colleague Jo is loving. She swears that it smells like Christmas and one thing is certain, the scent is DIVINE. Think fresh mint leaves. Afterwards your skin is left super soft and nourished. I can honestly say that these products are an absolute dream team together and although there hasn't been any real drastic change, my face feels so clean after following this regime. Fingers crossed that the bumps disappear, that would be magic!

Yugo Ito

The perfect chocolate cake

Now that I have caught your attention with the title of this post, I realise that is quite a statement but honestly this is the tastiest cake I have ever tried. It's that perfect kind of not too sweet chocolate that makes you keep returning hourly to cut off slices; Pretty straight forward to make and a total crowd pleaser! Last week I spent a busy evening baking two of these for an office birthday and thought they would make a great post for anyone looking to gain a few brownie points at parties/picnics/events where you have a lot of grovelling to do.

Ingredients:

400g plain flour, sifted

250g of golden caster sugar

100g of light muscovado sugar

50g of cocoa powder

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp of salt

142ml sour cream

3 large eggs

175g unsalted and melted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

125ml corn or olive oil

300ml cold water

Icing:

175g dark chocolate (I recommend minimum 70% cocoa solids so it’s not too sweet or bitter either)

275g icing sugar, sifted

250g butter, unsalted and softened

3 drops of vanilla extract

Before you begin, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350ºF and butter and line the bottom of two 20cm / 8 inch sandwich tins.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Now beat together the melted butter, water and oil until blended. Add the dry ingredients all at once and continue to mix it. Add the egg mixture, and continue to mix until everything is blended. While beating the mixture you want to aim to beat as much air into it as possible. Now pour the mixture into the lined tins.

Put in the oven for 50-55 minutes, but I recommend checking after 45 minutes. Stick a cake tester or even a chopstick into the sponge and if it comes out clean then it has properly cooked inside. Transfer the tins on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

For the icing:

Melt the chocolate by either microwaving it for a couple of minutes, or placing it in a bowl which is being steamed on the hob. In another bowl beat the butter until it's soft and creamy before adding the sieved icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract drops and the chocolate, and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth. Now the cake is ready to ice.

Make sure you’re generous with the icing and cover the middle, top and sides of the cake using either a rubber spatula or big butter knife. Place in the fridge from an hour and voila, your cake is perfect.

Bon appetite!

Florence + The Machine- Queen of Peace

Florence is back with this absolute gem which I have had on repeat for the past two days. You know when you try to refrain from overplaying something, but have it on loop in your head regardless? Yeah....anyway here it is! Well worth a listen.

Bioderma Moisturising Mattifying liquid

Quite a nice little moisturiser to review today, and one I've been trialling for the past week. Bioderma is one of those popular French pharmacy brands which has made its way into English pharmacies in recent years. I stumbled upon this while on the search for something to keep my face matte throughout the day and I'm liking it! The texture is very lightweight, I'd say a cross between a cream and a gel and it acts as a decent primer that helps to smoothen out the skin so that makeup sits nicely on top. There was definitely a noticeable difference in the level of shine across my forehead during the afternoons too, so I didn't have to do any cheeky touch ups.

I must admit that I'm not a fan of perfumed skincare products and the watermelon smell just didn't do it for me. It actually smells as though I had put perfume on my face, the scent is that potent! Don't let this put you off if you're not bothered either way, I mean it does what it says on the tin and it's a decent price also. I just know that a lot of people get skin reactions to very perfumed products. I will continue to use this but the search for my perfect mattifying product continues!

Bioderma moisturising mattifying fluid is available here

Nadeballa Natural Face Creams

During our drive into the office, my colleague usually parks outside an amazing coffee shop called Black Truffle in Belsize Park while I dash in and get us coffees. I noticed they were selling face creams by a brand unknown to me called Nadeballa which is hand-made by mother and daughter, Delara and Natalia. The ingredients have been passed down from a family recipe which was developed in Switzerland and each tub has been made from a small batch of fresh, simple ingredients. I found out that the same colleague does the PR for Nadeballa so was lucky enough to get my mitts on a little pot of the stuff, how fortunate is that?

 I'm going to be honest and say this is the best face cream I have ever used. Scent wise it smells like fresh oranges and my mind wanders to thoughts of oranges groves in a Sicilian summertime whenever I use it, although I realise that Sicily is in no way like Switzerland! The texture is very balmy and feels like a protective veil on the skin. As I said before, there is nothing more annoying than a cream disappearing in minutes, leaving me wondering whether it just evaporated away. It's also gentle enough to use around the eye area because the ingredients are so minimal, think avocado oil, apricot kernal oil and beeswax. I store it in the fridge which keeps it feeling extra fresh and cooling on the skin! Well worth checking out the website

London Featured- Ruby's Cocktail Bar

So the first instalment of  my featured dig in London which I thought would be helpful for those of you who are visiting or based here and overwhelmed by all the choice there is!

