Eye Travel with Sunday Riley Start Over travel-size

Now most of us are either holidaying or have one coming up, I'd like to share a travel favourite of mine.

Meet Sunday Riley Starting Over Eyecream. It looks as simple as any other eyecream: 

Tube ✓

Clinical letters ✓

White packaging ✓

Or somehow I find eyecreams to be looking kinda sterile compared to other facial care. 

 Might be because it comes closer to a fragile area, the eyeball?  

In any case, Sunday Riley has Results as their 1st concern:

 Now, I do think the concept of 'having results' is a variable. In normal English: what I want from an eyecream might be totally different from my teenage daughter. She might combat dark circles that come from Festival [lack of] sleeping; I want wrinkle care!

But my love for this eyecream is probably veered towards it's travel purpose: especially airplanes that suck the moisture out of your body like a Saharan desert. Also, the puffiness reminiscent of walking in a sandstorm.

This Metallic top has this perfectly cool feel on eyes. A bit of a squeeze will bring out a small dollop [practice first otherwise you'll have an amount to equalize for the whole face], and the feel of the metallic top with the super-moisturizing eyecream will have your lids soothed to a key.

Ingredients:

V-5 Ageless Complex (Opuntia Tuna Fruit (Prickly Pear) Extract, Agave Tequilana Leaf (Blue Agave) Extract, Cypripedium Pubescens (Lady’s Slipper Orchid) Extract, Opuntia Tuna Fruit, Opuntia Vulgaris (Cactus) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract & Saccharmyces Cerevisiae (Yeast) Extract), Squalene and Olea Europea (Olive) Fruit Extract, Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Punica Granataum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Methysilanol Carboxymethyl Theophylline, Butylene Glycol, PEG-75 Meadowsol, Ammonium Polyacrylate, Isohexadecane, PEG-40 Castor Oil, Hydroxyethyl, Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C Ester) Glucosamine HCL & Algae Extract & Yeast Extract & Urea, Algae Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris (Mugwort) Extract, Glabridine (Licorice) Extract, Lecithin, Cholesterol Oleyl Carbonate & Cholesteryl Nanoate & Cholesteryl Chloride, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil & Astaxanthin & Lycopene & Alpha D-Tocopherol, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin

As for these results again: The ingredients focus on hydratation [eg: Rosehip seed oil, Squalene oil, Pomegranate seed oil] , anti-ageing [eg: Prickly Pear extract, Vitamin C, Algae extract, again Rosehip & Pomegranate] and brightening [eg: Licorice extract & Licopene].

I often feel I "start over" a bit when arriving at a new destination from an airplane. Perhaps because of the fast way of overcoming total areas, timezones and sometimes seasons.

Now I can "start over" with representative & hydrated eye-area.

But why does only the travel format come with the eyecontour-saving metallic lid???

Also, can we have this in the facecream as well? 

Pots & a Pan

Spring is in the air, so what's cooking?

 Let me show you my new pots. And my domestic virtue is still slightly underscored by my love for makeup, but I still have a cute pan thrown in it as well. I mean, beauty and health also comes from the inside, right?

•  Top: Gressa blush/lipstick Radiant: I've gotten on the organic Gressa bandwagen and got both this blush/lipstick as the foundation.
• Right: RMS Illusive blush: I'm trying to get as organic as possible lately and I did not have a colour like this yet in the organic range.
• Bottom: NARS eye Paint in Ubangi: I know, not organic but still pretty & pot-like to feature.
• Left: Tata Harper Volumizing lip & Cheek tint in Very Sweet: Oh my, this is the perfect organic hybrid between liptint and cheektint. It has a highlighting quality without compromising on colour.
• Left Top: RMS lipgloss in Bloom: a GPW from cultbeauty and a sister of Tata Harper very sweet. This one is a true lipgloss instead of a hybrid.
• Middle: Stella-Marie-Maris Pure Shea Butter: I got this one for my flare-up skin as it is the most neutral of butters. It takes some work to get it working for you, though.

