118 118 Beauty Pass brings “more gorgeousness” to our lives

118 118, the phone directory assistance service, is launching today, 15 December 2013, a prettifying helping hand of a service called 118 118 Beauty Pass – a little card that gives us beauty lovers 50% discount in salons and spas around London.

The pass works on a membership basis, so you pay a fee of £79.99 to use the discounts for a whole year. For salon and spas regulars this is a great deal and only a few uses will make up for the membership fee, making the rest pure savings! They even have a little savings calculator so you can see how much you could save before signing up.

The pass is available at 118118beauty.com and can be used for hair, nails, body and face treatments at around 300 salons and spas in London, with many joining in everyday! It is very easy to subscribe via their website, where you can also find beauty tips and reviews.

What I would also love to see in this product would be small discount with beauty retailers too, so we can save on our beauty products as well as treatments… maybe one for the 118 188 Beauty team to think about *hint hint*.

Now, for me, this is a great idea – a no-brainer for those who use beauty services regularly, but also a little incentive to those that want to treat themselves more often! I have already subscribed!

And great news: until Valentine’s day 2014 they are offering a special price annual membership: for £29.99 only! Hurry to their Facebook page and @118118Beauty on Twitter to get the exclusive discount code and head to 118118beauty.com to sign up and start saving!

This would make a great Christmas gift to any beauty babe!

The launch information was sent to me by 118118Beauty, but opinions (and suggestions) are my own.

Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! exhibition at Somerset House

Going straight to it: I was blown away by Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore exhibition at Somerset House in London.

If you can, get yourself there now and feast yourself on Isabella’s fabulous life. Well, at least the part that is shown, which I find only fair, as it is a celebration of all things Issie. Despite all the unhappiness and tragedy throughout her life, as Philip Treacy said, “Nothing about her was tragic. She was triumphant”.

Isabella Blow, fashion editor, consultant, muse and nurturer of young fashion talent was born English aristocracy and started her career as Anna Wintour’s assistant at Vogue US, only to come home and head fashion for Vogue, Tatler and The Sunday Times.

Her quirkiness, creativity and wonderfully outrageous fashion sense was more than evident in her wonderful fashion edits. Sadly, her personal life was plagued by depression, infertility, cancer and multiple suicide bids, which eventually materialised, taking her away in 2007.

Blow is credited to discovering Philip Treacy, Alexander McQueen and Julien MacDonald, amongst other designers, and also models.

It was no surprise I would love the exhibition, being the huge millinery fan I am. Treacy’s amazing head pieces are an integral part of the exhibition, dotted around all over the place, as well as McQueen pieces – and I really like that the their stories appear entwined as they were in real life. It proves it takes one talent to know one. The what I now call “Blow triad” is very palpable: head in Treacy, body in McQueen and feet in Manolo Blahnik.

From all the wonder of feasting my eyes with glorious garments, a few caught my eye, including the fabulous Deborah Milner, A/W 1997 red velvet coat with fur collar. Sigh…

Another interesting aspect is the state of her personal garments. They show wear. And tear. This is something really important to me, as although I don’t share her careless attitude to these expensive items (she famously left shoes at the back of cabs – God forbid I will EVER do that; just the thought makes me shiver!), I believe every item should be worn and enjoyed to the maximum. Yes, a scuff, a stain might look ugly, but it gives the item life and tells a small story itself. And I think that is why they didn’t restore items.

isabella blow exhibition - photo from design_scene

isabella blow exhibition - photo from vogue

isabella blow exhibition - photo from somersethouse.org

In the various areas of the exhibition, we are taken through her life, her style, her influences and the celebration of British.

***SPOILER ALERT***

And the finale almost brought a tear to my eye – McQueen’s S/S 08 fashion show, a collection in collaboration with Philip Treacy and dedicated to Isabella after her death. The pieces are breathtaking, as well as the closing with the legacy of the unique legend that was Isabella Blow.

I had great fun and learnt a fair bit. I left with a sense of sadness for the losses fashion, and creativity, suffered. But I am also grateful for the legacy, nicely condensed and exposed here, for all to see.

The Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore exhibition is on at Somerset House until March 2014 and you can book tickets via their website.

Image credits: Somerset House, Vogue UK and Design Scene.

