What's with the Eve Lom cleanser hype?

A product that is called "probably the best cleanser in the world" by the holy grail that is Vogue, was one that - obviously - i absolutely had to try.

At long last I got the long awaited phone call; "Eve Lom have finally given us their testers, would you like to try the cleanser?" "erm let me think about this one.. uh yes please!" Hyping myself up to all kinds of extremes I strode through the city to find the promised land and give my little in-shop-spy some serious love.

Skipping jovially home like Dorothy on the yellow brick road, with Vogues review replaying in my head, I couldn't wait to take off my make-up and see what this baby could do...

I thought it would be fun to do a 'live' review, so, as i type, right here, right now I will come back to my keyboard and let you guys know what's going on (Owft the excitement!)

ok, hands are washed, hair is tied back. Firstly I absolutely must point out how awesome the freebie is. It's quite possibly the most luxurious and classy freebie i've ever seen in my life. I'll make sure I put pictures below.

I've opened the packet and honestly the smell is kind of funky, but i'm still feeling hopeful, there are a lot of incredible products out there with kind of funky smells..

I've massaged it into my face for almost 7 minutes now, not because i had to, i just want the best possible effect. It goes on really easily and kind of just melted into my skin, in sort of the same way a stick of lip balm melts into your lips, it's pretty soft and feels really nice actually (yay so far!) the strange little bead bits feel a little like i've got remnants of exfoliator on (anyone else get this when they're in a hurry? You exfoliate, wash it off, moisturise and find the odd little grain?) so i'm not sure if the exfoliator bit is actually supposed to do anything of it's just some magical hidden beauty secret? hmm

The process of taking it off was a little strange, it's quite lengthy, which i don't really mind as i'm usually pretty happy to spend a fair amount of time at night ensuring all my make up is gone etc. You basically have to put the muslin cloth in hot/warm water, wring it out and put it over your face, count to 5 and repeat. The cloth in the tester is far too small to fit any human face so I had to repeat it a few more times than recommended for it to actually cover all my face. Then you polish it off and do the same process but with cold water. (I can't help but compare this to the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot cloth cleanser)

Just patted my face dry, skin feels clean for sure, a little dry and a little tender but that could be due to my excessive massaging. Although i do that quite a lot. more Hmms..

Just went to apply moisturiser, got as far as my forehead and ouch! My face is really sensitive and quite red. Will jam for a few minutes and come back.

Ok, so no improvement in sensitivity and have instead applied some Dr. Weil Mega Mushroom serum and topped with the Avene Antirougeurs calm redness-relief soothing repair mask. Hopefully i'll be able to use some clarins face oil before bed, i hate not moisturising!

*** MORNING ***

Face is still a little sensitive but not at all like last night, no noticeable difference to my face (what was i expecting? Air brush in a bottle?) BUT when i Bioderma-ed this morning just to cleanse my face before putting my war paint on, i noticed i still had remnants of make up left! WTF? How?? I've obviously done this whole process wrong. Shall leave it a couple of days, go in store to talk to the Eve Lom lady and try again.

***3 DAYS LATER***

Tried the product again, less redness but my skin still felt a little tight and a little stingy when i applied my moisturiser afterwards. I used it this time on a clean face to see if that made any difference - it didn't.

BOO

Well, the packaging is lovely, the freebie is stunning (hats off to Eve Lom there), but unfortunately all I got out of this experience was a sore face, broken dreams and 2 free mini muslin cloths. Another bonus being of course that I didn't shell out for the full size and I won't be shelling out for it now, so that's a money win (my mum would be so proud..). I can't even give this product a bad review, it's just too sad.

Perhaps I hyped it up too much, perhaps my skin just got over-excited, perhaps there's just something in it that reacts badly to my skin, whatever it is, consider this failure the reason behind my broken heart.

I'm off to Kiehl's to drown my sorrows in lotions, put Bridget Jones on and get a face mask. .. and some ice-cream.

Has anyone else had their heart broken by a product they were really excited about? Am I the only one the Eve Lom hates or has anyone else found this too? Let me know in the comments below :)

(also sorry for shocking picture quality, I ordered myself a camera last night so hopefully it will arrive soon and the crappy iphone photos will be no more! :) )

Fashion Week Round Up - Valentino for Valentines

Fashion Week is over for another long stretch and it was (for me, at least) by far one of the best weeks put forward for a long time. With that in mind I couldn't help but share my favourite shows with you guys! I'll do one designer at a time and, I promise, it'll be more a photo gallery than my uneducated praise of the pieces :P 

First up was the one that caught my eye before all the rest (even before the Chanel trainers - what the hell are those about?! I know New Balance trainers are becoming acceptable to wear on a night out - apparently - but Chanel! Really?!) Anyway.. even before that, even after I'd stalked my favourite designers, there was still one that stuck in my mind as an "ooohhh... aaahhhh...." show, Valentino! 

