The Art of Pampering

After walking two very mischievous dogs, and bathing one because she decided mud was this seasons latest accessory there is nothing I wanted to do today except have a hot shower and get into my pyjamas onesie.

This windy wet weather is doing me no favours but it is giving me a great excuse to spend some time playing with products. Nothing makes me feel cleaner and more fresh than a good body scrub so today I turned to Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush( £8 - Boots) which smells divine, like margarita in a tub. This gets rid of all of the dry skin from my legs and leaves me feeling as good as new.

Once I get out of the shower it's time to deal with my complexion, which hasn't been to bad but I've been blighted with a group of under the skin bumps on my chin, so a bit of Origins Super Spot Remover ( £13 - Origins) followed with Aesop's Chamomile Concentrate Anti Blemish Mask (£33 Beauty Expert) This duo really helps to calm blemishes down, and get rid if any redness and swelling.

Whilst they work their magic I cover myself in Soap and Glory's latest addition to their Body Butter family Smoothie Star ( £10.50 - Boots)This rich body cream smells like marzipan and smoothes and hydrates and dry patches. If you love foodie scents, you need this body butter!

And before bed a quick slick of Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm (£9.50 - Feel Unique ) and I'm good to go and feeling a damn sight more human!

What are your favourite treats for Autumn?

 

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Bumble and Bumble Texture

Bumble and Bumble are a brand I'm loving exploring at the minute. Before I discovered Bumble and Bumble the main styling product I was using was a bottle of Dry Shampoo! Now I have a small arsenal of products to change up my style.

Bumble and Bumble Texture is a styling cream which give hair some extra texture and volume; perfect for that elusive undone look.

Once my hair is towel dried I get a small amount of Texture and scrunch it through my hair. If you need more then you can apply more but I find it best to apply in layers rather than a large amounts all at once, as it's quite easy to over apply it. It's then as simple as either using a diffuser or scrunching your hair whilst you dry it for a wavy look, or if you just want some lift at the roots I use a round brush to blow dry.

Texture will hold your style throughout the day but if I feel it needs a bit of a refresh I just spray on some Surf Spray to revive it. The day after styling with Texture my hair still has some shape, and I normally just use my hair dryer to feta bit more volume.

I can't recommend Texture enough and if your after a messy,bedhead style with out the effort you need this in your life!

Bumble and Bumble Texture is now available at Boots ( link )where the full size costs £21.50 or the travel size (pictured) costs £9.50



 

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Murad Perfect Balance

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a Murad Event hosted by Dr Murad himself. It was a really informative evening and I didn't feel that Murad were just trying to push products, he stated more than once that lifestyle had a much bigger impact and was full of useful tips.

Murad's philosophy is all about 'inclusive health' making the right lifestyle choices as well as the correct skincare for your skin type will result in a better complexion.

Just in time for Christmas, Murad have released five Try Me kits each tailored for different results. I opted to try the Perfect Balance kit which aims to control oiling maintain clear pores, whilst giving the right amount of hydration. The Kit contains T-Zone Pore Refining Gel, Blemish Treatment Concealer, Oil-Control Mattifier, Hydro-Dynamic® Ultimate Moisture for Eyes.

I've been trying all of the products for a couple of weeks and so far I'm impressed, no drastic results yet, but as we found out at the event your skincare can take up to a month to show affects. I'll be reviewing the products in more depth very soon. The star of the show so far though us the eye cream, it's got the nicest texture and sits perfectly under concealer.

The Kits are available now from Murad's Website (link) and the Perfect Balance set costs £42.50 (worth £89.70)

 

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Burberry Eyeshadow in Pale Barley

Burberry Beauty is very much the new object de jour in the Blogging Community, so it would have been rude not to treat myself to something during Harrods recent 10% off day. I've been lusting after their eyeshadows for a while now so I picked up Pale Barley a gorgeous pale gold with a grown up sheen.

Once you build up the courage to put a brush to the gorgeous tartan embossing your rewarded with a soft buttery texture. This is without a doubt the best eyeshadow texture I have used, I would quite happily get rid of all of my MAC shadows and have a few more of these.

All of Burberry's shades look extremely flattering, they seem to be true neutrals not leaning to cool or warm, and as with Pale Barley the finishes are either a very subtle sheen or matte. I apply with a Japonesque Shader brush but you could use a MAC 217 if you want a more sheer coverage.

I can't recommend Burberry eyeshadows enough and I will definitely be getting a few more. They are priced at £23 and can be found at Harrods, Harvey Nichols and selected John Lewis stores.

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Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry

 

My hair is not known for cooperating when I want a straight, frizz free style. I've tried so many straightening serums, sprays and creams that I have lost count. None of them really worked until I tried Bumble and Bumble's Straight Blow Dry.

Bumble And Bumble recently launched in Boots, and whilst at the Bond St branch I treated myself to a few of their products, and got given an amazing blow-dry and style by the stylist there, who was extremely helpful.

I was recommended the Straight Blow Dry, a heat activated styling balm which you apply whilst your hair is damp before blow drying and straightening. It's part ofBumble and Bumble's Straight line which also includes a Shampoo, Conditioner and Concen-Straight a professional straightening treatment. I like to wrap my hair in a towel for about 10 minutes to get rid of most of the water before working the product through my hair with my fingers.

I then blow dry with hands first and then I used a Denman brush to concentrate the heat at my roots pulling them taught, and then I use the brush to flick the ends under.

Once I've done all that straightening is a breeze and takes half the time it usually would. It also claims to protect against humidity which I would agree with, as usually any sign of moisture in the air makes my hair revert to its usually frizz, but not when I have used Straight.

I can't recommend this product enough, and I will be reviewing the Shampoo and Conditioner from the same line very soon!

Bumble and Bumble Straight costs £23.50 and is available at Boots, Space Nk and selected salons.

 

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The Diner

I was in London last weekend for a Murad event (post coming soon) and while I was there I had a great meal at The Diner, Covent Garden. The Diner is everything you want from an American style restaraunt; great decor, coke floats and huge sandwiches. I opted for the deli classic Reuban sandwich and a Cherry Coke, with a cheeky milkshake to take away. The sandwich was loaded with pastrami with just enough cheese and sauerkraut. Absolutely delicious! I'll be visiting again on my next trip!

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Think Pink with Japonesque: Brow Kit

It's October which mean loads of brands are going Pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness. Each sale from Japonesque's Pink range will donate £1 to Breast Cancer Awareness Research, so if you fancy trying some Japonesque products nows a good time to!

I was sent the Brow Kit to try, which has everything you need to shape and tame unruly brows. It contains two brow powders, a wax, a brow gel and some stencils. The colours would suit most hair colours from dark blonde to dark brunette/black.

The stencils are perfect for shaping thinner brows and getting the perfect arch. The powders are just the right pigment and stick around all day especially when set with the wax or gel.

It also contains some of Jonesque's Tweezers which have overtaken my Tweezermans as my favourite pair!

Japonesque's Brow Kit cost £21.00 and is available from HQ Hair (link)

 

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