NYE NOTD: Ciate Cabaret & Magic Carpet

Monday 31 December 2012


NYE is finally here!  I decided to go for a purple glitter look on my nails this year to celebrate the end of 2012.  I applied two coats of Ciate's Cabaret (a gorgeous dark purple creme, formula is a little thin though as you might be able to tell from the below pic.  If I was wearing this on its own, I'd definitely slap on an extra coat!) as the base and then layered it with a top coat of Ciate's Magic Carpet.  At first I was really disappointed with Magic Carpet because it looked so densely packed full of glitter in the bottle and then it just applied as a thin sparse glitter suspended in clear varnish.  However, with Cabaret as a base I think it works well!


I hope everyone has a fantastic NYE!  
See you all in 2013!

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Best Of 2012: Part 2 - Hair / Skin / Bodycare

Haircare:  A'kin 24 Hour Intensive Moisture Leave-In Conditioner has become a regular staple in my general getting ready in the morning routine.  It helps to tame frizz and keep my dry ends and lengths happy (reviewed here).  2012 was the year that I experimented with the wonders of hair oils and I quickly decided that the Macadamia Oil range was my favourite, especially the Healing Oil Treatment and Deep Repair Masque.  I also enjoyed using the Schwarzkopf OSiS+ Flatliner Iron Serum Spray with my straighteners.  


Skincare:  Liz Earle pretty much dominated much of my everyday skincare routines in 2012, favourites being their Brightening Treatment Mask, Gentle Face Exfoliator and of course the cult beauty classic, Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.  Other skincare favourites that I discovered later in the year include JASON Brightening Apricot Scrubble, Essential Care Organic Rose Petal Tonic and Laidbare DIY Cleanser

Bodycare:  In 2012, I finally tried out the much hyped Weleda Skin Food which is a fantastic winter skin saviour, as is budget friendly Lavera All Round Cream and another cult product, Steamcream.  I also wanted to include the gorgeous smelling Bee Lovely range from Neal's Yard Remedies (Body Lotion and Busy Bee Balm pictured above).

So that's everything!  If you missed Part 1 you can read my make-up favs of 2012 here.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what I'll discover and fall in love with in 2013!

Post your own Best Of 2012 links below!

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December Books List

Sunday 30 December 2012

 

(1) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
I've been neglecting old classics recently, so when Northanger Abbey was chosen for a book club read, I decided to pick it up.  Sadly, no matter how much I try to read Austen, I always find that I'm easily bored with the archaic language and overplayed Gothic literature references that I remember studying in English Lit class.  I'm sure many of you will disagree, but Austen novels are just not my thing and Northanger Abbey was no exception.  I can however appreciate it in a historical context when I think back to when it was originally written, and the social attitudes of the time.  [2/5]

(2) The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
The Dog Stars is one of those books that can be described as both heartwarming and thought-provoking.  Our protagonist, Hig, is one of only a handful of people who managed to survive a massive flu outbreak which killed off most of the world's population.  He lives with his dog Jasper and a sociopath neighbour at a tiny airport that they guard against the'others'.  Hig is also a pilot, but his plane has limited fuel and is only used for short trips to check for intruders around their encampment.  The prose is simple but beautiful as Hig recounts what he has lost in his life and whether a future can ever be planned again.  Dog-lovers will especially love this book as the story certainly reaffirms that old saying of a dog being man's best friend.  [4/5] 

(3) Gillespie And I by Jane Harris
An enjoyable novel that has all the very best elements that I like from historical fiction in it, combined with a good dose of black comedy.  The story is centered around an elderly lady named Harriet Baxter who is looking back on her life and starts to write a memoir about her time with a young artist called Ned Gillespie.  There are some interesting plot twists along the way which kept me fully engaged in the story, but the ending wasn't quite what I expected.  [3/5] 

(4) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
A beautifully written and illustrated children's book that deals with the subject of death in an original and inspiring way.  Conor is a young boy who has been having a recurring nightmare of a monster coming ever since his mother began to have treatment for cancer (as an adult reading it, you can probably guess what the 'monster' is or refers to).  Instead, a different monster comes walking in the form of a yew tree and begins to help Conor come to terms with what's happening.   Utterly heartbreaking, I was crying like a baby at the end!  [5/5] 

