Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede

I'm definitely not one for having a 'signature scent', life is too short and I'm far too fickle. But if ever I was to have one, Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede would be a serious contender. 

It's no secret I love peonies, I even named my blog after them, but of all the peony based fragrances I've come across, this is by far my favourite. It has that beautiful floral fullness of fresh summer peonies which when combined with the suede note suddenly feels more sophisticated. The top note of  crispy red apples gives it a lightness and freshness that makes it feel exceptionally modern. Not something easily done with a peony based fragrance. 

I've been wearing this fragrance almost non stop since I got it, I find the scent so addictive that I spend most of the day sniffing my wrist when I wear it (much to my hubby's amusement). It's definitely a fragrance I'll be repurchasing again and again in years to come. 

What is your current favourite fragrance?

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Christmas Gift Guide - Under £100

1. Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette £56

These blusher/highlighter hybrids leave cheeks with a natural looking flush that never looks overdone. These's also a great selection of shades and the packaging is beautiful. Almost to pretty to use! 

2. Monica Vinader Siren Gold Plated Moonstone Ring £70

I love rings with delicate bands, they look so flattering when worn. This one would work equally well with a jeans and tee as it would with an evening dress. 

3. Whistles Corinne Mohair Knit £94

A plain black jumper is a staple in everyone's wardrobe but why not get someone a really nice quality one that will last. This cozy mohair one from whistles is really well made and feels a little bit more luxe.

4. Monica Vinader Baja Gold Plated Agate Necklace £83.25

What would a p&p gift guide be without a delicate gold necklace? This one has a pretty rectangular agate and would make a great addition to anyone's jewellery collection.

5. Jo Malone Cologne Collection £68

Jo Malone fragrances are such a luxury, and when combined the possibilities are endless. I think a lot of people would love the idea of being able to wear their own unique scent, this mini cologne set would be a great way to do that. It's also a great way of trying a few of their scents before investing in a full sized bottle.

6. Anya Hindmarch Girlie Stuff Cosmetics Case £95

I love the bright royal blue shade of this little bag, perfect for stuffing with makeup and 'girlie stuff' and throwing into your handbag.

7. Dior Multi Use Palette £58.65

This is definitely a palette that any beauty addict will swoon over, it has a selection of 6 eyeshadows, a lipstick, a lip gloss, a blusher and a face powder all in a beautiful zip up wallet. 

8. N.Peal Cashmere Cable Knit Scarf £90.35

Cosy winter warmers always go down well at christmas and this cashmere snood would be a real treat. The neutral knit and colour means it will be worn and loved for many winters to come.

9. Omorovicza Essentials Collection £75

This skincare set is definitely one for someone who already loves high end skincare but wants to try something even more special. It has a great range of their most popular products and is a great way to try them all before investing in the (very expensive) full sized versions!

10. Neom Organics + Jenny Packham Happiness Candle £80

This beautiful, limited edition candle has notes of white neroli, mimosa and lemon as well as freshly cut grass. Perhaps not the most seasonally appropriate but the ceramic vessel and 18k gold guilding designed by Jenny Packham is just to good too pass up!

I hope you liked this gift guide, if you fancy seeing my under £50 and under £25 edits you can see them here and here. Have any of these items made their way onto your wish list? 

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Christmas Gift Guide - Under £25

1. Ren Grab & Go Kit £25

I couldn't believe the value of this set when I spotted it! It contains a selection of 8 Ren products in mini form. Great if you want to introduce someone to the brand but don't want to just give them one product.

2. The White Company Winter Candle £20

This beautifully scented candle contains notes of cinnamon, clove and orange and comes in a beautifully chic and minimal glass jar. 

3. ASOS Oversized Scarf £18

This oversized scarf looks so warm and cozy, perfect for this bitingly cold weather. Plus the dark oxblood shade is one that anyone would love.

4. ASOS Open Square Necklace £6

It's always nice to gift jewellery as it's not always something that people like to buy for themselves. This gold square necklace is so understated and simple it would work with almost any outfit.

5. L'Occitane Grasse Collection Gift Set £19

Fragrance seems to be such a popular gift at christmas time, surprisingly as most people are very sure of what they do and don't like. This set would be a good option as it gives them a chance to try a few, there's nothing worse than receiving a massive bottle of perfume that you don't really like, especially since they don't come cheap! It's also something a little different to the perfumes you usually see around the highstreet at christmas time. 

6. L'Oreal La Palette Nude £14.99

Every beauty lover loves a good neutral eyeshadow palette and this is definitely the best one on the high street. A great option, both for someone who is just getting into makeup or someone who is a complete palette hoarder! 

7. Soap & Glory The Soapremes Gift Set £20

Soap & Glory do brilliant bath and body products and there isn't a single dud in this set. It contains lots of my previously used and loved products and is excellent value for money. 