On Saturday night I went to one of the nicest cocktail bars I've visited which is really easy to miss- I must have walked past dozens of times. Once you've found it and entered through the narrow little stairway you find the cosiest bar which is kitted out with dim old lampshades and wooden furniture. There is a really extensive selection of unusual cocktails which are served to your table (not a mojito or sex on the beach in sight) and of course a few beer and wine choices. It's the perfect venue for dates, casual catch ups and small work gatherings.
 Between us my friend and I worked our way through half of the cocktail menu as it's so easy to get comfortable and get carried away with all the choice! Favourite's have got to be the English Garden, Bloody Ruby and the creamy liquor pictured below with the cherries on it (Ambassador's something, but by this point I was a little too sozzled to remember its full name!)
Full venue details are here

Easy nutrient packed soup

I thought I'd share this recipe for a really nourishing soup I made- perfect for fighting off the pesky commuter cold going around! Apologies for the poor lighting, I made it late last night for my lunch today. It's so quick and takes about twenty minutes from scratch. Sometimes these very green soups can taste quite grassy but the cannellini beans give it a nice creamy taste.

Ingredients:

Cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
1 bag spinach
1 head broccoli
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons depending on preference
salt and pepper to taste
1 handful coriander
2 garlic cloves
1 pint of water
olive oil

Begin by heating the garlic in a saucepan with a little olive oil, pepper and salt. Add the pint of water and broccoli, and simmer until the broccoli is tender. Now add the spinach in and leave for a couple of minutes until it has wilted.

Put all of this into a blender along with the cannellini beans, lemon juice and coriander and blend until it is the same consistency as cream. Now the soup is ready for heating and eating, voila! This is perfect as a healthy office lunch and pairs well with rye bread and avocado for something a bit more substantial.

If you give it a go then let me know what you think! x



People. Places. Faces.

Archive photos I have taken. Brighton-London-France

                                          Monet's Garden, Giverny

Skincare SOS!

So being blessed with a wonderful array of skin ailments which grace me on the regular, this post is really just running through the products I am well stocked in which I hope will help any of you who can relate. I'm going to start by saying that beauty really does come from within, and it's important to eat a balanced diet for long term benefits. It's amazing the difference little changes can make in clearing up skin problems such as eczema, spots and dermatitis because the problem could be something quite simple like a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
I aim to keep my pizza, whiskey and cake addiction strictly limited to weekends and try to fit in lots of fruit and veg in my daily routine. Smoothies are great because they are quick and really do make a noticeable difference to how you look and feel. I'm pretty hardcore and make mine with whatever we have lying around the kitchen- the one in the photo has banana for potassium, beetroot which is packed with iron, potassium, folic acid and fibre, spinach for iron, an apple and a bit of water. I also take omega 3 supplements and love the Terra Nova Digestive Enzyme capsules which really help with digestion.
Spots are something we all get, granted some of us more than others. Life has played this cruel joke on me where I had perfect skin throughout my teens and spots as soon as I hit my early twenties. A couple of month's ago I had a breakout because I was stressed and using a lot of new products while makeup artistry training. My amazing tutor Amanda Bell sent me home with a Pixi glow tonic and told me to use it for two weeks. As the days went by my skin got noticeably clearer and now I'll never stop buying it. The tonic contains witch hazel which sorts spots right out and a brightening 5% plant based glycolic acid which gently exfoliates dead skin cells. The Inika foundation is in my spot-fix category because it's a natural, mineral product which goes on problematic skin better than any other foundation I've used. Also because the ingredients are better, it makes sense that it's less likely to make spots flare up more. The Bourjois concealer is brilliant for hiding and brightening spots and never goes cakey.
Rashes really, really suck. There are all sorts of reasons why people get them, from hereditary reasons, allergies to dust mites, common ingredients in washing detergents, skincare, make up, diet intolerances, stress...you name it. I suffered with painful eczema from the age of four and remember clawing at my skin until it was raw. My gran used to cut my nails at bedtime and plaster me with liquid calamine lotion which was often the only way I could get to sleep. To this day when a rash pops up, calamine lotion is something that helps every time. It's inexpensive, available in every Boots/chemist and I can't thank whoever invented it enough. Before using steroid creams, please try calamine lotion first!
Z-Gel is a fab organic natural gel which contains arnica. It's great for bites, stings, sunburn, rashes, you name it. I've used it on bruises and seen miraculous results within hours. It's clear so doesn't show up on the skin and the sanitary little tube is good for carrying around. Another little gem for soothing rashes! The Graham's Natural bath oil and skin cream were given to me by my friend Rebecca at Biteable beauty when a big stress rash popped up overnight. Look at the no-nonsense packaging! Ha. The bath oil has a thick olive oil consistency and to be honest doesn't smell much different. Much in the same way olive oil does, it locks in the skin's moisture and helps reduce redness. Also a brilliant little skin saviour is the cream which I kept reapplying at work. It made a huge huge difference and it's another all natural product. Go nature!