(5) The Leaderless Revolution by Carne Ross
After reading so many dense, and frankly dull, books based around activism and politics this year, The Leaderless Revolution felt like a breath of fresh air.  It's an easy to read and fully accessible book for anyone new to activism who is looking for a few pointers on how to get the ball rolling, whether through individual choices or collectively (though the problems of trying to do things on your own are briefly discussed).  I also enjoyed the interesting background info of Carne's previous life as a British diplomat which is present throughout the book and made it even more pleasurable to read.  [5/5]

(6) The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway 
I've lost count of the amount of times this book has been recommended to me.  It's utterly brilliant and hilarious in a bizarre/offbeat/unconventional 'what-the-hell-is-going-on' meets 'OK-let's-just-roll-with-it' kinda way.  You really have to just dive straight into the book and not look back or worry about where it's going!  The story is split up into flashbacks of the main protagonist's life, and then these are interwoven with the current events that are threatening to break apart the world.  If you love books where you can be completely absorbed by their science-fiction/dystopian world, but don't mind spending about a month reading it (it's a long one), then this could well be for you.  [4/5]

What books have you been reading this month?

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Best of 2012: Part 1 - Make-Up


I'm back from my internet-free festive break and I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!  As we're in the very last days of 2012, it seems only right to have a beauty recap of the year.  There were so many products that I wanted to include, so I've split my 'Best Of 2012' into two parts; one for make-up and one for general skin/hair/bodycare.  So without further ado, below are some of my favourite make-up products that I enjoyed using in 2012:-  


2012 saw the much anticipated UK release of Revlon's Colorburst Lip Butters.  I loved the hype across the blogosphere for these lip balm/lip stick hybrids and rushed out to purchase a handful like everyone else.  You can see swatches of my favourite top 5 shades here.  I also began to grow my little collection of Korres Lip Butters!

Out of all the make-up related purchases that I made throughout the year, my best investment was definitely getting two sets of Real Techniques brushes.  I received the Core Collection for my birthday and soon purchased the Your Eyes / Enhanced Starter Set afterwards.  I use these brushes virtually everyday and couldn't imagine being without them now! 

One make-up collection that really stood out for me in 2012, was the release of Liz Earle's full capsule collection.  Everything that I have tried from this range, I've just simply loved, and I already have my eye on a few more bits that I'd like to try in 2013!  You can read my reviews of Liz Earle's make-up here


Aside from the Lip Butters mentioned above, Revlon also released their amazing Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, my favourite shade being Honey (pictured above).  Another big 2012 hyped product came in the form of a pink pot of magic nail polish remover by Bourjois which I reviewed and raved about here.

I also discovered lots of products for the first time in 2012 that quickly made my coveted Holy Grail list.  Some of these include bare Minerals Original Foundation, MAC Sheertone Blush in Blushbaby, MAC Powder Blush in Harmony and Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub.  Other mention-worthy favourites were MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Shy Girl, Essential Care Mineral Lipstick in Praline and terre d'Oc Sublime Lip Gloss in Rose Ubud

I'm sure that there are many more make-up favourites that I've forgotten to include, so check out my general favourites tag for more fab products that I loved throughout 2012.  Will post part 2 tomorrow!


What make-up items would feature in your Best of 2012?

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Advent Calendars: Days 21-24

Monday 24 December 2012


Latest In Beauty YOU advent calendar:-

Day 21: Trilogy Rosehip Oil (2.5ml) - Have wanted to try this out for a while so I'm looking forward to giving this 7 day trial a go.

Day 22: Mont Bleu Glass Nail File - Always handy to have a nail file in your bag!

Day 23: Balm Balm Lip Balm in Rose Geranium  - Have used this in the past and liked it, so I'm happy to have another one for my lip balm stash.

Day 24: AS London Candle - I thought it was a nice touch to have a mini candle included in the calendar.  This one smells quite strongly of musk and spices which isn't a scent I'd choose for myself, but one I'll still try out.


Ciate advent calendar days 21-24: Fade To Greige, Caviar Pearls in Sundance, Mojito and Enchanted Rose. All lovely shades again, especially that festive Enchanted Rose!


Liz Earle* advent calendar days 21-24: Smoothing Line Serum (5ml), Daily Eye Repair (5ml), Brightening Treatment Mask (15ml) and Superskin Moisturiser (15ml).  Looking forward to trying these out and really happy to have a travel size of the Brightening Treatment Mask which is one of my favourite HG face masks.

So that's it!  I had a lot of fun opening up these advent calendars and will definitely be purchasing them again next year :)


I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas! 

