Kiehl's Creme de Corps

I have had the Kiehl's Soy milk and Honey body cream for about a year now. I was love at first scent for me, and I bought it purely because the smell was so comforting to me. After actually using the product, I realised it is actually a really lovely body cream.

Apparently all the Victoria's secrets models use this air whipped butter on the runway, as it is light and easily absorbed but gives the skin an instant smooth, soft feel and a supple look. When applied onto the skin, it has that rich and buttery feel to it, that makes you feel like your getting really good moisturisation, but the air whipped formula means that in seconds the product is absorbed and your left with touchably soft skin. I love to use this in the Winter or if I'm feeling ill, as I said earlier, the secent just makes me feel really comforted and like I'm being looked after. I also use it before bed if I feel a little dry.

As I have mentioned, I absolutely love the smell, the milky honey-ness is one of my favourite smells ever, but some people aren't keen. My sister thinking it smells like mouldy milk, but I strongly disagree!

My large tub was £45.00 which is a bit pricey, but Kiehl's are renowned for being very generous with their samples so if you go to a counter or store near you then you can go and try a sample!

Banana Nails

Hi everyone! As it is only 2 short weeks until I go on my travels, I thought some tropical, summery nails would be in order. I saw these banana nails on Instagram a while ago, and thought they were really cute.

I used the Model's own scented polish (banana scented of course!) as the base. After wearing the Victoria Beckham £25 a pot polishes which lasted for ages, these £5 polishes chipped only hours after painting them which proves paying more does count! Anyway, I used my nail art pen for the skins, and then outlined with a black pen too.

Hope you like! I will try and do as many posts as I can squeeze in before I go!

L'Occitane Almond Range

I am a sucker for the smell of Almond as I am a huge lover of marzipan. When I saw the Almond range from luxury bathing french brand, L'Occitane and took a smell of a few of their products, I knew I had to have them.  You may have seen a few products from the range posted on my 2014 Christmas wishlist post I did. At Christmas they had this little taster set for £20 which contained sample sizes of the entire range. 

After further research on the range, I found out that Almond is actually a firming ingredient and is really good at toning and firming the skin, as well as smelling delicious. The almond shell is really good for toning and contouring the skin, and after a month of using it, skin looks visibly smoother. I'll talk to you about each product from left to right.

So firstly we have the Hand Milk which goes absolutely amazingly with my Jessica Phenomenal oil which also smells of almond and contains almond oil. These two are a match made in heaven as the hand cream seals in all the moisture left from the oil, and is a really good moisturising cream for the hands. It soaks in really quickly too so is good for when your on the go.

Next is the Supple Skin Oil which is a body oil. I prefer to use a dry oil on my skin as I find they absorb a lot quicker so are good for dressing after. This oil is not a dry oil so you can still feel the residue on the skin for a while after. I would only use this on my legs in the summer or before I go to bed at night for an intensive moisturise.

Next is the Milk Concentrate which is another product for the body. This is a thick body cream which is better for the rest of the body as opposed to the oil. It absorbs really quickly and a little bit goes a long way. I love the consistency and regularly apply it to my arms and upper body in the morning as it has 48 hours of moisture to give. It has also won an award for best anti aging body product from the natural beauty bible.

Posed underneath the concentrate is the hand made soap which is a milk soft cream. I don't tend to use soap much but it is a nice addition to the sink and it has a nice creamy lather.

Finally we have the shower oil which is was initially drew me to the range. This has won a ton of awards and it is a really lovely product. When mixed with water, the oil turns into a really light weight milk and is so moisturising on the skin. I absolutely love using this and again a little goes a long way. I have tried to use as little as possible each time so it won't run out, but when it does I think I'll have to invest in a full size.

Have you used any of these products? Are they something you would be interested in?

Origins Set

For once in my life, I can finally say my skin is normal. It isn't too dry, it is pretty well balanced, and it feels comfortable. Now I am not targeting a particular problem, I feel I can concentrate on the general look of my skin, rather than catering for a particular problem. My skin is very pale and dull. Without makeup, I often get referred to as a zombie, and regularly get asked if I'm feeling ok. 

