Nourish Golden Glow Toning Body Shimmer

Nourish is one of my favourite brands for natural, organic products. They always feel so indulgent as they are packed full of beautiful butters and oils. The Golden Glow Toning Body Shimmer* is no exception.

The idea of this product is that it helps give skin a warm, lightly shimmering, glow whilst keeping skin hydrated, balanced and helping to tone all in one go. A big ask!
The packaging is sleek and I love the simplicity of it. White and gold are one of my favourite colour combinations and sat on my white dressing table this looks in-keeping and feminine whilst also looking quite high-end.
The bottle has a pump dispenser that deposits enough product to massage into both arms and along collar bones if you press it down fully or if you press lightly you can get just a little product out.

The product itself has a rich, creamy texture and contains light reflecting particles (which are a nightmare to catch in a photograph!) and due to a combination of argan oil and aloe vera leaf juice sinks beautifully into the skin leaving it feeling hydrated and silky smooth. It has a lightly incense like aroma coming from frankincense, myrrh and neroli oils which are all known for their positive effect on the senses- in fact, neroli is a natural antidepressant as it helps with the release of serotonin. 77% of the ingredients are organic, 6.5% are natural minerals and all are cruelty free!

I really like the finish that this product has on the skin. Instead of looking shiny, it just gives a warm glow which is subtle enough even on skin as fair as mine. When hit by the sun it lights up and really gives skin a healthy, luminous look. I've had several comments about how nice my skin has been looking whilst wearing this and I have to say that I see a real difference in the mirror and in photos. Another little trick I've been using is to mix a small dab into my foundation to give a dewy, fresh finish that also stops the foundation clinging to any dry patches.

Over all, I have been very impressed with the product. I wouldn't say that it is overly toning as it simply works to tone by keeping the skin well hydrated and the addition of a little gentle marine extract, but in my eyes, that isn't the main selling point of the product. The effect on the skin is beautiful and perfect for spring all the way through to autumn . Worn along arms, legs and collar bones it gives a long lasting glow, definition and warmth. A 100ml bottle will set you back £25.00 *here* and last you through the whole season, so in my opinion it is well worth investing.

What do you think? Will you be investing in a bottle?
Annie xx

Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Honey Bath

I am of the persuasion that there is to better way to relax in the evening than with a hot bubble bath full of beautiful products to make you feel completely blissed out. My number one product for these indulgent pamper sessions? The Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Honey Bath!

This ridiculously beautiful honey bubble bath has a delicate and sophisticated vanilla scent that is enhanced with hints of almond and sandalwood making it so much more special that your average vanilla scent. As anyone who has tried other products from the range will know, it is also amazing for lingering on the skin in a subtle, sexy way that makes you feel a million dollars.

The formula is fairly thick and, indeed, very reminiscent to that of honey so to use it you just swirl the honey stick thingy around the jar and stir straight into the bath which I find pretty fun if I'm honest! You need very little to create lovely fluffy bubbles and release the warming aroma. The honey bath itself as well as containing vanilla and honey extracts also contains shea butter, almond proteins, oat proteins and Pro-vitamin B-5 which help to moisturise and regulate moisture levels in the skin so your skin is left feeling soft, moisturised and refreshed.
I am hopelessly addicted to Laura Mercier products and whilst it's hard to argue that any beauty product is worth as much as they are, if I am going to invest £40 in something for my skin then I would always choose Laura Mercier, they truly are exceptional products. You can pick up a jar from Space NK for £32.00.
Annie xx

Laser Hair Removal- the Way Forward?

Summer is always a bit of a tough one for me.
You see, I have incredibly sore, eczema prone legs that cry if I so much as point a razor at them, let alone bring the two together. Over the years I've tried several different things including shaving, various creams and waxing but every time I end up with areas of horrible sore, itchy skin that I scratch in my sleep and make bleed. It makes me really self conscious.
Because of this I've been taking a look at other, longer lasting options that, despite potentially causing temporary problems at the time, in the long run will save me a lot of distress and discomfort.

My case is quite extreme, I know that, but there are lots of draws when it comes to Laser Hair Removal, especially during the summer. Its a nightmare trying to remain hair free in a small tent during festival season, or in a tiny caravan toilet at the seaside and don't get me started on the embarrassment of having your razor taken away at airport security. It's also always embarrassing to spot that you've missed a tiny patch of hair right in the middle of your shin when you're out and can't do anything about it. The thought of not having to worry about any of these and just getting on and enjoying the summer (or winter for that matter) is pretty good to me!

I know some people may be put off by the price of laser hair removal treatment but when I take into account how much money I spend on razors, eczema creams and other hair removal products combined with the benefit I'll feel through not being ashamed of my legs I think its more than worth it.

What do you think? Is hair removal treatment something that you'd ever consider? Or have you tried it already?