As for swatches [unblended], I'll spare you the NARS as it has been featured a-plenty. Let's go for my latest organic ones:

1. Gressa Radiant is one of the most pigmented and poppiest colours in my organic section. It is almost too pigmented for my liking. On young-n-pretty skins it would look like this (See Brittany). I'm slightly hindered by some earthy note of fragance: it's not my favourite scent.
2. RMS Illusive: I needed a perfect Mauve-nudish blush in my collection and RMS Illusive seemed to be qualified. I think it's slightly muddier in real life. I was hoping for the cream version of Surratt La Vie en Rose. It still translates as a neutral-slightly cooler blush on my skin but I think the formula is sorta hard during colder weather.
3. RMS Bloom: I've been most delighted by this GWP. It's a true lipgloss compared with Tata Harper's clingier formula, but you could still use it as a short-term cheekgloss.
4. Tata Harper Lip & Cheek Volumizer in Very Sweet: Tata Harper makes brilliant organic products and seeing her doing makeup makes my heart sing for joy. I think this balm bring out a volumizing quality on cheeks (& lips) without feeling heavy. Very Sweet has been a gorgeous peachy highlighter-esque colour and I hope she'll make more of them. Hint: in dusky rose?

I have not added any blended swatches yet. I will do and compare them later: for this post I just wanted to show you the difference in texture.

I've said this a couple of times, but *organic* is not some kind of magic word. As for my latest pots, there is a new love that could replace anything chemical [Tata Harper] and there is the one that probably is more difficult than I'd expected from the raves [Gressa]. In any case, beauty reviews are highly subjective and based on so many things: weather, hormones, age, fragance memory and I could go on.

Basically, just my 2 cents or that bit of herb in the cooking...

Cowshed Slender Cow Body Sculpting Serum

Something about Cowshed's name is not that attractive to me. I like the outdoors and still I am a bit iffy to be associated with a 'slender cow', or any cow at all. Most of us know how the other end of the cow-variety will sound and it's often not too flattering.

Still, it was a freebie with something I cannot remember anymore, somewhere during Autumn '13.  It had 'target cellulite' on it and 'skinny', fair enough.

Also, Cowshed is a British brand and on the organic side of the spectrum. So me try try...

 

I had no idea what to expect from an organic 'body serum'. Their website lists these two ingredients as the main game players:

 Nice, there's Tamanu Oil again: It already passed around in my last post on haircare... 

Will this be 2014 IT-oil????

If you look at the rest of the ingredient list, you will see lots of essential oils like lavender, frankincense, lavendula & clary sage. This will add to a herbally fragance when using the milk. Also, various oils are known to have a 'deslacking effect, such as Clary sage & black pepper.

serum-like pump

It applies like a body-milk and not like a serum. I would not compare it to my usual 'cellulite-challengers' like Decleor or Vichy that often have a gel-like composition.

What I did notice is the subtle amount of shimmer:

Moody January light doesn't make it appear well but I agree that it would make one of those lovely leg-glowing potions during warmer weather.

I didn't see a real improvement on my body when using it: I am a bit of a Caffeine freak when it comes to Challenging Cellulite and it was not included in the 'Cowshed Slender Cow'. Most anti-cellulite potions are not miracle workers but I think caffeine is one of the ingredients that can help getting the extra water out of the cells. Ofcourse, in combination with exercise and a bit of body brushing/massage...

However, it makes a wonderfully moisturizing and herbally fresh body lotion that gives the right amount of glow to [slightly] lacklustre pre-spring skin.

Concluding to all this skinny talk, I'd add this wonderful photo of a very slender Lily Cole who reads to her bovines:

Photograph by Juergen Teller; styled by Camilla Nickerson; W magazine March 2009.

 I wonder what she reads to them and whether the milk will be better when reading to them [the new substainable farming?]...

Or, keep on grazing and don't be mooooo-dy for the rest of January...;)

The Argan Posse...

Oils and cosmetics products with Argan have been de rigueur since a while. Basically, they work and they have an excellent blendibility with other ingrediënts.

One of the lesser known hairoily serums I have been loving lately is Goldwell Elixir with Argan & Tamanu oil. Tamanu is probably the Argan of 2014, and both oils are brilliant for dry and damaged hair.

Goldwell is in the cheaper section than its posher sister Kerastase Ultime. Nevertheless, I've been preferring this thicker serum for a while before/during blowdrying in the ends of my hair. It prevents split ends, seals existing dry hair and gives an excellent sheen. I really like it's vanilla-like fragance: quite reminiscent of Morrocan Oil.

It's sold out at Beautybay right now: I got a better deal in this Dutch webshop for about €13. It's available at Goldwell hairdressers too.

Resolution '14: Improving my French (read: using more French Products)

The "learning a new language" is often one of the more fun and advantageous resolutions a person can have. I mean, you only might meet one person in your life that speaks the language, but you'd always have the opportunity to really eavesdrop upon them, or *shock* reply them.