8. Essie Baby It's Cold Outside Quad Box £24.99

In my opinion, you just can't beat Essie polishes. They have the best colour range, brush and formula hands down. This set contains best selling shades Mademoiselle and Chinchilly as well as a couple of sparkly festive numbers. 

9. Elemental Herbology Moisture Replenish Starter Kit £22

Skincare can be an expensive thing to invest in, it's always nice to be able to try before you buy. This set has everything you need for a good starter routine. Great for someone just getting into high end skincare or wanting to try a few bits from the brand.

10. ASOS Diamond Shape Necklace £8

Another pretty, minimal, gold necklace. I struggled to choose between the two! This one would look great with just a plain black T-shirt and jeans. 

I hope you liked this gift guide! Will any of these item's be making their way onto your list? Look out for my under £50 gift guide coming next!

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Beauty Haul!

It's been a while since I shared my beauty purchases here on the blog and over the last couple of months I seem to have accumulated quite a few new things so I thought I'd do a haul post. Here's what I got!

After hearing a lot about the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets I decided to give a tester a try, it lasted all day long without fading so I decided to go back and pick up 3 shades, Ole Flamingo, a warm toned fuscia, hot pepper, a bright, true red and Grand Cru a burgundy shade. They're a matte liquid lipstick formula and I'm completely blown away by them. A full review is in the works! 

I also got a blue and white stripy makeup bag which was only £8 from Boots, I love the stripes and the way they contrast with the bright coral zip, plus it's the perfect size to throw into my handbag for on the go touch ups.

I'm not a huge powder wearer, I only ever have one on the go so when my MAC Studio Fix finished I wanted to get something to replace it. I found Studio Fix far too heavy for my liking so decided to get Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder as I heard it's super lightweight and very finely milled. 

I got a set of mini Estee Lauder fragrances as a gift a while ago and the one that I was instantly drawn to was Beyond Paradise, it's just so different to any fragrances I'd smelt before. I really missed using it when it was finished so it wasn't long before I picked myself up a full sized bottle. 

I've always loved aromatherapy products and had trouble sleeping so I thought I'd finally give a couple of products from This Works a go. This duo contains a mini Deep Calm Pillow Spray and Breathe In rollerball. 

I'd been coveting the Smashbox Full Exposer Palette for the longest time so I finally caved and decided to get it, I thought it was the perfect time of year for it as it contains lots of party friendly shimmery shades as well as a good range of mattes. I also got the Estee Lauder Pure Colour Shadow Paint in Chained, it's a great, easy to use, wear everyday kind of shade. As you can see I've used it quite a bit already and I love it!

I was in need of a new mascara so I decided to give the Smashbox Full Exposer Mascara a go, purely  because I liked the look of the brush and I was already at the counter getting the palette!

I also invested in a couple of new haircare tools, I finally got round to getting a Tangle Teezer and I'm so glad I did, I have no idea why it took me so long to jump onto that bandwagon! My old round blowdrying brush had seen better days, I'd used it for so long that most of the bristles had flattened down and when the handle broke off I knew it was time for a new one! I went for the Remington brush because it seemed to have the firmest bristles of all the brushes in boots. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing my new purchases! I'll be sure to do full reviews once I've been using them a bit longer. Have you bought any new beauty products recently? 

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Empties #10

I know, I know, it's been a while. Things have been super busy but I assure you I've not fallen off the face of the earth! I'm back with a nice long empties post to make up for it! As usual I'll be talking about all the products I've used up, what I thought of them and most importantly, whether or not I'll be repurchasing them!

Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me

This moisturising facial mist was given to me by a friend who wasn't too keen on it. I enjoyed using it as a toner but I definitely still prefer the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. Repurchase? No.

Botanics 82% Organic Softening Cleanser

A lovely cream cleanser that feels a lot more expensive than it's £4 price tag. Equally good to use in the morning as in the evening to remove makeup. Repurchase? Yes.

MAC Studio Fix Powder

I'm not much of a powder wearer anyway but I particularly disliked this one, I found it to be far too heavy and cakey for my liking. It was such a pain to use up! Repurchse? No.

Avon Aero Volume Mascara

Another product I didn't get on too well with. It wasn't terrible but it just didn't do much for my lashes. Repurchase? No.

Rimmel ScandalEyes Mascara 

This mascara on the other hand, was brilliant! It lengthened, volumeised, curled and made my lashes look jet black. By far the best 'drugstore' mascara I've ever used. Repurchase? Definitely.

Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oil

Another brilliant budget skincare product from Botanics. I used this a few times a week and loved the results, it plumped up and moisturised skin and helped even out my skin tone. Repurchase? Yes.

Sephora Exfoliating Cream Cleanser

I bought this cleanser quite a while ago and used it more as a mask to allow the exfoliating enzymes time to get to work. I enjoyed using it but have since found other masks that give me better results. Repurchase? No.

