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.  

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.

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? 

Primed and poreless SPF 20 bronze tint face primer

This product has been out a while now, but I stumbled across it while I was out shopping.  I’ve been on the look out for a primer and to be honest I think I was sucked into the idea of this having a bronze tint to it.

I don’t like to wear really thick makeup and prefer the more natural look.  You can actually get this without the bronze tint, but I thought this would be ideal to use over spring and summer.

When I squeezed a small amount of the product out of the tube, I must admit I had my doubts.  It’s a quite a dark brown-orangey shade, but surprisingly blends to leave a subtle, warm, sunkissed glow. The bronze finish is really nice. 

The added SPF is another bonus – I feel like I’ve got my moneys worth here.  I was worried that it could be a bit heavy, but I can honestly say it applies like a really well and doesn’t feel at all greasy. 

I luckily don’t have large pores, but if you do, I don’t think this would apply very evenly.  Or, if you’ve got pale skin, this would probably leave you with a nasty looking streak around your face. 

I prefer not to use this all over my face and use it to give a sunkissed glow – so it’s not for those who want to put a layer of primer and then cover it over with a layer of their favourite foundation – that would slightly defeat the idea of having a bronzer included. 

Would I buy it again? I do really like it, but I would be tempted to buy it without the bronzer, especially for during the winter months when my skin is paler.  However, I’m really happy with the brand, so I’d be happy to use this again.  You can pick this up from the high street at your local Boots store for just over £20. 

What do you think of Too Faced products?  

DuWop Doubleglow7

I must admit that DuWop isn’t a brand I normally go for, but I liked the sound of this, so I thought I’d give it a try. Doubleglow7 is a luminous face balm that claims to give instant radiance to the skin.  It says you can apply it under or over foundation.

Worn under makeup, Doubleglow7 can be used as a primer or it can be used over makeup to give a gorgeous glow.  It comes in a small jar (just .42oz), so it’s about the same size as an eye cream.  It’s a pale, golden, luminous, waxy looking balm.  At first I thought it was going to be too solid, but it seems to melt into the skin and it’s really easy to blend.

One thing I really like about this is that it’s not glittery and you can build the product up on the skin depending on how much of a glow you want.  The balm isn’t greasy and leaves my skin with a really luminous finish. 

If you’re looking for a highlighter, with good staying power which makes you look like you’ve had a few hours extra sleep, then I’d recommend this.

You can pick this up at HQhair for £21. 

What do you think of DuWop products? 

Dermalogica skin smoothing cream 50ml

No matter how many moisturisers I try out this is the only one I keep going back to.  I’ve got quite dry skin and this does exactly what it says on the tin.

It smoothes dehydration lines and makes your skin feel really moisturised, while toning and keeping your skin’s moisture.  It is fragrance free which I really like.  It contains lecithin and aloe gel and cucumber and arnica to soothe and hydrate.  It contains antioxidant grape seed extract and vitamins A,C and E. 

I find it’s got quite a thick texture.  It’s suitable for normal to dry skin so I find it perfect to use all year round.  I use it twice a day after I’ve cleansed and toned.  It’s such a great moisturiser and that really helps when applying makeup. 

This is the only Dermalogica product I use at the moment, but I’d love to try out more.  You can pick up a 50ml tube of this from lookfantasic for £25.90