Melvita Archives - Conversations through the middle

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?

It’s that day again, the day when I climb ever further into my 40s. It amazes me just how quickly time passes – and how blinded we are by it. When I look in the mirror I still see a woman in her 20s and I feel no different than I did when I was 18, except perhaps I’m a little bit wiser and a lot more cynical.

One thing I’ve noticed when it comes to beauty, in your teens and 20s it doesn’t matter what make-up you use or even if you have a skincare regime, you look good regardless. A couple of decades later and it does matter, very much so. This is the time that lack of cleansing, moisturising and sun protection comes back to bite you on the bum and when what you put on your face affects not only how you look but the ongoing appearance, even health of your skin.

I’m lucky in that my mam was very conscious of skincare and cosmetics. Her advice and enthusiasm rubbed off on me and I’ve been using moisturiser since I was at least 15 years old, perhaps younger. Her favourite was Nivea then Oil of Ulay (when it was Oil of Ulay). I still can’t pass a Nivea tin without sniffing it and being transported back decades. Oh the power of fragrance memories.

I now have my own favourite skincare products and they have become more sophisticated over the years, each designed to do a different job in holding back the years. Not all of them are expensive, many are natural (I have a soft spot for organic ingredients and plant extracts) and some are luxuries that remain on my wishlist rather than in my bathroom for the majority of the time. In no particular order they are:

A great day or night cream that feels gorgeous even as you’re applying it.
You only need a little and it sinks into the skin very quickly

I’ve been using this for years and it always does the job.
This is as good as some of the more expensive creams I’ve tried and it’s better than a few others

My current favourite eye treatment and one I told you about here

Melvita organic skincare is another of my favourite
brands and its Youthful Skin Serum is lovely under moisturiser

Lovely and light, this is one of my favourite daytime moisturisers. I blogged about it here

I have told you about this before here. It smells fabulous,
it makes a change to using night cream and as it’s an oil, you only need a few drops

Finally, as a sunscreen for your face, I haven’t yet found anything to beat this.
It’s not too sticky, not too thick, absorbs sort of quickly (quicker than other facial sunscreens I’ve tried), and it smells good. I first posted about it here

So just to finish off, I would like to say have a (virtual) piece of cake on me and a refreshing cup of tea (or wine) and let me know about your favourite beauty products in the comment section below. Enjoy the party!

Gorgeous Christmas gifts

40s Chic – and so I am (!!)