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December Empties / Products I've Used Up

Sunday 23 December 2012


So here it is, the last Empties post of the year.  Thought I'd put this up a little early so that I can pop them all in the recycling bin before it's xmas.  These are the products that I managed to finish up in December and whether I would repurchase them again:-

Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask* (reviewed here)
Love this face mask - it clears up any blemishes quickly and makes my skin feel wonderfully clean and clear.  Repurchase?  Yes.

Yardley English Lavender Luxury Body Wash
I've had this lingering around in my bathroom since March when it came in a Joliebox and I've been slowly using it up ever since.  It's not my favourite lavender scent in the world (a bit too 'powdery' for my liking), so I just used the rest up in recent baths.  Repurchase?  No.

Davines Authentic Moisturising Balm
So sad to see my last tube of this get used up!  I used it as an intensive hair treatment and loved how soft it made my hair feel.  Repurchase?  Yes, I'll pick up a full size when I've used up some other hair masks.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
This is the original cooling peppermint formula that Burt's Bees are famous for.  Personally I prefer their Honey formulas more, but this was still nice to use.  Repurchase?  Maybe.


Essential Care Organic Calendula Balm* (reviewed here)
A great multi-purpose all natural and organic balm that can be used on any dry/chapped bits.  This little tub lasted ages!  Repurchase?  I have lots of multipurpose balms in my current stash, but it's certainly something I'd pick up again in the near future.

Clinique All About Eyes
I like this eye cream a lot and have gone through a couple of pots of it in the last two years.  It's a good, everyday eye cream and one to try out if you haven't before.  Repurchase?  I fancy a change so as this was my last pot, I've decided to switch to using Korres' Evening Primrose Eye Cream at the mo.

Dermasalve Body Cream* (reviewed here)
Another product I've had in my bathroom for a while.  This was OK and something I used when I experienced eczema flare ups, but I much prefer LUSH's Dream Cream and Barefoot's SOS Body Lotion to this.  Repurchase?  No.

balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash
Love the delicate rose/turkish delight scent of this and it's one of my favourite natural body washes to use.  Repurchase?  Yes, but only as a treat as it's a little pricey.

Barry M Lip Gloss Wand in Toffee (reviewed/swatched here)
Another favourite product that I've used up is this lip gloss from Barry M.  Smells and tastes just like toffee and is a gorgeous nude shade with a little shimmer.  Repurchase?  Already have!


Have you used up any products this month?  
Feel free to link to your empties posts below!
 


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NOTD: Nails Inc - Motcomb Street

Saturday 22 December 2012


Today has been labelled 'Black Saturday' by marketing gurus and having spent the better part of this morning stocking up on last minute Christmas things, I can certainly say that I agree!  The centre of town has been chaos today!  Anyway, I thought I'd post a quick NOTD of the nail polish that has been gracing my nails recently and seems rather apt for a Black Saturday.  It's Nails Inc's Motcomb Street; one of those beautiful 'blackened blues' that are always popular throughout A/W, and quite possibly one of my favourite magazine freebies of the year.  If you like the shade of this but would prefer a more natural alternative, then check out Zoya's Cynthia which is pretty similar.

What are you wearing on your nails this weekend?

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Winter Skin Saviour: Laidbare Butter Me Up Organic Shea Body Butter

Friday 21 December 2012

 Laidbare Butter Me Up Organic Shea Body Butter* (250ml, £11.99, link)

I recently did some promo photos for the natural British brand Laidbare, and they kindly sent me their whole range of products to try out as a thank you.  One product that I decided to use straight away was their Butter Me Up Organic Shea Body Butter which is perfect for dry winter skin.  

It comes packaged in a huge 250ml tub and as I unscrewed the lid, I was hit by a gorgeous scent of jasmine which made me want to use it even more (if I could have shrunk myself down to fit into the actual tub Alice In Wonderland style, I probably would have!).  The formula contains key ingredients such as Organic Shea Butter, Rosehip Oil, Vitamin C and Avocado Oil to intensely soften, renew and thoroughly hydrate dry and sensitive skin.  As you can imagine this is a thick body cream, but has a much lighter and whipped texture to it than traditional body butters like those you get from The Body Shop.  

When I applied it after a shower, it sunk in easily and left my skin feeling soft and pampered.  That jasmine fragrance that I mentioned earlier is part of Laidbare's 100% natural signature scent and is a blend of jasmine, bergamot, patchouli and vertiver .  It's quite strong when you first apply it and does linger, but personally I think it's lovely and really relaxing.  I'd recommend this to anyone who is looking for a daily scented body moisturiser to use during the winter months.

