Trend: Skincare to give you the 'glow'

So far I have been really impressed with the range from Sunday Riley, having tried testers of their 'Ceramic Slip' clay cleanser and 'Good Genes' lactic acid treatment, with great results. I am now using two other cult products, the 'Luna Sleeping Night Oil' and the 'Artemis Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil' every other day and night, and they make for a dreamy pairing! Both are quite intense for the skin, probably due to the fact they are pure high grade oil's, so I don't feel the need to use them every morning and evening, but find acts as a great boost to the skin every couple of days. The Luna is £85 and Artemis is £60, so definitely at the higher end of the price range for skin care, but as I'm getting older I feel more and more aware of how my skin is aging, and I think that the purest, natural but yet scientfic brands are really able to offset any early signs of aging for as long as possible. The company I work for sells Sunday Riley, and we have been lucky enough to have a couple of talks from their UK representative, so I feel I really know the Sunday Riley facts now!

I like how thick and rich the Artemis oil is, so it slowly sinks into the skin, enabling the layers of your skin to get all the benefits from its great ingredients. And even though it leaves your skin feeling soft, supple and with a slight sheen, it does not encourage extra oil product throughout the day. So it really acts as a great first base for your goal of glowing skin.

The night oil is a wonderfully repairing and purifying oil, that contains retinol to combat wrinkles. It contains other ingredients to lessen the harsh side of retinol, so for older skin it is safe to use everyday if desired. And it also contains ingredients to boost radiance, which is perfect in achieving glowing skin. One thing to note though, keep it out of harsh day light so that the retinol doesn't break down too prematurely (that is why the store it in a dark bottle and kept the dark blue tansy dye.. clever!).

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Tired and Tested: Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm

My hands suffer from dryness quite badly, and so it always helps to apply some hand cream at night, so it can soak in for a few hours without being disturbed.  I've received this hand cream, the 'Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm' from Aesop as a Christmas present for a couple of years now, and I think its such a nice treat for your hands. Its not too greasy, but rich enough to really tackle any bad dry areas on your hands. I find that I can't feel it on my hands when I wash in the morning, so I believe this is because all the goodness has been absorbed and there aren't any bad ingredients to sit on the skin. It contains lots of lovely plant oils, such as Lavendar, Coconut and Orange, so it smells great. I think its a good unisex scent. And ofcourse looks incredibly stylish on your bedside table!

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Style: Arche Sandals

I first discovered the gorgeous footwear brand, Arche, when I was browsing my local Natural Shoe Company Store in Covent Garden. I was on the hunt for a practical, comfy and stylish pair of black sandals to see me through the summer (what summer?!) and many trips away we have planned. My feet don't really fit that well into Birkenstocks, so I didn't really know where else would cater from my wide feet! After initially being put off by their high price tag (£139!!), I spent about two weeks carrying on looking for sandals, but I always found I was comparing them to these beauties, with their buttery soft suede, flattering criss-cross straps and comfy sole. They are called 'Satia Noir', and after initally dying my feet a bit black, I am so pleased with them. They don't rub at all and support my feet really well. I'll definitely be on the look out for more from this French brand in the future. Although I would note that I tried a few styles on, there were a couple that I couldn't even get my toes into?! Which I thought was a bit strange as the pair I've got are comfortably wide.

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Top Products - Review: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder 'Diffused Light'

If you have fair skin, and are looking for a feathery light setting powder, then I would recommend giving the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in 'Diffused Light' a go. Its not cheap, at £38 its quite a hefty purchase, but you do get a decent amount of 0.35oZ, so it should last a while.

Now although for me I don't think it quite lives up to the hype that you hear about this product on Youtube,  I do think it does offer a subtle makeup setting powder, with the tiniest tiniest hint of a shimmer. So perfect for those days when you've mixed your liquid highlighter in with your foundation, and don't want to mute down any of the gorgeous glow you've created by putting a mattifying powder over the top. This powder works very nicely underneath the eyes, over spots and around the nose, because of the slight yellow tone that cancells out any redness.