Lee Stafford Frizz Off Treatment

It's no secret that I love Lee Stafford products, I rave about them endlessly here on the blog but unfortunately this one wasn't for me. Although it did smooth out my hair a bit it didn't give it enough moisture or nourishment. This one would be great for those who have hair that's slightly unruly but not particularly dry. Repurchase? No.

Lee Stafford Shine Head Spray Shine

I've been using this hair shine spray for years and love it. I've lost count of the amount of times I've repurchased it. I have however recently discovered a similar product I love even more, the Argan Oil Anti Frizz Serum Spray (full review here) that one adds shine too but also moisturises hair, protects it against humidity, reduces frizz and I prefer the scent so I'll be buying it instead! Repurchase? No

Redken All Soft Supple Touch

A lightweight, cream textured, leave in conditioner. The product is lovely, it moisturises hair and controls frizz but the packaging is very annoying. The spray pump kept getting clogged up with product so I had to take it off and pour it into my hand. Not ideal! I'm not sure if this happens to all of them or if it was just mine but either way it meant I ended up using the product less often than I wanted too. Repurchase? No.

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream

I loved this hand cream, it was a mini that I got as part of a GWP that quickly became a handbag staple. It did everything a hand cream should do and smelt great too! Repurchse? Yes.

Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise

I was given this mini as a gift, it came in a set with a few other EL fragrances but this was the one that immediately stood out to me. I just love it! I've since bought the full sized version so I'll be doing a full on review soon. Repurchase? Already have!

The Body Shop Aloe Eye Defence

I seem to have used up a lot of budget skincare lately! This was a great sensitive skin friendly, hydrating eye cream that performed just as well as a lot of the high end eye creams I've tried. Repurchase? Yes.

Avon Naturals Lavender and Chamomile Room & Linen Spray

A relaxingly scented spray I spritz onto my pillow before bedtime, it relaxes me and sends me off to sleep. Maybe it's just phycological but who cares if it works! Repurchase? Yes.

What have you used up recently?

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Object of Desire: Jo Malone Sumptous Pampering Gift Set

Jo Malone - Sumptous Pampering Gift Set English Pear and Freesia 

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Range

I'm a huge fan of products from The Body Shop as well as anything peach scented so it was a given that I'd end up purchasing, and loving their Vineyard Peach Range. The scent is absolutely amazing, not at all artificial smelling or sickly sweet, it really does smell like just bitten into, fresh and juicy peaches.  I picked up the Body Butter, Shower Gel and Body Mist. The range also contains a Body Lotion, Body Scrub, Lip Gloss and Sponge. 

The Shower Gel is great, it foams up well and does what it needs to do. The Body Mist is a bit stronger than I expected so I tend to use it sparingly, I love the scent of peaches but don't necessarily want to smell very strongly of one all the time! 

The stand out product of the three is by far the Body Butter, I've always loved TBS's body butters and over the years I've tried quite a lot of them, this one is by far my favourite! Amazing scent aside, the formula is great too, it's definitely one of their thicker, richer ones with the consistency being almost solid. This means is nourishes and moisturises the skin amazingly well, it doesn't sink in that easily but it's definitely worth the extra effort. I usually apply it after a nice hot bath to help it along and come the next morning my skin feels really soft and still subtly scented! I'll be very sad when this runs out as I believe it's a limited edition collection!

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Spring Wish List

Crochet Knitted Jumper - Mango

Calm and Collected Cologne Gift Set - Jo Malone

Daisy Hair Bun Holder - ASOS

Clutch with Shoulder Strap - Cambridge Satchel Company

Patchwork Print Dress - Warehouse

Quilted Makeup Bag - ASOS

Cotton Cushion Cover - H&M

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - The Body Shop

Hair Ribbons - ASOS

Convertible Colour - Stila

Vineyard Peach Body Mist - The Body Shop

Habitual Heeled Sandal - ASOS  

March (+February) Favourites

Last month I missed out on doing my favourites post so this month I thought I'd bung the two in together. That means these products have been extra loved as I had to do a bit of narrowing down in order to fit them into one post.

First up is the Charles Worthington Salon at Home Moisture Seal range, I picked up the Shampoo, Masque and Leave in Conditioner a while ago in Boots when they were on 3 for 2 and I've been seriously impressed. Being someone who usually uses high end hair products I usually find drugstore ones to be a bit thin end up using half the bottle  in one go, not with these. The shampoo(full review here) lathers up well and leaves hair feeling clean but not stripped of all moisture. The masque (full review here) has a really thick consistency, so a little goes a long way. I leave it in for about 10 mins and it leaves hair feeling super soft. The Leave in Conditioner (full review here) has a really light gel like texture that still manages to inject a good dose of hydration into the hair. It also makes an amazing detangler! 