Laidbare products are free from synthetic fragrances and colours, as well as chemical ingredients such as sulfates, parabens and phthalates.

 Have you tried anything from Laidbare?


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Advent Calendars: Days 17- 20

Thursday 20 December 2012


I was really naughty and took advantage of the half-price offer on the Latest In Beauty YOU advent calendar (I blame Sandra from Beauty Balm for giving me a heads up on it!).  It's packed full of exciting goodies that I can't wait to try out and I'm so happy that I bought it.  For days 17-20, I opened up:-

Nicky Clarke Instant Calmer Shine Balm (30ml) - My hair is naturally frizzy and uncontrollable so I'm more than happy to give this a go, plus it's a handbag friendly size.

Steamcream (full size!!!) - I love Steamcream (check out my review of it here) and it's one of those multi-purpose moisturisers that always come in handy during winter.  I already had two backups of this in my stash, so I'm pleased I have a third now.

Yardley English Rose Deodorising Body Fragrance (75ml) - I don't use aerosol deodorants, so this is going to be passed onto my mum.

Eve Lom Rescue Mask (15ml) - I've wanted to try Eve Lom's skincare for absolutely ages so I was thrilled to open up this today.  Can't wait to give it a go!


In my Ciate advent calendar I opened up:- Power Dressing, Candyshop Caviar Pearls, Cookies And Cream and Magic Carpet.  Loving the look of that glittery Magic Carpet at the mo, might be my NYE nail polish this year?


And last but not least, in my Liz Earle* advent calendar I opened up:-  Energising Body Wash (15ml), Foot Scrub (15ml), Foot Repair Moisturiser (15ml) and Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion (50ml).  Interested to try the first three out as they're new to me, and I'm really happy to have a travel size of Eyebright as my current full size bottle of it is nearly all used up.


Have you been enjoying your advent calendars this year?

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5 Popular German Beauty Brands

Wednesday 19 December 2012


Since getting back from Frankfurt, I've been chatting to a few of you about European beauty brands, discussing what you look out for when you go abroad and which products you pick up that you can't readily get hold of here in the UK.  I love discovering foreign brands, so I thought I'd compile a quick 'top five' of the best beauty brands that you should look out for when you visit Germany.  Where possible, I've also listed where you can get these brands in the UK too, but given the exchange rate, if you're visiting Germany anyway, it's probably going to be much cheaper to buy them there!


1. ARTDECO

ARTDECO is a very popular high-end cosmetics brand in Germany and is described as the country's No.1.  It had huge displays in every department store that I visited in Frankfurt and is often available in higher end pharmacies as well.  ARTDECO are well known for their 'beauty boxes' which are essentially make up your own palettes, and you'll often see women with one of these in their hands at the display stands as they pour over the shade selections.  A beauty box is basically a sleek empty magnetic palette available in various sizes, which you can then customise with your own choice of eyeshadows and blushers.  As you can see from the first photo above, there's an enormous range to choose from!  

Aside from the beauty boxes, when I spoke to one of ARTDECO's make-up artists she said that the recent Dita Von Teese collection was also selling well, particularly the lipsticks .  Prices for ARTDECO's products generally start from around £5-6 for an eyeshadow refill and go up to around £30-35 for a liquid foundation.

Available in the UK?  Yes, you can purchase ARTDECO online via Debenhams, Beautybay & Tender Loving Skincare. 


2. SANS SOUCIS

SANS SOUCIS is a German natural brand which uses thermal spring water from Baden-Baden (the much loved and revered spa town in Baden-Württemberg) in its products.  It uses this unique selling point to mainly promote its range of botanical and mineral rich skincare line, but has also branched out into offering high quality natural cosmetics (as pictured).  Prices are mid-high, but there are often good special offers on new products.

Available in the UK?  I can't find anywhere that stocks SANS SOUCIS over here.  If you know anywhere, please comment below and I'll add it to this post.


 3. WELEDA

Oh Weleda!  If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that I absolutely love Weleda.  This Swiss/German hybrid of a brand is incredibly well known amongst fellow natural/green beauty lovers because Weleda have such a strong ethos about their products being natural and never being tested on animals.  Their simple yet effective products come in many forms, with several ranges being available to suit everyone's tastes, and they stock everything related to bath, body, skin and haircare.  I'm a big fan of their cult multi-purpose cream Skin Food and their Pomegranate range.  Prices are mostly around the mid-high range mark, with skincare being on the higher end.

Available in the UK?  Yes, Weleda are available in larger Boots and health food stores, as well as online (Feel Unique, Naturisimo, LoveLula etc).