Years and Years- Take Shelter

What's in my handbag?

Quite a fun post today. I always enjoy having a little snoop at the loyal items people carry around with them; those beauty pieces which have outshone all the others in their collection. That red lipstick which has stood out from the dozens of red lipsticks in the box and the hairband which spruces up a boring hairstyle should unexpected drinks come into plan.

This is how my current handbag has looked for the best past of three months (minus the sunglasses. A recent and optimistic addition). The Daily Journal is by Frankie Press, an Australian magazine I subscribe to. Discovered at a time when I was fed up of reading the same generic articles and sought after a magazine which was creative and covered food, music, DIY and travel. Have a look at the website. The 80's hair scrunchie, band and clip are what I was talking about with the hair items that jazz up an otherwise mundane style. I have these floating around my bag in case I need to get my hair off my face or suddenly feel like doing an eighties ponytail. The Tangle Teaser is lightweight and good for smoothing hair and de-tangling. Mine is so overused that the plastic bristles are looking a little shabby nowadays. My Lacoste purse which is so durable and worn looking, but I love it. It also has a cool little mirror on the inside flap. It belonged to my friend who saw I didn't have a purse and liked it, so tipped her money out and insisted I took it, even though she no longer had a purse. How sweet is that? 

The Chloe perfume was my obsession for a long time. It's a really delicate, playful scent with a bit of a musk in there preventing it from smelling too youthful. The Antipodes Jubilation cream smells like fresh peppermint. It's a nice, gentle all over cream but I mostly use it on my hands because it doesn't leave any sticky residue. The Chanel Les Beiges powder gives a very subtle glow and is good for touch ups. I get a really oily forehead in the afternoon's so if I'm out all day then this is a good thing to have. The Chanel blush in 'innocent' is good for if I make an unexpected plan and want to look more polished. It's a natural pink which is really flattering and looks as though I've been walking briskly through the countryside. I have always worried about wearing blush as I really blush sometimes quite unexpectedly and dread looking like a clown with pre-existing blush on already, but thankfully I haven't had a problem with this looking too heavy. A full review on these Chanel items will be coming soon anyway!The sunglasses are by Jeepers Peepers and look so glam. I love vintage inspired accessories and always feel like the bees knees when I put these on.

 The gold bullet next to it is the Max Factor lipstick in Ruby Tuesday  which I have been wearing for four years because I just feel really chic when I wear it.It's a glossy pink which makes green eyes pop and I can't tell you how many compliment's I've received over the years with this one. My mum said it looks as though I've been eating a lollypop when I wear it. Well worth a swatch if you pass by the counter in the drugstore. The black circular palette is by Jemma Kidd. It contains a lip/cheek tint, champagne coloured highlighter and two neutralising shades. This has come in handy numerous times for last second retouches while on the go. I have been trying to buy one of these for my kit, but sadly I think it has been discontinued. Gutted! 

The Bourjois healthy mix concealer is the best concealer I have ever used, and I haven't thought about another concealer for two years. It's light so it doesn't sink into any fine lines or go cakey and the formulation brightens the skin really nicely to make the eye area look more awake. The  liquid eyeliner is the most long lasting and easy to apply one I've found so far. I was becoming so frustrated with how quickly these liquid pen eyeliners dry out but this is still going strong. The brand is DHC cosmetics which is Japanese, but a US brand seems have bought it to make it more accessible.The very battered looking tube on the bottom right is the Jason natural deodorant stick in the glowing apricot scent. I try to use natural skincare where possible and this works really well for me. Just remember to put the lid and plastic insert back on after use because natural products do need a little more TLC as they don't contain nasty preservatives!

So basically the products I choose are those I can rely on if I want a change of look during the day without carrying what feels like a ton of bricks around. It would be interesting to do a summer update and see what has changed!

Ji Nilsson- Encore

I thought it would be nice to do the odd music post for those who are interested. I'm always on the look out for songs which give me those 'must play this on repeat until I'm sick of it' moments. Right now it's Swedish artist Ji Nilsson whose song 'Encore' melts my ears (in a good way). I actually heard this a couple of weeks ago while shopping about in Oxford Circus and hovered around the doorway of the shop with Shazam out...you've got to love Shazam!

If you love catchy electro fuelled tracks with beautiful melodies then this is well worth a listen.  