With no parbens or talc, this is definitely good for sensitive skin too.

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Tried and Tested: Chanel Perfume Collection

Its only been in the past few years, since I first discovered Chanel 'Chance' perfume, that I really wanted to explore more of their collection. I'm now lucky enough to own 'Madamoiselle' and Noir', and I think I've got a spritz to suit any occasion. I've only ever received perfume as gifts, as I don't tend to go through them too quickly. I quite enjoy having a quick tester when I walk through department stores to discover a new scent, but for now I am happy with my rotation.

'Chance Eau Tendre' - for everyday, feels refreshing and bright, perfect for Spring and Summer.
'Coco Noir' - sultry and musky, I use this in the winter, and especially for evenings out.
'Coco Mademoiselle' - again suitable for everyday, but a bit sweeter and stronger, so great for evenings too. I would use this all year round.

Then for when I'm travelling, I recently bought an atomizer to dispense my perfume into. I'm really pleased with this one from John Lewis, as everything feels secure so I'm not worried that there's going to be any leakages of my valuable scents! Its nice to be able to just decant a small amount so that you can change which perfume you want to wear between different trips away. Its the perfect size for your hang luggage too.

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Style: Chloé Wallet

Its quite dangerous working near a TK Maxx.. A quick 10 minute lunch break can suddenly turn into spending nearly £200 on something you had not planned on getting that day (or ever?!) But when a Chloé 'Marcie' zip around wallet makes an appearance, at nearly half the price, it just had to be done.

So this beauty in the shade 'Nut' cost me £180, but it retails at £340. I gave it a thorough inspection to make sure there were no imperfections, and it even had the genuine authentication cards inside.

I fully appreciate that its a luxury item, and I want to treat it with extra special care, so for the moment, whilst my current purse is still in action, I won't be using this every day. I'm hoping it'll be an investment for the future, and a purse that I'll want to use for many years to come. I may have had to watch the pennies for the rest of the month, but I think it was well worth it!

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Top Products - Review: Laura Mercier Crème Eye Liner

Many years ago, I always used liquid liners to create my usual cat-eye flick. I then ventured into Bobbi Browns Gel eyeliner. I enjoyed using this however, as alot of people find too, it dries up towards the end, and for a long time I wasn't achieving the 'cleanest' line that I'd like.

After a bit of researching to find a new contender, I came across Laura Merciers version, the Crème Eye Liner. Its worlds apart from the hard, dry version that unfortunately Bobbi's can turn into. I've had mine for a couple of years now (they take ages to go through), and its still as creamy and soft as when I first bought it. Its £19.50 for 3.5g, where as Bobbi Brown's gel liner is £18.50 for 3g, so is a little bit more value for money too.

I have it in Noir (black, obvs), and Espresso (a warm brown). Espresso is great for when I still want definition on the eyes, but it gives an overall softer look, and compliments my blue/green eyes. I wore this on my wedding, as I didn't want to have a harsh black line. 

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Trends: Anti-Pollution Skincare - REN Flash Defence Anti Pollution Mist

We have known for a long time that exposure to sun can damage the skin and cause premature aging. But the effects of pollution on the skin are only just becoming common knowledge now. I have used Ren Evercalm range on my face for two years now, and this targets the effects of pollution on sensitive skin, but now they have brought out a more universal spray to 'shield and protect the skin from the aging effects of environment pollution and harmful free-radicals'.

Living in London, I am very conscious of how pollution may be effecting me both inside and out, so I've been enjoying being able to give my face and neck a spritz of this before I leave the flat, and then again if I know I'll be outside for any length of time. It has a really refreshing scent, so it feels like a great 'pick me up' too. I think it smells quite similar to Caudalie Beauty Elixir.