For fragrance I've been spritzing on Avon Amour Eau de Parfum. It's a lovely light and delicate spring scent with white floral heart notes and citrus top notes. I've been using it so much lately that it's nearly all gone! 

I've recently incorporated La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ into my skincare routine and so far I'm amazed by the results! I've found it's really been helping to unclog pores and speed up the healing process on spots. I'll be doing a full, in-depth review once I've been using it a bit longer so look out for that if you're interested. 

I've also been using Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel in the mornings, it's a very lightweight gel that moisturises the skin and feels nice and fresh. I sits really well under makeup too which is great. (full review here)

What products have you been loving this month?

REVIEW: Avon Far Away Exotic

Avon Far Away Exotic is a new twist on an old classic. Their original Far Away came out in the 90s and has been a bestseller ever since. I personally prefer the newer version and have enjoyed wearing it constantly throughout the winter months in spite of it being more of a summery scent. I usually tend to wear summery fragrances just in the summer but this scent balances it's fruitiness really well with the more warming spicy notes making it appropriate for all seasons. Here is what's in it,

Top notes: Mango, Spiced Chai and Mandarin

Heart Notes: Saffron Rose, Coconut Milk and Jasmine 

Base Notes: Patchouli, Amber, Musk and Sandalwood 

It's an all round lovely fragrance that I've been wearing both in the day time and in the evenings and when I finish this bottle I'll definitely be buying another one!

Have you tried any Avon fragrances?

  

December Favourites

As most of my beauty goodies are still packed away in boxes, I ended up keeping things pretty simple in december. 

The rainy, windy weather has really been playing havoc on my hair and Kerastase Nutritive Oleo-Relax Slim is about the only thing that's been able to keep it in check. A pea sized amount worked into lengths and ends smoothes out frizz and tames excess volume.

Seeing as I ran out of my usual eyebrow pencil and broke my spoolie in quick succession, I decided to pick up this Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown as it has a convenient little brush on the lid. I love a good multifunctional product! 

I know I said I've been keeping things pretty low key lately but what would Christmas and New Year's Eve have been without a little glitter? My weapon of choice was Essie Beyond Cosy, a super sparkly silver and gold glitter hybrid that just screams Christmas. Not sure I'll be able to wait till next december to wear this again!

My skin always takes a turn for the worse during the winter months, especially around my eyes, where skin starts to feel sore and parched. The Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oil has been doing wonders to keep it at bay, and it boasts some pretty impressive ingredients, enough to rival some of it's much more expensive alternatives. Expect a rave coming soon!

I've been using the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Astringent Lotion Micro-Exfoliant twice a day for a good few weeks now and so far I'm pretty pleased with the results. It's a toner containing chemical exfoliants which you simple swipe on with a cotton pad. Much gentler on the skin than scrubbing away at the skin with a harsh grainy product but delivers the same smooth results.

The Fragrance I've been wearing pretty much exclusively throughout december is Avon Far Away Exotic, it's a warm but fruity fragrance that's very easy to wear. I can definitely see it becoming a long term favourite that I'll be reaching for all year.

What products have you enjoyed using in December?

November Favourites

This month I've been continuing to love most of the products I featured in last month's favourites post, obviously I didn't want to repeat myself so here are a few other things I've been loving!

I've been absolutely loving my Caudalie Grape Water (full review), as the weather gets colder, my skin gets dryer and this has been a great life saver. It's great if you need a boost of moisture over the top of makeup.

My absolute worst spot for winter dry skin is around my eyes, they start to feel sensative and uncomfortable and the Clarins Special Eye Contour Balm is the only eye cream that seems to nip it in the bud. I usually just use this as night but when my eyes are extra dry I use it in the day as well. 

A rushed morning where makeup was done in the car and mascara was forgotten lead to the purchase of Miss Sporty Fabulous Lash Xtra Black Lash Building Mascara, and I'm so glad because I love it. It's not the quickest to use but it's really buildable and gives great separation. Plus it's cheap as chips. (full review)

Avon Advance Techniques Nourishing Argan Oil Leave in Treatment has been used non stop since I bought it. It tames frizz and moisturises hair in one step. I use it pre blow dry or just on the ends as a touch up. (full review)

I've been continuing to love both my Avon 8 in 1 eye palette and MUA Undressed Palette this month, often being a bit bolder with a bronze or chocolate smokey eye. My Natural Collection Lipstick in Rose Bud has been a perfect partner to that, it pulls the whole look together really nicely without making it look over done. Definitely a 'my lips but better' type shade.

Last up is Avon Rare Gold Eau De Parfum, I bought this a few winters ago and everytime the weather gets colder I seem to pull it out and fall in love with it all over again. It's a very warm, rich grown up scent that smells much more expensive than it is! Keep your eyes peeled for a full review coming soon! 

What have you been loving this month?