Back in December on my beauty Christmas wish list, the Origins GinZing range was something I wanted to try out, as it claims to add radiance to the skin, and energises it for the day.  I read a review of the GinZing moisturiser on a blog long ago, and it has always stuck in my mind and been one I've wanted to try ever since I read it. I nipped to Boots on one of their Christmas discount events, and snapped up this set which contains a mixture of products from Origins, including the GinZing moisturiser I wanted to try.

The set contained The GinZing moisturiser with the matching eye cream, an overnight mask and a night cream. The Gin Zing range is made with coffee beans which is what gives your skin the ZING it needs for the day.

The moisturiser has been everything I wanted and more. It's really lightweight, almost jelly consistency absorbs really quickly, and the smell of oranges makes it the perfect wake up call every day. Although it doesn't focus on hydration, my skin has maintained its healthy balance with this, and I do feel like my skin appears less dull (personally anyway). I love using this every day, and use it over my Caudalie radiance perfecting serum to add more radiance. The moisturiser retails at £23.00 on its own.

The eye cream is something that I hadn't particularly wanted to try, but I have found it marries my moisturiser so well that I now can't stop using it. The eye cream comes in a very light pink cream, and I swear it has tiny speckles of glitter or something! It really brightens the eye area and I have seen a huge reduction in my dark circles from tiredness. It doesn't actually put glitter on your skin, maybe it's just so good at adding radiance it just looks as if there is glitter in it?! Again this retails at £23.00 on its own.

The drink up intensive mask is one I haven't used as much as the others due to its intensity. I would have preferred to try the GinZing mask to come in the set, as it is a cool gel that awakens the skin, but I really love this though, and use it when my skin feels dry. It is an overnight mask and is a clear film that goes over the skin, using Japanese seaweed to lock replenish moisture lost throughout the day. It doesn't feel greasy at all, and it allows your skin to absorb just as much of the product it needs. This also retails at £23.00.

Finally, The night cream that came in the set isn't from the GinZing range and it isn't something I use as often. This is personal choice as I like my skin sort itself out at night rather than put on lots of creams. Never the less, I do use this if my skin looks particularly dull or feel a bit parched, and its rich formula perks it up very quickly. It contains all the vitamins your skin requires to wake up refreshed, and it gently sloughes away at dead skin revealing fresh skin in the morning. By itself this retails at £34.50.

I really love these Origins products, and it is a natural brand formulated without synthetics and parabens which is another thing I really value in my skin care! I really want to try more from Origins, particularly the Mushroom range as I've read great things, and also the GinZing mascara that uplifts your lashes!

Have you tried any Origins products? Would you recommend them?

Victoria Beckham Nails Inc Polishes

I have long awaited these polishes and now I can finally swatch and show you them, be it a little after the initial hype. Nails Inc collaboration with Victoria Beckham AKA 'Posh Spice' was always going to be very sleek and glamorous. As a fashion designer herself, Victoria Beckham has influenced two very different but versatile and dynamic polishes.

The bottles themselves are a thing of beauty on their own, with a matte finish and peek a boo side panels to show you the colour. The black and white are very simple, and classic.

Firstly we have 'Judo Red' which I think is actually more orange toned, especially on my skin. This is the colour for more wow factor and more party look. It has a beautiful glossy finish and is so much more than a classic red. It gets heads turning straight away, and I imagine VB wouldn't have it any other way.

Secondly, we have this white is called 'Bamboo White' and it. is. stunning. I thought this would be the more underwhelming colour but words cannot describe this colour. It is so pretty and not like your normal tipex bright white. It has an almost pinky/ivory/cream undertone and it looks so chic and beautiful on. My best friend actually wants this as her wedding colour so you know it has the impact!