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Favourite Molton Brown Scents

Years and years ago I was given the Molton Brown 'Heavenly Gingerly' Body Oil Shimmer for Christmas, and it kick started a love affair with this gorgeous scent. Its now just called 'Gingerlily', and have continued to use the body lotion. It feels really luxurious, and a 'pretty' but not at all sickly scent. Its flavours are ginger oil, tuberose, cedarwood and white lily, which give an exotic and fresh scent. I love the smell so much, we were given one of the room aroma reeds as a wedding gift. Its a perfect way to enjoy the smell, but not from your skin! Its such a shame they don't make the shimmer oil any more. I have looked into buying the Eau de toilette, but it doesn't get very good reviews on their wesbite, so I'll have to pop by a shop to have a sniff first.

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Top Products - Review: Tom Ford Matte Lipsticks - Pussycat and Flame

There's not too much to say about these lipsticks other than that they have brilliant staying power, are very pigmented, are buttery smooth and cost a small fortune (£38). Are they worth it? When you love makeup as much as I do, yes I think they are. And if you were to only buy one lip stick this year, I'd say get one of these. I'm sure you could find a colour to suit any occasion and skin tone.

One colour I chose was 'Pussycat', its a dusky, muted pinky-plum colour, which I wanted to wear on those occasions where I wanted my lip colour to compliment my eye makeup, but without looking too overdone. And I think it does this perfectly. Because I am so pale the colour is quite strong on me, but it feels very sophisticated so I am enjoying wearing the bolder lip.

The other colour I chose was 'Flame', a bright orange-red. I've been wanting this for a long time, as I thought it would be great when I'm a little bit more freckly and sunkissed, with minimal makeup and then just a POP of bright colour on my lips. And I am so pleased with it. It isn't too strong for my complexion, and I think it suits my skin tone well. I can't wait to take it on holiday!

My first Tom Ford lipstick I bought was 'Pink Dusk', and bought it to wear on my wedding day. I still love wearing this lipstick, and sometimes I think I want to buy a second incase they stop making it, as I want to have it forever! Sad, but true.

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Simple Makeup Tips

To some people it what I am about to write will be very obvious, but I wanted to write a post about tips for makeup that not everyone thinks of. Working as a makeup artist I often talk to people about their own experiences with makeup and what they prefer to do. They often ask questions and are interested in the way I do their makeup. Below are a few things that come up for discussion most regularly:

• Do your eye makeup first. Even if you aren't planning on going for a smokey eye where eye shadow may fall below your eye, if you make a bit of a mess with mascara its easy to wipe away with remover than try and patch up your concealer afterwards.
• Apply your eyebrow pencil/powder towards the end of completing your makeup look, this is so that you can tell how heavy/light to go with your brows depending on how much makeup you have elsewhere on your face. For instance you might not need to go heavy if the rest of your makeup is quite natural.
• Apply blusher at the end, again this is so you don't make your cheeks too rosy when you already have enough going on on your face, eg. smokey eye and dark lip. Blusher should just balance you out and give a bit of life to your skin. If you want blusher to be prominent, I would go easy on other aspects of the makeup.
• Sometimes its good to apply foundation with your fingers then towards the end buff it in with a brush. I find you waste less product in the brush this way, rather than completely applying with a brush.
• If you struggle to apply a liquid or gel liner, create the line first with a kohl pencil, then trace over with the liquid/gel liner. The pencil allows more room for error and is a softer line that doesn't show up as many mistakes. Use the side of the pencil to create the shape.

There is so much more I could write about, but I'll leave that for now and do another post soon. My Instagram account shows a few ideas too.

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Trends: My new interior purchases

We have lived in our flat for 2 and a half years now, and we finally feel like we've put the finishing design touches. Here are a few items I've bought recently, to try and give the living room a stylish edge.

Clementine plant in copper effect plant pot. Both from: N1 Garden Centre.

Marks and Spencer Autograph Luxury Orchid.

Soy Wax 'Baltic Amber' Candle by Clement & Claude, from Cassius & Coco in Crouch End, North London.

Mirrored photo frame from Laura Ashley.

'Bevin Beech Base Glass Dome' from Rowen and Wren.

Clay Wedding Cake Topper from Artlocke Designs.

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