I'll take it easy and will try to improve my French:

L-R: La Roche Posay mineral water spray - Rene Furtherer Naturalia dry shampoo - Nuxe Lipgloss -Phyto Secret de Nuit - Rene Furtherer Laque Vegetale (hairspray)

I'd like to focus on Rene Furtherer's Naturalia Dry Shampoo. It has been Belgian Blogger Mostly Sunny who gave it major heads up. The Belgians are as lucky to get full access to most French cosmetics, the Dutch only partly. So she has the opportunity to try out the multitudes of French skincare and compare them to other brands.See her review here.

I really like it and I agree on it's grease-mopping cum volumising strenghts without leaving white residue:

Selfies with products are soooo 2014!

I also have the Nuxe lipgloss 02 Rose Legendaire. Nuxe is mostly famous for its buttery lipbalm; the lipgloss is the smoother & coloured sister:

It optionally plumps out lips and feels like a treat instead of lipgloss.

And something more common; my road-size La Roche Posay thermal water:

A nighttime hairbalm: Phyto Secret the Nuit (fr= Night secret)

I really didn't like this one first because it smelled like lavendel-on-a-chemical-trip and made my hair greasy and unglossy. Then I just added it in the dryer ends, SPARINGLY, which made a difference.  It couples up as a stylingcream if you opt for a braid -> waves on straight hair that last...

Are your 2014 resolutions as intellectually challenging as mine?

Resolution '14: Focus on Inner Beauty (with Alex Beauty Formula N8)

I kinda have a songtune in my head when writing about my latest 'gimmick':"I'm a believer". I'm too young to thought it was sung by 'The Beatles' (instead of the Monkeys) but too old to think of Justin.

So I bought the Flower Remedy concoction from Alexis Smart. Flower Remedies are tinctures based on alcohol [yippie, alcohol...missed it since NYE!] and a whole lot of distilled flowers and herbs inside. Here is a more nuanced description of what I totally cramped into one sentence. 

It is based on Dr. Bach formulas and have been sold since the end of the 1930s. So in a way it is something that 'believers' think they really help, and the cynics think they won't.

Smart compared to my oftenly used Bach Rescue Remedy

Alexis has been so smart (ofcourse, this pun!) to embed her Californian roots and the need for beauty into a formula. Botox is soooo 2013 or maybe sooo 2012 and relaxing the face can also occur by releasing inner tension: when you do not feel the need to frown, you don't have to paralyse muscles either.

It is not the only remedy of her; she's having a variety and I was really between choices. But most formulas cannot be mixed up or combined (except for First Aid):

So I picked beauty as I felt really unpretty in December, even if I took major effort to be radiant. But you know, sometimes it isn't happening and some inner relaxation about the [obsession with] beauty might help, and that is a part of this formula

And how superficial I might sound, it sure seems to work on ms. Smart herself, the beauty formula:

Right now I have been using it for a week...I am not so obsessed about beauty, layers of makeup and blowdrying hair as I was in December. I think the muscles in my face look more relaxed. But I might be a believer... (but if the placebo helps...)

Ah, the song from the Monkeys

Birkinbagbeauty's Best of 2013: Body

I have featured a lot of body-products, hair-related products and other potionalities in 2013. So here is the list of my favourites [also with some newbies]:

Nails:

I became familiar with Ciate thanks to UK Fashion magazines' GWP. Ciate nailpolishes stand out for: 1. fab coverage even after 1 coat 2. dries fast 3. superb colours 4. longevity. I got the Ciate Advent-set and found some favourites: Pillow Talk is the more-than-just-a-neutral Mauve that suits both warmer & cooler oufits. Cutie Pie for that creamy basic that looks luxe without being too fuzzy.

Perfume

In autumn I regretted not been able to find my yearly fragance-infatuation. Then I remembered testing Caligna in the exquisite Parisian l'Artisan Parfumeur shop during summery 30°C weather and liking it. Testing it this winter in colder weather made me even love it more.

I know, showing a paper sample doesn't show that much enthousiasm...But Caligna only comes for the hefty pricetag of €120, which needs some more sampling before I will resist that #nobuy.

Body Moisturizers:

Darphin Nourishing Satin Oil with Ginger and delightful vanilla fragance has been one of those 'special occasion' luxuries that moisturizes as a dream and fragances you so softly. Yes, I'm getting poetic about this and it needs a better review. 
This Works Really Rich Firming Lotion is one of the few (nicely) fraganced products that work when I'm supersensitive: with the added bonus of putting tons of moisture on the dry parts. I have a partial fondness of jasmine so that makes it wonderful for hydrating the body.

