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
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! ;)
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
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!