London Fashion Week Essentials

A little late, but after mentioning here that I used the Antipodes Grace gentle cleanser when I assisted the lovely and hugely talented Dani Guinsberg on the Hemya LFW show, I thought I'd do a post on some of the other products which served me well on the day. The Mac Strobe cream  is a very widely used product, and for a reason! It's lightweight, mixes well with creams and foundations and it isn't too glittery and shimmery making it really versatile. I use this all the time and it never seems to run out. Look how much is there after regular use for a year! 

A new discovery is the brand Monu who were one of the sponsors of the show.  Honestly, no superlatives can describe how super this brand is for sensitive skin! They have such a fantastic array of very natural and gentle products which I have been trying to keep specifically for my kit but keep dipping into myself. Everyone I have used them on has asked about these products and said how relaxed they felt after.  I love the rosewater toner which is light and cooling, and swipes off makeup really well. The face oil is absolutely brilliant and feels like a proper pampering experience. It isn't as heavy as other face oils and serums I have used so might be worth a try for those who want something a little lighter. Also pretty impressive is the Monu primer which is a clear, lightweight base that does a really good job. No colour, not too much sheen and no glittery bits, it's just simple and leaves the skin smooth and plump. The lip balm goes on like a cream but has a matte finish which worked really well with the barely there makeup theme at the Hemyca show.

An addition to my new discovery list is the French brand  Bella Pierre's cream blusher in coral which gives the most natural healthy flush. Bella Pierre is a mineral makeup brand that sources natural, ethical ingredients. Rather than bringing out makeup just to cash in, products are created according to the consumer requests.At the moment this blush is my go-to product for creating a dewy, fresh look and I loved it so much that the incredibly kind and talented makeup artist Amanda Bell gave it to me from out of her own kit! I was pleasantly surprised to spot the range in the Camden Town Wholefoods so I'm looking forward to testing out their foundations. Talking of foundations, I was in the Wholefoods specifically to purchase the Inika mineral foundation (the very black bottle pictured next to the strobe cream!) which is the best foundation I have ever used. Dani had let me try out hers in the shade 'cream' and I couldn't rush out to buy it fast enough. The foundation has the smoothest finish I've seen and leaves the skin with a glow that just looks like natural skin, but on a really good day. It's light but you barely need to use any at all, and it still looked flawless even after the models had been standing in a hot atrium under bright lights for hours. Amazing.

Also sponsoring the show was the cosmetics brand Lola which does a fab lipstick in the shade 'Minx' that I used to create a natural pink lip. It is a great shade match with the blush and builds really nicely if you're after a more intense shade of pink. To create a slightly fuller brow (below) I used the Illamasqua eyeshadow in the shade 'Obsidian' from the neutral eye palette which gave a nice definition to my model's face.

You can see the backstage video for the Hemyca show below, with Dani, myself and the rest of our makeup team working away and looking super focused. It was such an exciting show to be part of- I was on a total high for days afterwards!

Brand- Hemyca
Sponsors:
Lola cosmetics
Monu skincare
Jessica nails
Vox water
With thanks to Dani Guinsberg at The Sessions School for inviting me along to assist! 

Antipodes organic skincare

Anyone who is into their skincare has that one brand they can always rely on to sort out any skin woes and restore its balance. For the past year my brand of choice has been Antipodes which is an organic brand from New Zealand, and I can honestly say my skin has never been in such prime condition. Even my mum won't look at another night cream any more! The Grace cream cleanser feels like (as my mum put it) rubbing your face with a buttery cloud. It smells divine and leaves my skin  nicely soft and supple. It works really well with the Rejoice day cream (A nice light cream for the summer) which is really good for soothing sensitive skin. I used these two when prepping my models skin during the London Fashion week Hemyca show because, as you can imagine, the models had their makeup constantly rubbed off, applied and reapplied so I wanted products I could trust were not going to cause any irritation!

Twice a week I use the Aura Manuka Honey mask sitting on my face for an hour so the antiseptic honey can get to work on any blemishes. Again, I love the smell of this mask! The texture is really light so for those of you who don't like the tight feeling of clay masks, this could be a good one for you.

The Avocado Pear cream is really rich and potent. When I wake I can still feel the oily residue on my face which I really like because for me, there is nothing worse in a face cream than feeling like it has rubbed off into my pillow during the night. During the winter when my skin has been battered by the wind and air con, I couple this with the Joyous or Hosanna serums which get rid of dry patches and generally help my skin to retain some of its plumpness. The Vanilla Pod day cream makes a nice winter alternative to the Rejoice, as it's thicker and sits on the skin a little longer. Strangely the smell of it really reminds me of Sudocream which makes me feel a little nostalgic every time I apply it!