Hair:
Oh dear, I've been completely obsessed by reconstructing my hair (see here). Conclusion beginning '14: I have some hair again...!  It's not perfect yet, but it is a major improvement on the sad 'do I used to have.

I've started Phylia [de M] Connect mid '12 and the result is that my the hairgrowth from that time, an estimated 25/30 cm, is full and thick. It's literary 'gettin' it to your roots': the vitamins and the minerals. I haven't been using it since spring but I think it has been the key to my healthier hair.

Hair Styling:

Healthier hair needs some direction, aka styling. I'm still a sensitive person and not everything on my head agrees with my picky scalp. I consider Rene Furtherer Volumea a gorgeous natural alternative on volumizing my 'do, adding some wonderful gloss as a bonus.

Tools:

Since my new hairstyle my priorities switched from 'smoothing out damaged hairs' into 'extra volumising the fresh hairs': that needed a fabulous blowdryer! Reviews gave such positive marks on both T3 (superexpensive) & Parlux 385 (under €100) that I went for the last: also for the cute array of colours!
This latest version is both lightweighted and has a industrial motor inside (techie story here). In my non-techie terms: I love the various settings, heats-'n-coolnesses, and with the right techniques & styling products I'm able to experiment more with hairstyles.

These have been my 2013 body favourites and I could probably list a ton more, but I'll keep it relatively simple with "the excellent of class '13".

December '13 Empties

I first want to make a special mention to my Lavshuca Moist Melting Rouge PK 6 that I totally lip-pencilled out!

I once compared this sweetie with Chanel Flirt (see here): I still have Flirt but I used this one totally. It might be that I am too careful with an expensive lipstick but I just luuuurve Lashuca's formulas and thin-to-bring-on-the-road size.

The other empties: the Hair-department:

The yellow Le Petite Marseillais hair conditioner with honey has actually been bought in Marseille (South of France)! It is one of their easy-to-find beauty line [think supermarkets] that smells wonderful and performs really well, also on my older (reaaaally damaged) hair. I'd sure repurchase if I empty some other conditioners, and get my way to France, ofcourse.

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Another hair conditioner that totally matches up with my newer hair has been Yarok Feed Your Volume travel size. It smells like fresh lemons & herbs, and it does give tons of body. It's really nice when your hair doesn't have that much damage (think top half & shorter 'dos). Even better, it is a bliss for people who have scalp-sensitivities and skin sensitivities as it is so natural and un-irritating. Cons: expensive.

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 Lush Marilyn is a hairmask for blonder or highlighted hair, but also wonderful for brunettes/redheads who like a fresh, lemony scent and a thinner mask that still moisturizes enough. Most Lush products have gone quite expensive over the years; this one is still quite close to its original price.

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 Swell Advanced Root Nutrient Complex (spray in front) needs a more detailed review than just me saying: 'love it'. It's a spray that reminds me of Phylia de M Connect & Yarok hairmousse in one. My hair is quite thick again after the treatments in 2013, but I like that Texas hair glamour these days so volume you go in an organic/natural way.

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I bought my Kerastase Elixir Moringa Immortelle during summer 2012 and I just finished it. It needs little product and smoothes out with a fresh scent. I like the Elixirs but right now I'm on another hairoil/serum. I will come back to that one soon.

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The Shu Uemura Muruto Volume Mask was discounted, and with another discount it was still expensive...hehe, but I was curious...I like it, but it smells quite chemical if you get more used to Yarok and other organic/natural products. Also, I believe the new natural/organic generation delivers just as well, or even better in terms of volume. Must be the herbs...

So let's talk organic/natural:

The black bottle on the left has been my Living Nature Tinted Moisturizer in Daylight. I'm really impressed by their tinted moisturizers, on par with the likes of Rouge Bunny Rouge & Omorovicza. I do think the difference between medium (Daylight) & Dawn Light (light) is a bit too much so I've been mixed both depending on my level [or absense] of selftan. It has macademia oil as its 3rd Lingredient and is 100% natural.

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The white bottle in front is another S5 Serum sample in Renew. I like it but not as much as Nourish Relax serum.

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The sack is inner beauty, or one of my superfood additives [addictives] in the antioxidant-forming Acai Powder. I already repurchased this as it tastes berry-ish and I feel healthier on it.

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The empty candle has been my Neom Refresh with sicilian lemon: really zesty during sluggish mornings.

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I've discussed Tisserant Luxury Bath oil over here and will repurchase. 