At £25.00 each these polishes certainly don't come cheap. I certainly can't afford them going travelling in two weeks so I had to try them on in my lunch break at work and take pictures at home (trampy I know!!)  They do have high shine and a flawless coverage though, so you get what you pay for. If you want the Judo Red punch but can't quite splurge that much, I know 'Amsterdam' by Mavala is a very close match and is a lot more affordable £4.75. However that white is a little more special and I can't think of a match for that, maybe just treat yourself to such an angelic polish!

I am wearing the 'Judo Red' to show the similarity. Look at the shine!

Do you think £25.00 is an extortionate amount to spend on nail varnish or are these too good to miss?

Valentines Nails 2015

Happy valentines day everybody! Today's nails are of kisses and roses, both of which I hope you all receive lots of! For this design, I used my nails inc pink called 'Alexa Cashmere' as my base coat. I must also mention this is the polish I used in my other valentine's nail art.

The name cashmere makes me think of a silky smooth finish, but actually the texture of this is fairly rough. After a quick Google, I can confirm that cashmere is actually made up of tiny hairs and resembles a sheeps wool, so yes, that is the kind of finish it leaves which wasn't a problem at all, I just wasn't expecting it!

 I free handed the roses and kisses with a small nail art brush using the same Ciate polish called 'Boudoir' I used in the last post, which I will do a proper swatch of eventually.

Hope you have a lovely day!

December Birchbox

Apologies for the long delay in Birchbox posts, but I am finally getting round to review my December Birchbox! This Sophia Webster box was so pretty and made my eyes gleam when I saw the (granted very fake and printed) gems on top. There really is something about shiny things that grab a girls attention.

Inside were lots of lovely goodies that came in handy over the Christmas period, plus a cute little leopard print zipped case that can hold a little lipstick in your handbag.

So here is what was inside...

Electric Hair London Shampoo

This shampoo by 'Electric Hair London' smelt really lovely, like coconut. It lathered nicely in my hair and felt like it was really moisturising, which is good as it's a hydrating shampoo! It has meadow foam and sugar beet extracts which aim to add shine to dried out hair, and add a weightless finish. I liked this shampoo and felt it gave a healthy boost to my hair.

Models Own Velvet Glitter

'Models Own' are a brand I can always rely on the love the products, and this is no exception because I am so so impressed with this nail varnish! These 'velvet' polishes are glittery but come in coloured polish rather than a clear coat most glitters come in, so one coat will leave a glittered matte finish that is ready to go. You get the same (if not better) finish to a glitter effect but with one coat. A brilliant time saving product that looks great! Also perfect for the imminent Valentines say!

Ilcsi Rose Petal Gel Mask

I have never heard of this brand before, and by the looks of the packaging, I think it may be a Hungarian company, or at least get its ingredients from Hungary. In the pot, this mask smells mainly of almonds strangely, but with a hint of rose. It smelt really delicious and leaves bits of rose petal on your face when its on. It recommends leaving it on for 15 mins, in which time the mask goes semi hard. After washing it off, my skin felt soft and smooth, but still a little tight. It was a bit of a chore making sure all the rose petals were off so I probably wouldn't buy this product, although I love trying international products. 

Benefit High Beam

This is one if those products that you never thought you needed until you've used it. I actually saw a friend wearing this before I tried it, and it highlighted her cheekbones perfectly and added a really

pretty glow to her skin. Once I saw this, I rushed to try it and haven't stopped using it in my makeup routine since. You just draw on the areas you want highlighted and tap in to the skin to blend.