Valentino has a weird knack for putting things out there that stick in my brain for ages and influence weird decisions like the colour of flowers I put in my room and the make up I wear without realising. Their advert for Valentina made me stop mid-Vogue and stare at it for 5 full minutes, it was that captivating, rare, dreamy beauty that isn't particularly shocking or extraordinary, but it just grabbed me. After that i begun to stalk Valentino more and more (sadly, hated the perfume, but hey ho!) 

SO! Enough rambling, below are a few images of my absolute favourite pieces from the show, enjoy! 

For those of you who can't see it clearly...

There is art at the bottom of this dress.. actual, incredible art depicting Adam & Eve (i think?) and it's AMAZING

I love me some simple, classic outfits and these are the absolute tits. Class, style, elegance. *applause*

A few details close up..

I love that the look was simple, clean and angelic throughout, it's fresh, flawless and elegant. Face masks anyone?

So they were some of my personal highlights from the show, what do you guys think? Love it, hate it, seen it done better elsewhere? Let me know in the comments below, I'd love to know what you think! :) 

Massive January Haul

After a very (very) lean Christmas, I decided it was about time to stock up on a few little essentials. Which, of course,  turned into an offensively large amount of shopping. Standard.

I thought I'd do a little blog post and let you guys know what I thought was worth it, and what i should have left on the shelf! (Surely the fact that my splurging doubles as a blog post means it halves in price right...right?!) I'll be doing skin care, hair care, and body products in this post and following with a make-up haul very soon.

Hair

Tigi 'Serious' Conditioner - worth it.

This smells like strawberries, cream and Calpol (for those of you who lived a sad and deprived childhood; Calpol is the tits). The conditioner actually really worked, I left mine on for just over 24 hours and my lord, silk, water, cashmere, bunnies tails and babies bums, my hair felt damn good. This is a little pricey, but if you're after something that isn't quite as hardcore as the Moroccanoil or Kerastase treatments (and a little cheaper), then this is a really good alternative. It's more for softness, shine and perfecting hair, sealing split ends and just giving hair the moisture boost of a lifetime.

http://www.feelunique.com/p/TIGI-S-Factor-Serious-Conditioner-750ml

Organix renewing argan oil of morocco - worth it (as a cheaper substitute)

 

This was actually a bit of a lazy purchase, I have so much love for my Moroccanoil treatment oil, that I thought I should probably branch out and try something a bit different (AKA a bit cheaper). The Organix oil smells really nice, and adds an incredible amount of shine to my hair, does a great job at de-frizzing, and makes hair super soft. But honestly in relation to the Moroccanoil, it just isn't as good. But I'll still be repurchasing this and using it everyday, and keep my little Moroccanoil for a weekly display of hair love or as a treat. 

http://www.feelunique.com/p/Organix-Renewing-Moroccan-Argan-Oil-Penetrating-Oil-100ml

****

That was it for haircare! I'd splashed out pretty recently on some hair treats so didn't go too OTT (*self applause*)

New year, new bod! And as i'm far to lazy to even contemplate the idea of actually exercising *shudder*, I decided i could get the same sense of renewed youth and improvement with a few tactfully purchased items!

Body

Laura Mercier Creme de pistache scrub  - SO worth it.

This is something I've wanted to get for quite a while now, every time I come anywhere near a Laura Mercier, it's always a b-line to the scrub for a good long whiff of wonder. It smells like Pistachio ice-cream, love, hugs, luxury and thick creamy cream (its pretty creamy). Smell aside, this scrub has really tiny exfoliating particles which i LOVE, usually it seems as though once an exfoliator is on, the granules seem so spread out that it doesn't feel like anything's happening, BUT fret no more oh seekers of the soft, Laura Mercier scrub boarders on microdermabraision, it's completely stuffed full of scrubby-bits and definitely does the job, PLUS you'll smell like sweet pistachio ice-cream for houuursss after you've used it. In love with this product! And I didn't even mention the best bit! It comes with it's own mini spatula. I mean come on now. It comes with a MINI spatula. #totesaborbs #sorry #ihashtaginappropriatethingswhenimexcited

http://www.lauramercier.co.uk/store/shop/Body%20Scrubs_Cr%C3%A8me%20de%20Pistache%20Scrub_prod80038

Burt's Bees Vitamin E Body & Bath Oil - Desert island essential - worth it! 