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Last, and certainly not least, Manuka Honey 18+. It is not just inner beauty: I use it as a cleansing method (read over here how to), an additives to powder masks, and...duh, inner beauty. Oh, and you can double it up as the main ingredient of a hair lightening mixture that works without damage: more about that here and here.

Hold on for the last line-up of empties

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  Essence Nude Glam's are fantastic nude nailpolishes for their price. Repurchase for sure.
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I haven't used up the Merumaya Intensely Youthful Eyecream. I didn't like the Ayurvedic-based fragance which lingers on quite long. My sensitive skin wasn't too fond of the formula either.
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Talking about eyes, I really liked BeautyDIY Green Tea brightening Eye Roll On. Unfortunately it is not being sold on Sasa.com anymore. Also, Sasa has been quite inconsistent delivering to my adress so I will have to forget about that online shop.
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Kracie Naive has been a lovely oil-cleanser for some time. However, I will venture upon the organic market for a more unchemical oil cleanser.
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The Clarisonic brush: Well, you gotta replace them after 3 months and I often want to do it earlier, but they are expensive so 3 months it is.
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I also didn't finish Max Factor False Lash Effect:  it gotten various raves but I found the formula dry and clumpy, and the brush too big for precise focus. Mascaras are often a personal preference so I'm glad it is not the most expensive type that I will throw away.
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My Suqqu Eyebrow pen dried out a bit too fast: according to another blogger that is not normal from Suqqu. I gotten it from a non-official Suqqu seller so that might be it.

Those were quite some empties for December: I 'compensated' by buying too much new stuff, ofcourse. And you will see that on the blog again...

De Mamiel Autumn Facial Oil

Autumn is officially over and I'm about to discuss my De Mamiel Autumn oil. I'm still going to because seasons are not always bound to dates, so there you go:

 

 I adore this oil right now in autumn-like weather, but that is not how it started...

When I got this oil, the season-date was offically autumn, but felt like an Indian Summer. I opened it and found the fragance to be too warm, too obtrusive, so I went back to my Bodhi Face Oil.

Then it started to get colder, leaves where falling and the rain kicked in. I tried this oil again and the blend of warming and soothing oils felt like bliss.

I will not elaborate too much about this oil as De Mamiel is already brilliant in that (see here). The ingredient list proves that it is not only a couple of oils blended together: it is a long and beautiful list and it is not merely bound to aromatherapy. 

 

The Flower essences even go deeper into treating a specific target: perhaps Bach Flower Remedies might sound familiar, especially their Rescue Remedy.  For example, they addded "Yerba Santa – helps encourage healthy breathing, helps release trauma and promotes positive thought" & "Snowdrop – helps the mind accept transition". Both healthy breathing (during flu season) and acceptance for the seasonal transition is key for autumn.

Shortly, De Mamiel season oils combine both aromatherapy, beautiful base oils and the flower remedy powers to target the [possible] physical and emotional reaction that is attacted to the season.

I am often slightly cynical about 'the latest thing' but I have to notice that I love using this oil. The blend and the fragance (that I found obtrusive during summer weather) feels like the most harmonic blend at night when weather is autumn-like.

golden oil

Also, "next morning skin"! If my skin gotten sensitive (read: patchy) during the day, this oil has the properties to balance it over night. I wake up with less patches and a dewy & more radiant complexion.

I can't hardly think that De Mamiel Winter oil will be better. However, my curiosity and my almost empty bottle of Autumn made me order Winter too.

The 'Autumn' blend is still on sale at cultbeauty.com & victoriahealth.com. I'm waiting for 'Winter' that I bought from beingcontent, partly because I ordered their sample set (£3) that will include May Lindstrom the Blue Cocoon too.

previous sample set

I'm so curious if that one lives up to the already created hype. 

ps: Happy winter (summer for southern Hemisphere) and happy preparation for Xmas...

Rouge Bunny Rouge Genesis Primer (& Metamorphosis)

I'm a prime suspect! 
...

Or I suspect I prime? 

Ok, enough dodgy wordplay for someone in the prime of her life...

Speaking about life and ageing: Rouge Bunny Rouge has issued their latest primer aimed for maturing skin. I can discuss all the beautiful explaination and butterfly words that RBR attacted to this products: "If only men came with these wonderful & beautiful wordisms too". But I will leave that up to the skilled word-poets on the RBR website

They call it the Original Skin Primer and also the bibical reference to the beginning: Genesis. Our cult-fans already know that it is not their first primer...Their mattifying Metamorphosis & their moisturizing primer Prelude in the Clouds.

