Wednesday 9 May 2012

MONU moisture rich collagen cream





This is a totally new brand for me.  Normally I’m pretty happy using Dermalogica skin smoothing cream and I honestly never thought I’d find anything as nice.  Until I tried MONU moisture rich collagen cream.

I was one of the lucky ones to get this in my recent Glossybox.  The product is full size 50ml. I’ve been using it for a few days now – it’s amazing.  It’s a really rich cream so it’s perfect for my dry skin.  It says it relieves dryness and smooths fine lines.  My skin feels really soft and smooth.  Often a cream for dry skin can take ages to absorb into the skin, but that’s not the case with this one.  I’ve found it to be great to use before applying makeup – my makeup has applied really well the last few days and has really lasted during the day.  I’ve found it a really nice cream to use at night too. 

One thing really stood out to me and that’s the scent.  This cream contains rose and geranium essential oils, evening primrose and blackcurrant seed oils.  I actually quite like the scent, but those who don’t particularly like rose might not.  The cream contains shea butter and sodium hyaluronate and marine collagen to help smooth fine lines. I’m not saying this is any kind of miracle cream because I don’t think they exist, but I’ll definitely be buying more of this.  I’ve tracked it down at feelunique for £16.25 which I think is a fantastic price.  

What do you think of MONU products?  I think I'll be trying more products in the future.  

Sunday 6 May 2012

Favourite fragrances



Like most girls I can’t just have one fragrance.  But I do have a few favourites, so I thought I’d quickly share them with you. 

Miss Dior Cherie
I am absolutely obsessed with this perfume.  It is gorgeous, feminine, girly, and sexy.  It is described as a sensual blend of Italian mandarin, Egyptian jasmine, and patchouli which truly captures the dazzling Dior spirit in a modern, fruity-floral fragrance.

I picked up the 50ml eau de toilette from Boots for £49.  I think that’s pretty reasonable.  I wouldn’t say this is overpowering, but you don’t need to wear much or re-apply during the day.
 
Stella McCartney L.I.L.Y 
This is my newest perfume and the one I’m really going to talk about the most.  It’s Stella McCartney’s latest fragrance L.I.L.Y which was launched recently.

The packaging is very unique: an oval bottle held inside a metal square with a metal cap. I love the name, which was taken from Paul McCartney’s nickname for his late wife Linda.  L.I.L.Y stands for Linda I Love You. 

The key note is Lily of the Valley with a subtle hint of truffle and a warm base of oak moss.

I am also a fan of Stella McCartney’s original fragrance Stella, but I’ve used every last drop I own!
If you don’t like floral fragrances, you most likely won’t like this.  The staying power is really good too.  I got this 100ml eau de parfum bottle from Boots for £59.

Marc Jacobs Lola
I’m onto my second bottle of this now, so it’s fair to say it’s a favourite.  The bottle is so over-the-top.  This is my favourite packaging.  I love the vinyl petals and gold rope detail - the moment I saw it, I wanted to get it for the reason that it would look fantastic on my dresser.

Since the whole idea isn’t just about visual appeal, I was pretty amazed to find that this actually smells as good as it looks.  It is described as a warm floral scent – playfully alluring and irresistibly tempting. The long-lasting, day-and-night scent opens with pink peppercorn, pear, and ruby red grapefruit. Blooming midnotes of rose, fuschia peony, and geranium make a feminine statement. 

This 100ml eau de parfum cost £63 from Boots.  

Jimmy Choo 
This was bought for me as a surprise present, so that was the first time I’d tried the perfume.  It was from someone who knows me pretty well.  I wanted something different.  Something that stands out from my usual floral fragrance and this certainly does that. 

The perfume itself contains modern fruity chypre with warm, rich, woody depths. This certainly isn't a sickly sweet perfume it’s a much warmer, sweet scent that has great staying power. The eau de parfum retails at around £39 for 60ml.

Saturday 5 May 2012

April Glossybox








It seems like ages since the last Glossybox arrived on my doorstep.  I’ve had this box a week now and can honestly say I’m amazed how fab it actually is.

This month's box is the natural box to coincide with Earth Month.  It supports brands that help the environment and believe in natural packaging and ingredients. The box came in a plain brown outer box, and the beige inner box has been made of recycled materials and everything is 100% biodegradable.
I like the idea of the themed boxes, but this is the best one yet.  So, here’s what was in my box ....

Caudline Vinosource SOS thirst-quenching serum (worth £9.66)
This is the first Caudline product I've tried.  It’s an ultra-concentrated serum that sinks in nicely and is extremely natural.  This is a deluxe sample size tube, so it will give me a good chance to see the benefits. 

INIKA Cosmetics certified organic eyeliner (worth £11.75)
I was really lucky to receive this in a usable everyday shade – charcoal.  It’s a nice rich, creamy liner and doesn’t feel cheap and scratchy.   It is a full size product and I would definitely recommend it if you are after a good organic and natural eyeliner with no chemical ingredients.

Monu Professional Skincare moisture rich collagen cream (worth £17.50)
A rich, luxurious cream to relieve dryness and smooth fine lines. This is another full size product but and although I’ve only used this once – I LOVE IT!! Definitely one I’d consider buying when my Demalogica has run out!

Figs & Rouge lip, face and body balm (worth £3.29)
I was really excited to see this in the box.  I know ... it’s the cheapest product in the box, but I really wanted to give this brand a go.  I love these multi-purpose balms and this one is 100% pure natural and organic and can be used on lips, face and body. This is another full size product too.  The packaging for the little tin is adorable and right up my street.  I received the cherry and vanilla flavour.   It is petroleum free and smells like sweets.  It sinks in really nicely and is so nice to use. The balm protects skin against dryness, and is also soothing, nourishing and is just a really handy product to pop in your bag.

Burt's Bees naturally nourishing milk and honey body lotion (worth £3.68)
Apart from the lip balms I’ve never used any other product from this brand.  This product is 99% natural and claims to nourish the skin for up to 24 hours.  I’ve not got round to trying this, but I’m looking forward to trying it out.  It’s the perfect size to take away, so I might have to save it for my hols!

Were you as impressed as me with the April Glossybox? 


Estée Lauder advanced night repair




I picked up a sample size of this product after hearing so many fab things about it.  Being the beauty junkie that I am I wanted to try it myself.  Every serum on the market seems to claim to give you beautiful, smooth, younger looking skin.  This one says it can help to reduce the appearance of past damage, uneven skintone and immediately hydrate your skin – it contains the vital ingredient hyaluronic acid.

My skin is normal/dry and I’m not prone to breakouts.  With only using this sample size, I’m not likely to see the full effects, but I’ve been using this for the last week and I love it.  My skin looks more radiant and it feels lovely on my skin.  About three drops of this on a night is enough.  It’s a bit like a gel/liquid with a bit of a strange smell to it – but that didn’t put me off.  It immediately sinks into the skin.  I’ve been moisturising after using this, particularly where my skin is dry. 

The only downside is the price tag.  But maybe its one of them products that you get what you pay for.  The 30ml bottle is just over £40 and the 50ml bottle is just over £50.  Have you tried advanced night repair?  What do you think?