This might actually be my favourite purchase so far (I bet i'll be saying that about aaall the products #suchacharmer) The only downside to this product, is that it's far too small, I want to be able to buy this in litre bottles and fill baths with it and it alone like a modern day Cleopatra. It spreads really easily when applied straight to the skin, sometimes oils can be quite tough to get moving, but a tiny drop of this one goes a really long way. The smell lasts all day/night but isn't overpowering and doesn't interfere with any perfumes or other nicey-smelly things you put on. It smells like lemon oil, but not as intense, just fresh and delicious. Used in the bath, again, it's a story of a little going a long way. I'm still a dedicated lover of my Lush bath bombs, but I love to add a few drops of this in too. I've been using it all over my body every single day (this never happens, when it comes to full body exfoliation, moisturisation, anything really, I'm beyond lazy) but it's so quick to do and sinks in enough to be able to get dressed pretty much straight away, but is still there enough to still feel crazy soft 12 hours later. In case you haven't noticed, I love this. It's also an absolute steal at under £10!

http://www.feelunique.com/p/Burts-Bees-Lemon-Vitamin-E-Bath-Body-Oil-115ml

Lush Dreamwash Shower Smoothie - should have stayed on the shelf 

I won't mess about, don't love it. Smells awesome, feels pretty good to touch, easy and quick to use, does the job. But personally, I can't stand the soapy-squeak that comes with proper 'soap-soap', so this didn't do it for me. Sorry Lush!

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/138/Dreamwash-Shower-Smoothie

****

Face

Origins GinZing moisturiser - worth it

I feel a fool, this moisturiser shamed me hideously. It was my first venture into the land of Origins cosmetics, I've been missing out something crazy. It was the gorgeous Lily Pebbles that inspired me to give Origins a go (If you haven't checked her out yet then I would definitely recommend it, she knows what she's talking about! http://www.lilypebbles.co.uk/). I'm now a little obsessed and plan to get myself a new Origins goody once a month (we'll see how long that lasts...) This moisturiser smells like sweet oranges, feels more gel-like than creamy, it's super light and doesn't feel greasy or heavy or slimy, you need the smallest amount and it sinks in really quickly, great under make up or to reapply throughout make-up less days to keep your skin looking 4-shots-of espresso-just-slept-for-100-years-wide-awake.

http://www.origins.co.uk/product/10950/26237/Skincare/Range/GinZing/GinZing/Energy-boosting-moisturizer/index.tmpl

Origins Drink Up Intensive - worth it

This was a bit of a guilty purchase, I went in to get myself a new Clarins HydraQuench (If you're interested in HydraQuench I've put a link at the bottom of this review), but after splashing out quite drastically on make-up, I decided that I have enough moisturising masks and I was just being silly. AND THEN, I started playing at the Origins counter, saw this and INNOCENTLY ENQUIRED as to the price. Was slightly taken aback and ended up buying it.. and i'm so glad i did! It smells like apricots and peaches and love, super hydrating, really moisturising and soothing, doesn't feel too heavy, and in the morning you can see a genuinely visible difference. I prefer this to the HydraQuench now and will be repurchasing as soon as i'm out!

http://www.origins.co.uk/product/3857/11647/Skincare/Category/Masks/Drink-Up-Intensive/Overnight-mask-to-quench-skins-thirst/index.tmpl

 http://www.clarins.co.uk/Cream-Mask-specially-designed-for-dehydrated-skin/C010202010,en_GB,pd.html?start=10

Origins Clear Improvement Mask - shelf

  

After the success of Drink Up Intensive, I was pretty excited to try this mask (highly necessary as my skin loves throwing tantrums and blemishing all over the face (face.. place.. see what i did there?) Admittedly I didn't purchase this mask on its own, it came as part of a set with my GinZing moisturiser. Firstly, it comes in little wee pods, which actually is really helpful, it's much easier to get out and you don't waste any because it's sort of finger-scoop-shaped. I wasn't totally sold on it, although it was a really nice alternative to Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic, I don't think i'd use it AS much as the Lush mask, but it would definitely make a nice change, perhaps a monthly mask rather than a weekly. Overall, a good mask, I could see results, perhaps I hyped it up too much beforehand, but I wasn't blown away.

http://www.origins.co.uk/product/3857/11588/Skincare/Category/Masks/Clear-Improvement/Active-charcoal-mask-to-clear-pores/index.tmpl

(and for those of you interested, here's a link to the Lush mask) https://www.lush.co.uk/product/79/catastrophe-cosmetic-fresh-face-mask

Lush Ocean Salt - shelf 

speaking of Lush.. I'd tried this product before and wasn't enamoured, but re-discovered it after Christmas and used it just as a body scrub, I still don't think its amazing, but it's always nice to have a handy pot of this laying around! (Also makes the bath go milky blue - bonus) Word to the wise: KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED. Salt. just, salt.