This would be my first introduction to both the cult (Metamorphosis) & the new (Genesis).

The keywords of the information is that they amped up the *special polymers that act as fillers* in Genesis. Also, *Evermat* as THE wonderpotion that is claimed to have "medicinal properties, reduces pores and shine, refines skin texture and reduces sebum secretion"

RBR provided a generous sample that was filled to the brim.:

As you can see: it is a bit past-like, au contraire the thinner & lotiony substance of Metamorphosis:

:

And blended: 

Genesis gives a white cast over my (faux-tan) skin. Metamorphosis is almost skin-like

I have been testing it for a couple of days:

day 1 I had Genesis on my left part & Metamorphosis on the right part of my face
day 2 I had it the other way around
day 3 I had a whole day of Genesis alone
same day 4
day 5 I went to Metamorphosis again

day 6 Metamorphosis- whole face & wrinkles- Genesis

Day 7 (well, most of you know the story): makeup-free day

 Verdict:

• Genesis feels slightly silicony
• Metamorphosis feels wonderfully absent
• both primers hold up the makeup for the whole day equally!
• Genesis diffuses wrinkles & scars a bit better than Metamorphosis
• However, Metamorphosis feels better on the skin
• Metamorphosis is better in absorbing oils
• Genesis leaves out a slight white cast on NW25 skin whereas Metamorphosis is almost sheer
• I cannot say anything about the anti-wrinkle & other properties due to short testing
• it does not cause any outbreaks on me

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In general,  my skin is still young enough to reach for the thinner consistency of Metamorphosis. Moreover, I prefer Metamorphosis for the thinner and almost absent feel without compromising on its longevity. I think sampling would be the best option if you can. For the moment I use my sample of Genesis on the parts that need more 'filling' and the rest of my face will be 'Metamorphosis'.

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Availability:

Rougebunnyrouge.com still provides samples of Genesis as a freebie and the full-size is available over here. PeriliouslyPale still has a code going one (a onetimer: RBR-PERILOUSLYPALE) that will last until 31-12-13.

Some December Newbies

December often makes me feel more (self-) indulgent than normally:

 I finally ordered my first Charlotte Tilbury! I've read some mixed reviews but couldn't resist the name "Golden Goddess" and it's stunning hues:

The Golden Goddess upclose

I absolutely like the effect of the colours in the dictated suggested Tilbury colour scheme. However, I have some brilliant primers (hello mr. Bess) so I do not feel the need to overlayer. I received the compliment "wow, nice eyeshadows" from a makeup expert so I guess I put it on in a kinda right way too? Oh jolly!

However, I do not feel like glam shimmer & flecks on everyday base even though Charlotte T thinks everyone can benefit from that (can't remember where I read that but her line proves she likes shimmer). But I rarely have a standard eyelook anyway so I like this addition to my bronzy stash.

Relaxing in times of pre-Holiday tension is not only an indulgence: you'll be a much nicer person towards others and get some more focussed gifts as well. I think a bath is relaxing but most importantly warming when temperatures drop.

I've bought a bottle of Tisserand De-stress bathoil based on a good & detailed rave on naturisimo (here): I agree! I've really think its an awesome blend and it really outdoes it pricetag. I've had samples of Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax bath & shower oil and this is quite similar, only a whole lot more afforable: and that's relaxing as well

And yes, you can use it as a shower-oil as well!

 Kate = Queen...
whether it is the Dutchess of Cambridge, the ubermodel Moss or our Driveller-guru. So when she declared Suqqu M eyebrush to be a superior choice over mr. Ford (review)... I added it instantly to my Selfridges cart.

Thanks to its superior quality my blending skills have gotten better. Also, I have been rediscovering older infatuations such as Sienna Orchid.

 I've become more curious about natural and personalised blends so I ordered a couple of samples from Pollen & Wax: Among it their Peridot Cleansing Oil:

The Peridot Cleansing oil really smells refreshing, more like a Spanish Cava than a Peridot but I'm hardly the wine connoisseur. Most importantly, it cleanses the more profound makeup with the most gentle and beneficial of ingredients (listed here)

The Gold Petal facial serum (=oil) is indeed of a golden colour and smells more neutral. It is made for "{sensitive, ruddy, inflamed, combination, dry, irritated skin types}" so the amount of fraganced essential oils is not too strong. I detect the rose geranium.

Both have been really lovely. They last about 2 times and I do think I need a bit more to give out a good conclusion.