Annie xx

My Summer Holiday Skin Essentials List

Evening Ladies,
Its a really nice evening here in Bath. The sun is shining, its nice and warm and now that its less than a month before I go on holiday I can start getting excited and thinking about what I'm going to take.
Clearly, being me, my first thought was "what beauty goodies do I just HAVE to pick up before going?" which made me think about what beauty products I couldn't possibly go away without and thought that some people might be interested to know what I can't leave the country without. To break things down a bit I've split the list in to skin care, makeup and hair products so this is post one of three.
Here are my summer holiday skin essentials.

1. Nivea Creme: This is a fairly new product to my routine and already I know that I couldn't live without it for three weeks. I cover my legs with this every evening and they just drink it up. I get incredibly sore, itchy, eczema prone legs and I've felt a huge improvement from using this cream.

2. Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration: Another eczema aimed product. I find that sun cream really dries out my skin leaving it itchy and patchy however this one is designed specifically to moisturize which in turn leads to a more even tan... Plus it smells amazing :)

3. Lush Tea Tree Toning Water: Another fairly new addition to my skin care routine but by far my favourite part. I use this toner twice a day; once before applying makeup in the morning and once after cleansing in the evening. It has really improved the appearance of my skin and it is also very cool and soothing on sun kissed skin. A little secret is to pop it in the fridge during the summer so after a long hot day you can use this to cool down the face and rehydrate your skin. Therefore, holiday essential!

4. Soltan Aftersun containing Insect Repellant: Everyone knows the importance of aftersun, but if, like me, you are one tasty lady in the eyes of all things bug like then this saves a lot of time (and a little weight allowance in your case!) so that when you get out of the shower in the evening and apply your after sun you are also ready to go out for the evening safe in the knowledge that you won't be bitten to pieces by anything nasty.

5. Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets: An oily complexion plus a hot climate can lead to somewhat shiny skin by the middle of the day if you are out being adventurous so popping one of these out from your handbag is a quick and easy way to keep an oil slick situation at bay. I'll be carrying these and a small pot of loose powder at all times in Mallorca.

6. Vaseline Rosy Lips: I tend to wear a lot less makeup on holiday because I get that it all feels a little clogging and claustrophobic so instead I pop a little bit of this on to keep my lips nice and soft and protected and the slight colour to it makes everything look a little more made-up and pulled together.

7. Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula: This isn't necessarily a holiday essential as such but it is definitely a big part of pre-holiday beauty because it is amazing at improving the appearance of scars and stretch marks. Of which I have both. The scars are due to eczema and they heal really quickly with a daily dose of the cocoa butter so its well worth the investment if those are something that you suffer from.

So those are my top 7 summer skin products. Do you use any of these? Do you have a holiday holy grail skin care product that I should know about?
Annie x

ps. Have you entered my 200 follower giveaway yet? If not then you should, you could win some great prizes!

Body Shop Chocomania Beautifying Oil Review

Hello,
I have a nice day planned today. I'm off into town with Daniel to do a spot of shopping and then its on over to a friends house for paella and movies in front of their freakishly large tv so I'm a very happy lady today.

Its no secret that I love the Chocomania range from The Body Shop so when I heard that they were releasing a range of beautifying oils for your body, face and hair I ordered my chocomania scented bottle straight away.

In the bottle you get 100ml of oil for £9 which is a good size that lasts a while as you need very little each time you use it. I have had this oil for at least two months now and I've probably only used around a 5th.
What I love the most about this product is the amazing chocolate smell. There is no other chocolate scented range I have ever found which smells as amazing as this. The smell is a deep and cosy scent and I find it really comforting. After a while of being worn I find that all of the chocomania range start to soften in scent and smell a lot like a soft vanilla which is very wearable and not at all over powering.

My first concern when I bought the oil was that although it is recommended for face, body and hair, that it would cause a slight oil slick effect if I did use it on my face or hair. However, because the oil is very light and quite dry I found that on my face, if you use a light touch and only very little oil it is actually very good for providing fast hydration without leaving a greasy layer.
On hair you need to be the most careful. The first time I tried this I put a little oil on my finger tips and ran it through my fringe for some extra shine and I was just left with a greasy mess. The trick is to rub a little of the oil into your hands and then scrunch it through the tips of wet hair as you would with a mousse. This doesn't make the hair look greasy but it does keep the ends of your hair beautifully soft and gives them a little texture and definition.

I think that the design of the bottle is very good. Where such a little hole has been left in the lid, it is hard to use too much in one go which could be very easily done otherwise. I think for travel purposes I would have preferred a twist on lid so that you can be sure it wouldn't pop open and leak into your bag but thats just personal opinion and the problem could easily be avoided by wrapping the bottle in a small plastic bag before traveling.

Over all, much like the rest of the range, I really really like this Chocomania beautifying oil. Its light on the skinn, does not leave a greasy feel or look and it smells wonderful so I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a beauty oil for their hair and body but doesn't want to spend too much.
Have you tried any of the Body Shop beautifying oils? What do you think of the range?
Annie x