https://www.lush.co.uk/product/306/120g-SMALL-Ocean-Salt-Facial-Scrub

(special mention: Dr. Weil Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Serum, I was given a few sachets of this serum to try and, although I don't really have sensitive skin at all, it was amazing! So nice to use under make-up, and make my skin overall less red, smoother and softer, only downside is the less than glamorous smell, which actually isn't awful, just not hugely pleasant. Dr. Weil Mega-Bright skin tone correcting serum, again, freebie love. This made my skin so much brighter and more even and just smooth, glowing goodness, love this as a primer. Kiehl's ultra light daily defence SPF 50. 50! as a natural ginger, I was already sold. But so often it pretty much feels like mushing wax into your skin, followed by a breakout to break all breakouts. But this felt just like a 'normal' night cream type of texture. Screw you wrinkles and sun damage, you can't have me!! Will be purchasing the full size of this the second my freebies run out)

  

And that's it! That was part one of my January beauty haul! If you've tried and loved any new products this new year then I'd love to know about them! :)

Love rant for Urban Calm

If there is anybody reading this in the Liverpool area, who suffers from back pains or knots or tension, all of the above, or just likes a little treat, I urge you ALL to go to UrbanCalm, it's in the Met quarter, next to all saints. It will change your life.

I always get super bad knots and tension everywhere (my posture is appalling and I never stretch properly), the first time I booked into urban calm was honestly because it was pretty cheap. I figured that £20 for 30 minutes would either help, or do nothing, but it would at least be pleasant and worth a try.

When I got there I was a little disappointed, a very petite blonde lady greeted me and I didn't put much faith in her. (It usually takes a 10 tonne Turkish man to beat my tension out of me) so when I saw a wee waif heading my way, I was a little gutted. 

On the table, warm and comfy and already more relaxed, she started asking me pretty standard questions; "any problem areas, illnesses etc", she kept going and actually gave me a pretty in depth consultation. She made me feel really comfortable and assured me that she could handle it, she seemed really on top of her game and, although still not convinced she had the man power for the job, I had faith she knew what she was on about. 

One minute in and I was swallowing my faithless words. I was beyond impressed. To start with she was pretty tentative "does this hurt.. Are you sure?!" But as soon as she realised I wasn't going to break, she went for it and I have no idea how. I don't even know what she was doing half the time, but she was INCREDIBLE! She found every knot like a heat seeking missile, and obliterated them all. I left feeling like I could fly. I love her.

So it was a no brainer, I was going back there for sure. Different lady this time, equally as petite (what are they feeding these people?) but I went in with more faith this time. And it was well placed. Once again, I was sorted out like it was just so easy (many a masseuse has fallen pray to my spartan spine and all have failed to finish the job, until now. These people are Trojans, hats off!)

The people who work there (upstairs, haven't dealt with downstairs.. Yet) are so professional and friendly and the whole atmosphere is really sweet and calming. For one of the cheapest massages I've ever had, it was probably among the best as well. I've now booked in for every 2 weeks for the next few months and pretty much want to just live there. Forever. 

This post has essentially been a love rant for UrbanCalm, but it was so deserved. If anyone is able to visit, I recommend it so, so highly. Do yourselves a favour, beat the January blues, and treat yourself. 

Amen urban calm, amen.

Carolina Herrera Spring Collection 2014

***REBLOG***

INFORMED by the Kinetic Art movement and Venezuelan artists Carlos Cruz-Diez and Jesus Rafael Soto, Carolina Herrera's spring collection was energetically spiked with graphic pops.

Green striped organza gowns, swirling Op Art printed maxi dresses and other hypnotic displays enlivened the proceedings. Veiling and layering was also a theme here but these sheer organza overlays were so feather-light, gently wafting, it didn't ever look too tricksy. The designer even extended the idea to the sweetest bandeau bikini we've seen yet. Just don't swim in it.

Herrera's collection isn't necessarily one that ticks off the emerging trends - her uptown clientele are more concerned with simply finding a pretty look for the social season's round of luncheons and benefit galas, and make no mistake, they will find many prize contenders here - but there was plenty that was on message: cotton shirts with organza panels, monochrome and pleats, to name a few.

As for the gowns that closed the show - one with a veiled feathered crop top, and another like an upscale shirt dress rendered in organza which buttoned all the way up and ballooned out – they were the clear winners.

Sarah Harris

and now, the magic, the glory..! Here are some of my favourite pieces from the collection. Majestic. 

If you'd like to see this post in all its original glory (this is highly recommended) then just follow this link! 

(God i love the internet) 

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/carolina-herrera