Eyeko Eye Stick

I was slightly skeptical about this product. I loved the Eyeko eye liner pen but something about putting a big black crayon on my eye lid instantly makes me thinks panda eyes. Sure enough I tried it though, and was impressed at how easy it was to blend and create a smokey eye effect. It also claims you can use it above the eye which I did, and again was shocked at how un-crayola like it looked. It's better for a smudgey eyeliner on the lid, think Kate Moss' makeup-from-the-night-before-but-still-look-effotlessly-cool look. I wouldn't even attempt a cat flick with the chubiness of the stick though, and for me, it doesn't go quite near the lash line as I'd have liked. However you can get quite a neat look, be it smokier than usual. Personally I wouldn't buy the product just because I love liquid eyeliners to much for precision, and when it comes to a smokey eye, I prefer to blend with a brush rather than fingers, as I feel like I'm rubbing and stretching the eye lid skin which is quite delicate, and I don't want it to sag anytime soon. If you prefer a quick way to achieve the smokier look though, or want a handbag sized quick fix from day to night look, this is a good thing to have.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil

This oil is a really lovely treatment to pop on overnight if you feel your skin needs some TLC. Trilogy is a brand I've wanted to try for a while now, and this organic rose hip oil has a dry oil finish so it doesn't leave your face feeling greasy like some other facial oils. It's not great to massage with, but to pop on your face without the worry of a greasy pillow, it's great. The other thing I like about this which may seem a bit weird, is the fact that it has no smell to it. Some rose products can be really overpowering and have that dusty rose smell to it but this is a scentless. Rose is a great ingredient to help hydrate and to also calm and soothe.

Have you tried any of these products before?

Valentine Heart Manicure

It's getting to the sexy time of year where we celebrate Valentine's day! And it wouldn't be Valentine's day if there wasn't themed nail art to go along with it!

This year I've gone for some more textured nails, as I had a few heart themed things to try. The first being the Alexa Chung Hearts polish I got in my Nails Inc kit at Christmas, and the second being the red Ciate velvet I've had for ages and been meaning to try. As you may know I also have the green velvet from the emerald collection, and have done a few furry designs with that, but the red velvet called out to be used at Valentine's season.

The red that came with the Ciate velvet was the very aptly named, 'Bodouir', and I just free handed the heart and patted on the velvet, for a fluffy heart. As for the Alexa Chung heart polish, application wasn't as easy as I'd have hoped. I wanted one quick sweep to give me flawless heart coverage, but unfortunately you have to work quite hard to get them out. I find swirling the brush around until you get a few hearts on the end, and the strategically placing them on the nail is the technique you need to adopt.

Nevertheless, it looks pretty cool and its a cute textured alternative mani from the usual hearts we see this time of year!

Love Steph x

Ren Instant Firming Beauty Shot

Ren's latest addition to the 'Keep Young and Beautiful' range is the firming beauty shot. More of a treatment product, this product claims to be like a face lift in a bottle. It aims to makes the skin feel instantly firmer and tighter, and can be used under or over makeup.

I received this little sample from work, and have been using it for a few days. From other reviews I've read, it is meant to slot into your daily skincare routine, and works with all the other products you use. The product contains Hyaluronic acid which makes your skin retain more water, therefore making it look plumper and feeling more hydrated. It also acts as a barrier so free radicals can't damage your skin. It works with all your other skincare so aims to magnify the moisturising effects from everything else you use.

I feel by itself, it has quite a mattifying effect and has a primer feel to it, so I really like this product under makeup, however the texture is like a serum so works best under a moisturiser so it can retain all the moisture to your skin. I have not tried it on top of makeup which it claims you can do, but I imagine it is perfect if your heading out and want to freshen up.

As for firming the skin, I definitely felt the skin on my forehead and around my eyes feel tighter, (in a good way not a dry way). This product retails at £36.00, for more information click here

Disney Princess Nails

If you are a girl (or potentially a boy), you would be lying if you haven't ever once thought about which Disney Princess you would be. My friends and I are constantly in debate about who is what princess, and we even have 'Princess Parties' to make ourselves really quite special.

I decided to do Disney Princess nails, as I saw I Scream Nails, (my new favourite nail group who I am OBSESSED with) post some on their Instagram account, and thought I'd follow suit.

These are my cute little princesses! I went for princesses that have distinctive features, and the ones that myself and my friends fight over. 

I used my Michael Kors polish I swatched the other day, and then used nail art pens for the princesses.

Can you tell which Princesses they are?