4. DR. HAUSCHKA

I always like to think of Dr. Hauschka as a natural version of Clinique or Estee Lauder; their displays are very similar and I often find their sales assistants to have the same kind of mannerisms too oddly enough!  Dr. Hauschka pride themselves on creating natural and sustainably sourced products that work wonders on the skin and its these ethics (and products that deliver real results) which has seen Dr. Hauschka become a firm favourite of royalty and many celebrities.  Primarily known for their skincare and luxury bath products, they also have a make-up range which I really want to try out.

Dr. Hauschka's quality doesn't come cheap; prices start from around £10 for a body wash to around £60-65 for skincare treatments.  That said, I always find that the SAs are more than happy to give you free samples of products to try if you ask nicely, and many of their skincare products are available to purchase as handy travel sizes.

Available in the UK?  Yes, you buy Dr. Hauschka from John Lewis, Debenhams and Harvey Nichols to name a few, as well as the usual online sites like Feel Unique, and Beautybay etc.


5.  LAVERA

Lavera are quite similar to Weleda, but better suited to those on a budget, with most things being very purse friendly typical high-street prices.  They stock a fantastic range of great quality toiletries, so it's a good place to start if you happen to lose your luggage on the way to Germany!  You'll find everything here from skincare, bodycare, haircare and all the things in between.  Like Weleda, most of their products are set out in ranges, so you have their Basis sensitive range where I'd recommend their amazing All Round Cream, and then their Honey range, Rose range and so on. 

They also have a good range of make-up which is well worth looking into as well.   The prices for Lavera were significantly cheaper in Germany than in the UK, so I stocked up a couple of bits!

Available in the UK?  Yes, some larger health food stores like Holland and Barrett stock it, as well as online via Pravera, Naturisimo and Cult Beauty.

I also want to give a quick mention to the budget make-up brand, Essence, who have a fab range of nail polishes for less than 2euros a piece!


Do you love any of these German beauty brands?
Have you ever visited Germany / would you like to?

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Review: New CID I-Flick Double Ended Liner

Tuesday 18 December 2012

 New CID I-Flick Double Ended Liner* (£16.64, link)

I'm always interested to try out new eyeliners and perfect that much coveted cat-eyed / winged flick.   Packaged in a slim and compact pen, New CID's I-Flick Double Ended Liner looked like a perfect eyeliner for me to experiment with.   It features a liquid liner on one end and a retractable kohl liner on the other, so I happily gave it a go.


The liquid liner end at first delivers a smooth, fine link of greyish-black, but this can be built up easily so you can choose whether you want just a subtle line or a much more intense, thicker and blacker one.  The formula is wet as expected, but it quickly dries.  The shape of the tip is super easy to use, making it ideal for beginners to play with (or those who struggle with applying liquid liner like I do!).  The only thing I didn't like about the liquid was that it didn't last long (2-3 hours max) so you'd need to re-apply it frequently.  Setting it with a black eyeshadow and layering it over a good primer like UDPP helped to prolong its wear time considerably, but even then, it still had a tendency to start smudging and fading. 

The kohl liner end is smooth, soft and creamy but comes out as more of a very dark brown than a true black, and you really have to layer it for it to show up black.  Sadly, I thought the pigmentation of the kohl was pretty poor and like the liquid end, it just didn't last long on the eyes either before smudging and then disappearing.

For me personally, I like to use eyeliners that are very pigmented and last for more than a few hours, so I wouldn't recommend this, but if you're looking for a liquid eyeliner that you can experiment with and isn't scary to use (i.e doesn't come out in a jet black thick line the first time you use it!), then it might be more suitable for you.


Available from Hairtrade.com


Have you tried anything from New CID?
What liquid eyeliners are your favourite/ would you recommend?

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Amie Skincare Review: Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash, Bright Eyes Very Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover, Morning Dew Matte Finish Moisturiser & Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask

Monday 17 December 2012


I first came across Amie's skincare range via Tania's blog a while ago, so I was delighted when the brand got in touch with me to ask if I'd like to try out some of their products.  Although Amie's budget-friendly range is primarily marketed towards teens, it'll work for anyone who has troublesome skin like I do, so I was excited to give these a go. 

 Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash* (150ml, £4.95)

The first product I tried was their Purifying Facial Wash; a creamy based cleanser that's ideal to use first thing in the morning.  I used this in the shower as part of my getting ready routine, and it was really lovely to use.  It has a very subtle / delicate fresh scent to it and the cleanser made my skin feel soft and thoroughly clean when I got out, without any dryness or tightness at all.  This would be great if you have oily skin because the soap-free formula balances everything out without stripping away your natural oils.  Made with 96.8% natural ingredients.

