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Pretty little things – Water babies
This is my entry for the Pretty Little Things linky that this week is hosted by Love From Mummy. I know Dot is 11 now but I love this photo I took of her playing in the paddling pool at our house in London, she’s so cute and 14 months old. Not at the toddler tantrum stage and certainly nowhere near the nearing puberty hormonal stage we’re at now. She hasn’t changed at all!
Beauty reviews – body cream, moisturiser, mascara, lipgloss
Well I seem to have spent much of this week catching up with myself but not quite getting there, what with work, school holidays and of course the Olympics last night (on TV – wasn’t it excellent) – hence why this latest post appears today when I had hoped to have it live yesterday. Which in turn means the recipe is shunted along also, but that’s not such a big deal as I’m not such a good cook. I wonder – should I continue with the recipes or not? What do you think, would you rather I do something else instead, more beauty, interiors or chit chat?
Back to beauty; first up is Ultra Rich Body Cream from Living Nature. If you have dry skin then you’re going to like this. The texture is rich and it smells like chocolate almost, with a hint of vanilla, which will either be a complete turn on or turn off. For me the fragrance is somewhere in the middle – I’m not that keen on vanilla but I love chocolate, the fragrance as well as the real thing.
I’ve been using this mainly on my legs after showering and despite its richness it sinks in quickly without feeling greasy afterwards, which is a boon in the hot weather we’ve been having. Active manuka honey is a natural humectant that holds in moisture, while murumuru and cupuacu butters nourish, soften and moisturise the skin, so helping the overall performance of the cream.
I prefer this to a body butter as I find butters too thick and they tend to linger on the skin and I find that annoying. I am also very receptive to the brand, which hails from New Zealand and prides itself on using natural ingredients, fragrances and preservatives, as well as botanicals from sustainable sources, and it doesn’t test on animals. www.livingnature.com
Evolve Multi Peptide Double Cream has become one of my favourite daytime moisturisers over the past few months. As somebody who gets through tons of the stuff you can believe me when I say this one is a bit special. You just need a little, which is how my sample bottle has lasted so long, and it sinks in quickly and cleanly, leaving the skin feeling firmer. According to Evolve the natural peptides in the product “have been proven to increase moisturisation by up to 60% and reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 18%”. Hyaluronic acid holds moisture in the skin and argan oil, rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, nourishes and protects.
I don’t know why it’s called double cream but that’s a point I’m not going to stress over, all I know is it does what it says on the tin and for 40s+ skin it gives a quality performance at a mid-range price. The fragrance is subtle, almost nutty, and the cream is organic and cruelty-free, so suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The container is made from recycled plastic and can itself be recycled – a case of putting your money where your mouth is. www.evolvebeauty.co.uk
A few weeks ago I was the happy recipient of a Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara, sent to my by their lovely PR, now after having used it a few times I’m ecstatic. This is the first mascara I have ever used that goes on smoothly and when it’s dry feels soft. I don’t mean that in a bad way – you can still see I’m wearing mascara and my lashes look fuller, but when I touch them they actually feel soft, rather than stiff or crunchy. I’ve never had that happen before and I have to say I’m hooked. There’s no clumps either, which is a bonus as I hate clumps.
Now am I stating the obvious here – does your mascara feel soft when it dries? Please tell me. It’s just that I’ve tested a few over the years and I haven’t had one until now that has had this effect. I don’t know if it’s waterproof but it is tear proof and smudge proof – I met a friend I hadn’t seen for a while in the supermarket yesterday and I was telling her about my lovely horse dying, hence how I know it’s tear proof, then I rubbed my eyes afterwards and discovered it’s smudge proof.
Another current favourite from Bare Minerals is their Natural Lipgloss in Citrus Tart. It’s a sheer but peachy shade that doesn’t disappear as soon as you apply it and it contains botanicals including honeysuckle flower extract, pomegranate seed oil and jojoba oil as well as antioxidant vitamin E. There’s no parabens or preservatives and the applicator is a brush rather than a sponge tip, which I find very handy. www.bareminerals.co.uk
I’m a bit of a fan of lip glosses so if there’s any you can recommend I’d love to hear from you, just leave a comment and let me know.
Beauty round-up – fragrance, skin, hair and homemade salt scrub
New from Marc Jacobs comes Dot, which is not only a delicious fragrance but an absolutely gorgeous bottle. With a base of warming vanilla and a coconut heart, Dot – inspired by the designer’s love of polka dots apparently – is topped with juicy red berries and dragon fruit.
This is a perfume that will appeal to the young – I can already see my Dot stealing it away – but also to the rest of us who are past trendy teen perfumes. In spite of the fruity overtones it is a more mature (ahem) fragrance, light and easy to wear for daytime. So if she does whisk it away I’ll just have to whisk it right back again. Available at The Perfume Shopnow.
The Keratin Therapy Pro straightener from Remington is part of a new hair care collection launching for autumn/winter that promises to care for your hair while you style it.
A protection sensor in the top plate gauges how much moisture is in the hair and automatically selects the best temperature to straighten without damaging. The ceramic plates themselves are infused with keratin, which the manufacturers say is released into the hair to condition and protect it – they claim it reduces damage and breakage by up to 57% when compared to a standard Remington ceramic straightener.
Impressive figures – I don’t know how they got them but leaving that aside, with a 15 second heat up, variable temperature from 160° – 230°C and floating plates that maintain constant contact with the hair, they do the job.
I haven’t tried the product myself yet but a stylist has used it on my hair and I was impressed at the performance, not to mention how soft and sleek my hair felt afterwards. www.remington.co.uk
Jasmine Protective Fluid from Docteur Renaud is a new skin care product that offers three in one protection against sun damage, environmental pollutants and free radicals. It contains shea butter polyphenols to help detox the skin and jasmine, which is rich in antioxidants, as well as an SPF of 30 to help protect the skin from damage and ageing.
Use it daily under your usual moisturiser; the fluid is light, so shouldn’t leave a residue on the skin and it has a subtle floral scent. www.doctor-renaud.co.uk.
Finally for today, I thought I’d share a simple beauty recipe with you. It’s for a sea salt scrub and it comes from Dr Lamees Hamdan, founder of luxury spa and skincare brand Shiffa Dubai.
You need:
½ cup fine sea salt
2tbsp almond or olive oil
Your choice of essential oils, such as lavender or geranium
Combine the fine sea salt with the almond or olive oil and add a few drops of essential oil, for example lavender or geranium;’ tea tree also works well.
Mix together and apply with your hands or a loofah on to damp skin. Then simply rinse away in the shower. Dr Hamdan says: “The recipe is very simple for the remarkable benefits it delivers.”
I haven’t tried it yet but will do soon. If you try it let me know how you get on.
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