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Conversations through the middle

Life from a (slightly) more mature perspective

Gorgeous Christmas gifts

December 4, 2012

I have been holding my hands behind my back, twiddling my fingers and sitting on my hands since July to stop myself talking about Christmas too early, but hey, it’s now December and it’s definitely time to jingle those bells and get festive. I thought I would bring you a few of my favourite Christmas gifts, discovered during my travels in the lat few months. I could go on for pages, but I wouldn’t want to tire you out before the big day itself, so I’m limiting myself to just a few, with more photos than words for a seasonal change…

I love this gift set from The Body Shop. I first saw it at a blogging event I attended and posted about it here. The ginger fragrance if very fresh and Christmassy. I almost bought it for a friend but instead opted for a hand cream and hand wash set in a pretty metal holder that will look great in her bathroom. Another lovely idea from The Body Shop this year is this lip balm lollipop – I know somebody who is going to love finding this in her stocking on Christmas morning…

Elemis is one of my favourite brands and this gift set is my idea of heaven. It’s not cheap, but it’s certainly one for the wishlist. Find it at Time To Spa The great thing about this gift set is that all the products are full size – and I can vouch for the eye treatment, which I’ve been using for several months.

Green People always come up with gift packaging that is just that little bit different every year, and of course the products inside are high quality, vegetarian or vegan, often organic and suitable for even sensitive skin. This is another brand I use regularly and I really admire their philosophy and approach to skincare.

I think the idea of advent calendars for grown ups is so good – skincare products instead of chocolates, what’s not to like? I know there are a few versions around at the moment, some more expensive than others, but this is one of the nicest I’ve seen. Liz Earle also do crackers, which are great for a party though the thought of people pulling apart something that costs so much is a bit hard for me to get my head around. Candles, well I’m now officially a candle convert and I’m also a fan of the latest Liz Earle fragrance, so this definitely gets the thumbs up.

I discovered Melvita just a couple of years ago, but since then I’ve become a big fan, especially of their eye treatments and moisturisers. Full of natural ingredients and subtly fragranced, Melvita was founded in France, but luckily for us has made inroads into the UK and has a flagship store in Covent Garden. I was invited there for a Christmas tipple and to see their Christmas gifts, including the rose nectar gift sets, which are beautifully boxed and contain some of the brand’s best-selling items. I was surprised to see how many products Melvita has – and delighted as it means I have so many more to discover!

This beautifully presented gift bag (a little creased by the train journey home) contained a rose nectar gift set, which smells sublime, and a bottle of Melvita’s new Huile Extraordinaire, which I will blog about soon. The candy cane disappeared as soon as Dot saw it funnily enough.

Finally, I wanted to include these shoes because they are just so pretty. I could never walk in them and they are totally impractical, but for Christmas they say to me parties, fun, fairytale princess, dressing up. They’re from Matalan and I took this photo at Christmas in July. Every girl needs a pair of sparkly shoes at Christmas don’t you think?

What would you most like to see in your stocking this year?

Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

Beauty round-up – fragrance, cleanser, dry sunscreen and hair care

July 23, 2012

Exciting news from Liz Earle with the announcement of Botanical Essence No.15 eau de parfum, the company’s second fragrance. It’s a delicious spicy mixture of tonka bean, sandalwood, pink pepper, bergamot and cedarwood over a  damask rose and vanilla heart and is described as fresh oriental. “Customers wanted something more evening-y and sensual, more exotic, which is the brief we gave,” explained Liz Earle at last week’s launch event. “The fragrance has high levels of naturals but still has the finesse of a fine fragrance.”

Achieving the right balance of natural ingredients while creating a fragrance that is contemporary and not too heavy was not an easy job. “Often naturals can be quite old fashioned so it was a challenge to create a fresh oriental fragrance with such a level of naturals,” continues Liz.

Alienor Massenet is the perfumer behind Botanical Essence No.15. “It is very rare to be asked to use such a high level of natural ingredients; it’s easier to use synthetics. Plus oriental fragrances are harder to formulate using naturals, a lot more difficult than the citrus fragrance family,” she says. “The brief allowed me to not only use the best ingredients, but also the best parts of these special ingredients. All of these factors have helped create a unique fragrance.”

I don’t know about fresh oriental – I don’t get that with this perfume, I get warmth and depth, rather than fresh. It’s sophisticated, definitely a fragrance for evening, though I think it would also work in daytime during the winter when you’re all wrapped up in jumpers, woolly scarves, gloves and woolly hat, walking in the countryside. I don’t think it will be to everybody’s taste, however, partly because of the ethos behind the brand and the focus on quality, natural ingredients, partly because I think it smells lovely, it is to mine.

Also from Liz Earle comes this special edition version of the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. It contains rose and lavender essential oils so is great for using to get rid of make-up and grime before going to bed. For each bottle sold Liz Earle is to donate £2 to the Prince’s Trust as part of its Tomorrow campaign. Liz – along with other famous names including the photographer Rankin and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes – is working with the trust as a mentor to young people building their own businesses. It’s on sale from September. uk.lizearle.com

Here is something I haven’t seen before but tell me if I’m just out of the loop and you have, it’s a dry sunscreen powder containing titanium dioxide and clay that not only protects the skin from UVA and UVB rays, but calms and soothes inflammation.

By Jane Iredale, Powder-Me has an SPF of 30 and is water resistant, so ideal for wearing by the pool. The new shade – Golden – joins the existing Tanned and Translucent sunscreens. Simply apply to body and face 30 minutes before going into the sun. Dab on the powder and rub into the skin with your hand or the sponge provided and for best results apply to just moisturised skin. It’s suitable for children as well as adults. www.janeiredale.com

Organic Care systems has reformulated its haircare range including its Aqua Boost, shampoo, conditioner and reconstructor, which now contain ecocert-approved oat seed extract and lecithin. Organic Care’s Power Build products now have added apple extracts, lemon  and sugar cane to promote scalp cell renewal, while its Status Quo shampoo and conditioner benefit from beetroot extract with its anti oxidant and anti inflammatory properties.

All products are free from parabens and synthetic ingredients, contain natural fragrances and they are not tested on animals. www.organiccoloursystems.com

Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

I live in the countryside with my dogs and cat, and I love horses, yoga and running (sometimes). Writing is what I do - I've tried other things, but keep coming back to it. And I'm learning to meditate.
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