 Amie Morning Dew Matte-Free Finish Moisturiser* (100ml, £4.95)

I'm still on the fence about how I feel about this one.  It's probably because it's winter and my skin needs a bit more hydration that it usually does, but this didn't work so well for me.  It has a lovely subtle scent like the face wash and made my skin feel soft, but ultimately it just didn't wow me.  I'll be sure to give this another go in S/S next year however to see if I feel any differently about it then.  Made with 90.8% natural ingredients.

 Amie Bright Eyes Very Gentle Make-Up Remover* (125ml, £4.75)

Bright Eyes is an oil-free, non-greasy, make-up remover that lives up to its name of being very gentle to use.  It removed most of my make-up easily, but sadly struggled to shift my stubborn waterproof mascara.  Despite this, I'll still enjoy using the rest of the bottle up because it doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes and does an excellent job with the rest of my make-up.  Made with 98.9% natural ingredients.

Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask* (10ml sachets or 75ml tube for £4.95)

My favourite product is definitely the Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask.  I was so impressed with this that I've already added the full size tube to my xmas wishlist; simply put it's amazing!  The mask has a deep cleansing effect that really draws out all of your impurities making it ideal to use if you battle with breakouts.  It has a lovely cooling sensation and like the rest of the range, smells subtly fresh too, with lots of mint.  I got two uses out of one sachet, so I'm saving up the extra sachet to use when my skin plays up again.  Made with over 94% natural ingredients.

Amie products contain no parabens, mineral-oils, petrochemicals, sodium laureth sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate.  They also have no ingredients of genetically modified origin, animal testing or animal ingredients and the range is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.  Available from Boots. 


Have you tried anything from Amie? 

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Advent Calendars: Days 13-16

Sunday 16 December 2012


In my Liz Earle* advent calendar, I recently discovered the following products for days 13-16: Botanical Shine Shampoo (50ml), Botanical Shine Conditioner (50ml), Energising Body Scrub (15ml) and Energising Body Lotion (30ml).  I've tried the haircare products a while ago, but I'm eager to give them another go as the samples I tried previously were only sachets, so these should give me a better idea of whether I like them or not.  Always pleased to see a body scrub and lotion as I often get through lots of these and haven't tried the Liz Earle ones before.

Ciate days 13-16: Glass Slipper, Speed Dial, Headliner and Big Yellow Taxi.  Again another bunch of lovely colours, particularly loving the look of Glass Slipper at the mo!

Have you been enjoying your advent calendars this year?

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Xmas Gift Idea: simplehuman Sensor Pump Soap Dispenser & Fragrance Free Liquid Hand Soap

Saturday 15 December 2012

Simplehuman Sensor Pump Soap Dispenser* (£39.99) & Simplehuman Fragrance Free Liquid Hand Soap* (443ml, £6.99)

Every year I always struggle to find something to give to my Gran for Christmas.  She is one of those people who always says she doesn't want anything, but if I turned up on Christmas Day empty handed, she'd be a bit miffed (in the nicest possible way of course!). 

When simplehuman contacted me recently to ask if I'd like to receive one of their fancy Sensor Pump Soap Dispensers, I had to have a think about it before replying.  In all honesty, I'm a simple bar of soap kinda gal, though I am partial to my current Burts Bees Citrus & Ginger liquid hand soap.  

Anyway, you can see where this short story is going.  I decided to accept the offer and give it to my Gran as one of her Christmas presents, and she loves it.  She has rheumatoid arthritis which means this is absolutely ideal for her to use, and much easier than her having to struggle with a bar of soap every time she wants to wash her hands.  The battery powered sensor pump is just that; simply put your hands underneath the little spout, it magically detects that they're there, and then dispenses a small amount of the liquid soap.  It makes a little whirring noise when it dispenses, but it's nothing offensive. 

I think this would make a great gift for anyone who has a relative or friend in the same position, or if you know someone who has a nice kitchen and you're stuck for what to get them, then it might make the perfect gift!

simplehuman stock a range of their own liquid hand soaps which you can buy with the Sensor Pump, or you can obviously refill it with your own.  They also sell traditional pump soap dispensers (as shown above) and lots of other kitchen and bathroom related apparel.  

Do you like to give/receive kitchen/bathroom gadgets for xmas?

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