Paul Mitchell and New CiD Event

Hey All

Hope you've had a good weekend. Mine was good but crazy busy. It was so horrible to hear about all that was going on in the world on Friday and our thoughts are with everyone involved as well as Frances Cassandras family. The blogging world has lost two great ladies far to soon.

Today's post is about an event we were invited to on Thursday evening at the beautiful St David's hotel. I'd never been before so was excited to see it. It's such a talked about hotel and I've only heard good things so couldn't wait to see it from the inside.

The event was held in one  of the rooms which had a lounge area, bedroom and bathroom as well as a balcony with these amazing views. How lush to wake up and enjoy a morning cuppa over looking the bay. We were treated to some very tasty canapes (I'm a huge fan of mini yorkshire puddings and even got to try quail eggs!)

Onto the event. All around were products we could look at and play with. How gorgeous are the Rose gold straightner set. We got to see these in action and they worked amazing. We were both totally in love the Paul Mitchell Nude wands. They seemed a great size for creating loose waves.

New CiD is a brand of make up I've tried before. My mum has one of the baked blushes and it's the prettiest colour ever. I always borrow it when I'm home. Above is one of the bronzers. Whilst we were there we were taught make up and hair tips and interestingly the bronzers and blushes are made me swirling pigment onto a terracotta stone and then they are baked for 24 hours. I love random facts like that. I'd love to see a make up factory from the inside. The eyebrow pencil made it into my everyday favourites back in 2012 (post here) and I've since repurchased and still love it.

Here are some of the gorgeous hair styles created. How amazing is the plait. L has amazing long hair and is always looking for ways to get the effort loose waves shown above so was pleased to learn some trick. Basically tight ribbon curls (so the hair is flat against the wand, in about one inch sections) are done all over the head and then brushed out. The finish is amazing.



Another product we got to see was the new Ultimate Colour set. Which uses Quinoa to lock in colour and help keep hair in great condition. As someone always dying their hair and can't wait to try this set out.

We were also lucky enough to leave with a goodie bag, We'll be sharing our reviews on these products once we've got to test them out.

Have you got any Paul Mitchell or New CiD product favourites?

Thanks for having us at the event!

Love L and M 

xxx

      

MAC Lipstick in Syrup

Hey there!

I've been working my way through my stash for an extremely long time - saving up my empty MAC products so that I can do the 'Back to Mac' deal that they have going on is one of my favourite things.
I love going into the shop with my empties and coming out with a free lipstick!

There are so many more lipsticks that I need to try and Syrup was the most recent addition.

MAC describe Syrup as a cloudy pink, it's a muted down soft pink with a lustre finish. It's quite a sheer finish, and so because of that is the perfect workwear lipstick. It can be built up and layered to give a deeper pink on the lips, it's also really moisturising and as so you can wear this all day without getting those dreaded flaky lips that can happen with matte finishes.

It's super comfortable and easy to wear, what's not to love!

It's almost a contender for a 'your lips but better' shade. When I was choosing my lipstick this time I tried a few that others rave over but unfortunately they just didn't seem to look right on me at all. This pinky shade seemed to make my skin look brighter which is always a bonus!

Here's a few snaps with the lipstick on:

Soft pink, super wearable, comfortable and flattering on many skin tones I would imagine.

Syrup is a winner in my eyes!

Have you bought Syrup? Which has been the latest lipstick to add to your collection?

I've no idea what I'd choose next! Any suggestions for your favourite wearable day shades like this?


L xxx

Elemis Skincare Essentials Travel Collection

Hey All

Last month we were lucky enough to attend a spa day at Celtic Manor, you can read our thoughts on that here. Whilst there we were spoilt with some Elemis goodies. As a big fan of spa days I've used a few Elemis products already so was pleased to some some of my favourites in the set.

We were given the skincare essentials travel collection which contains everything you need for a break away. It costs £39 and can be purchased from the Elemis website.

With no product being over 100ml is perfect for breaks away when flying as well. I think when people go away they tend to skip on skincare products where as this kit have everything you need. 

The Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser and the Soothing Apricot Toner are two products I'm actually using the full size of at the moment. The cleanser just melts away make up and leaves the skin feeling so soft. As it bonus it's anti ageing too. I'm a big toner fan, they make a big difference to my skin and I find when I don't use them I get spotty. This has an amazing smell to and feels so refreshing on the skin. I'm actually saving these skincare bits for when I go away hopefully in September so I've not used the exfoliater and day cream yet.

The Elemis Frangipani range was one I'd heard so much about so was so glad to get to use it. This smells amazing and sinks into the skin leaving it feeling so soft. They shower cream and scrub are also great but for me are a great luxury treat but not something I'd repurchase as full size.

This is the third of the hand cream I've had and I love it. I'm a firm hand cream promoter as I think hands age a person and are probably one of the neglected body areas. I also work in a laboratory environment so my hands end up feeling really dry.

This is a great gift, a pre holiday treat or a way to test out products. I love it when companies do a great range of decent sized minis so you can get a real feel of the product.

Have you tried any Elemis products? What's your favourite? I do also fully recommend the Pro-collagen Marine Cream.

Love M

xxx

Hello Fresh and £20 discount code

Hey All

Hope you've had a good weekend! L and I have been to a friends baby shower this weekend and then I've been in Somerset with my family.

Lately life always seems so busy and me and the other half always seem to spend loads on food by going to the supermarket hungry or because we eat out. Some evenings by the time we're ready to cook it's 8/9 pm and sorting out food seems hassle.

I saw an advert for Hello Fresh somewhere (I can't remember where now maybe a free thing that came through the door) offering £20 off the first box. So £19 for 3 meals for 2 people delivered to the door seemed a pretty good deal.

Hello Fresh is a meal delivery service that delivers what need for the meals. You can chose 3 meals for 2 or 4 people or 5 meals for 2 or 4 people. Then everything you need gets delivered to you with the exception of olive oil and salt and pepper.

I thought I'd share with you the first box we got. Since recieving the first box we've gone on to have about 5 or 6 more and they are currently on hold as my other half is in Africa for the next couple of weeks.

The boxes have always been delivered on a Tuesday and two of these have been bank holidays but the food has always been fresh and the well packed (with the exception of one piece of ginger in one of the boxes that was too small and had dried a little!). The meat and things that need to be refrigerated are in a wool bag with a cooling gel.

Most of the meals take between 25 - 45 minutes to cook and come with simple easy to follow recipe cards. The timings are pretty accurate and the meals have all been easy and quick to cook and for ingredients that aren't so common there are tips on how to use that product. The food all seems great quality and is sometimes organic. I was pleased to see the chicken in the boxes we've had has been free range (I've got my parents loving the boxes too and since my mum has had them she's not enjoy chicken breast from the supermarket as it's just not as juicy she says!)

The first meal was a lush mix of peppers, tomoatoes, onions, chorizo, quinoa and feta. We split this into three meals and had it for lunches. It was so tasty. We've really noticed the difference between using fresh herbs and things like stock pots!!

The stir fry was so simple but so full of flavour. The fact veggies are picked for when there in season really makes a difference and the flank steak was such an amazing quality with no fat on it and so juicy!

Here are a couple of other meals we've cooked. We've totally become addicted and after two boxes you get 3 free box codes for friends.  I was curious to see the price so plugged in as much of a comparison as I could on Sainsburys last week. It was a touch dearer than a full price box but you would have had things like vinegar left over. For the convenience we've really enjoyed the boxes and actually think we are probably saving money as we've not been great with planning. Our plan is to enjoy a few more boxes then use the recipes and be better at meal planning. We've loved Hello Fresh. If you fancy trying a box you can use this code (QT49ZU) for £20 off your first box. If you order a original box there is also meal swap options. Have you used a food delivery service like this? Would you? Love M  xxx

Bumble and bumble Straight Blow Dry Cream

Hello there!

I've got a review for you today of a product that I really thought I wouldn't love.

Pretty bold statement to make in the second line of a blog post isn't it?

After attending a Bumble and bumble event a few months ago we were kindly given some mini products to try. The Straight Blow Dry Cream was one of them and I remember thinking 'oh great another hair cream'

I really need to apologise for that!

It wasn't that I thought it would be useless and B&b have rubbish products at all - it was just because I've tried COUNTLESS of these hair creams to no avail. They never work and end up coating my hair and making it greasier, which it needs no help doing at all!

This lightweight and heat activated balm helps to smooth and straighten hair making it sleek and more manageable. It contains a very rare gemstone blend to loosen the hairs natural curves as soon as you add heat, it also improves hair condition over time to make it softer and easier to deal with.

They say this is for anyone with curly, thick, coarse, frizzy and any other kind of unruly hair - however I have to say that mine is none of those things and that I'm just lazy with styling my hair properly.


So how do you use it? Just apply to damp hair and dry it section by section, finishing with straighteners if necessary.

Does it actually work? Here's what my hair normally looks like, this is drying it with a hair dryer and a brush:

It's a bit straggly but mostly straight apart from the ends, nothing straighteners wouldn't solve right?

The next time I washed my hair I did exactly the same thing apart from using the blow dry cream:



Can you believe the difference???

I am honestly amazed at how straight my hair is just by using this product

This could mean that I could potentially completely ditch the straighteners, how amazing would that be?!

My hair would definitely love it if I stopped using anything like straighteners and for £23 for 150ml of the blow dry cream I think this is an absolute bargain to save my hair!

What do you think? This might be the miracle hair product that I've been looking for!

Have you tried the Straight Blow Dry Cream? What did you think of it?

L xxx

Top 10 Products I Miss

Hello!

Today's post is a bit of a nostalgic one, I've been doing really well at saving money and using up my stash. I honestly have been doing so well at not buying things I feel like I might be ill!
It's been such a long time that I haven't bought anything essential that I was looking back and thinking of all the products that I would buy if I could....here's my Top 10 products that I miss:

Aura Manuka Honey Mask

Love this, need to repurchase to save my skin!

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

Need to repurchase this too, this lovely cleanser not only makes my skin feel super clean but also it exfoliates my skin without any abrasiveness and leaves it feeling tip top.

Lush Ocean Salt Scrub

This is not only a facial scrub but also a body scrub, it smells DIVINE and to be honest just sniffing it is great but I felt like this wasn't rough on my skin at all. Not only that but the fact it is made up with completely natural ingredients just makes it that much better.

Viper Venom Wrinkle Fix

Me and M both love this serum - it sinks in super quick and doesn't leave a greasy residue. Not only this but I SWEAR my skin looked so much better after using this and my little wrinkles were much improved.

Origins Make A Difference Cream

Another favourite of mine, this rejuvenating treatment just seem to get rid of all spots, soothe dry skin and generally make my skin appear a lot healthier and happier. I try and buy Origins products in sets so that I can try out new things that they have brought out, I've only thought one of them was a bit hit and miss so it has always been worth it!

Benefit They're Real Mascara

This is quite possibly the best mascara, it manages to separate curl and volumise my seemingly poker straight lashes and although I begrudge paying out for it, it really is worth every penny! There's nothing like the brush to separate out every lash and give the full fan effect.

Macadamia Hair Repair Masque

For day to day, my hair is happy with Aussie 3 Minute Miracle - but this makes my hair feel like silk and it goes super shiny and manageable. It just makes life so much easier when your hair plays ball!

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

All of these seem to be skincare don't they?? Can we tell I maybe have an obsession....
I loved this oil, it was a dry kind of oil so absorbed right into my skin and didn't leave a greasy layer at all. I'd love to try the dry/combination skin version now that I'm a bit older and my skin needs more hydration than before.

Aesop Parsley Seed Serum

Sadly this was only a little bottle of serum that came in a Selfridge's Beauty Box a few years ago, I put off using it as I wasn't convinced but as soon as I began it was magical - I really want to save up and go for a spree in Selfridge's Beauty Hall again and this would be number one on the list!

Lush Solid Serum Full of Grace

A recent addition to my product experience. I picked it up in store and my hands felt amazing, I knew if my hands felt that good then my face would feel even more amazing! And I was right.
My skin feels like it's being fed every time I use it, it's a winner and it's made of lovely natural ingredients too, I have to confess I have actually picked one up since I wrote this post!

What's your favourite product that you miss? Do you like any of the products that I miss?

I should probably branch out from being so skincare obsessed....!

L xxx