Read Vogue’s biography of Isabella Blow.

Liz Earle product launch

Not many things are more exciting than check out new products. Especially if they come from a brand that has delivered many great ones before. No wonder I was excited to attend the Liz Earle product launch in London.

The main launch was for their brand new Indulgent Bath & Body collection, which promises to help you “immerse yourself in a world of relaxation”. Basically, this range tells you that you should be allowed to bombard your senses with exquisite fragrances and sensations to treat your body and mind on a daily basis. And this should be affordable.

So this is exactly what they delivered: three exotic fragrances developed in partnership with top perfumers, available in March 2014.

In separate thematic rooms, we were expertly guided through the sensorial world of the fantastic blends:

Tiare & Jasmine, a floral blend of the exotic Tahitian tiare flower (which only flowers once a year) and the well known jasmine, neroli, orange blossom, almond milk and sandalwood, developed with master perfumer Oliver Cresp. I found this lovely and sweet, in the right amount.

Bergamot & Ginger, a zingy and fresh mix of citrus-y bergamots and ginger with flowery freesia, lily, jasmine petals and lemon blossom, created with Sabine de Tscharner. This is a refreshing fragrance, almost masculine, but very summery. My personal preference is for sweeter scents, so although it is a very pleasant scent, this one is not really for me.

Vanilla & Saffron, an exquisite blend of Madagascan vanilla with spicy saffron create a fragrance almost as good to eat. It also counts with water lotus, honeydew, gardenia, lily of the valley and white orchid, tonka bean and musk notes. Needless to say, this was my favourite, I feel warmly hugged and wrapped by it. I just love it and could be doused on it 24/7. It was developed with Harry Freemont.

Each fragrance has four products: Creamy Shower Nectar (£12.50) with a lusciously thick and pearly consistency; Melting Sugar Body Scrub (£14.50), which feels divine against the skin and leaves it oh-so-soft; Silky Body Lotion (£14.50), which glides, perfumes and moisturises beautifully and the Indulgent Body Butter (£16.50) which is absorbed quickly by the skin but offers that extra rich moisture touch.

You can see I am sold – they offered an amazing hand massage using the products and I could not stop smelling my hand for the rest of the day. The scents linger in a very discreet and comfortable way and I keep catching a whiff of the deliciousness of Vanilla & Saffron all day long.

In addition to that, they were also showing off their new nail colours for Spring/Summer 14, Moonlight, a pale grey and Awakening, a pretty coral, as well as their beautiful Radiant Glow Bronzer, a quad-shade bronzer which delivers a warm gold colour with discreet shimmer, really giving the skin a gorgeous glow!

A lot to look forward to come March next year!!!

You can also purchase and get more information on the current Liz Earle fabulous skincare and makeup ranges on their website!

Beautiful christmas: my selection of beauty gifts

Ho ho ho. It is December and I feel I am officially allowed to say the C word without attracting some dirty looks (and the “already?!” expression n their faces). Obviously, I am talking about CHRISTMAS, silly.

Most people know someone who is a beauty fanatic and if you are not one yourself, choosing the right thing can be quite difficult. But fear not, So Many Lovely Things will give you an easy solution that is certain to cause a good impression.

I went through my favourite places for beauty buys and here are my picks:

Up to £25

A good all rounder for a great price. Studio products are great value for money. This Smokey eye kit, for £6, is certain to please. New Years eve eyes, sorted!

I love the Eyeko Skinny liner – it is my favourite and I use everyday. This double pack from QVC is excellent value for £14 and after trying you will certainly need a second (and a third – you won’t live without it, ever!)

Classic skin care brand Nivea pulled together a lovely pampering selection with Honey Face Masks, Body lotion, Pearly Shine Lip, Cleansing Wipes, Moisturising Day Cream, amongst others. For £15, this gift goes a long way. Available at Boots.

Post Chirstmas excesses will show on your face. Pull yourself together with this L’Oréal Port-Party Beauty SOS and be ready for the next one in no time! £10 from Boots.

A pretty bauble from Rodial, with its lovely Glam Balm inside. A tiny bit of luxury to plump those lips for that all important unde the mistletoe action! £14 from Harrods.

I love this book. Rae Morris’ classic Makeup: The Ultimate Guide will help you get the grips with makeup and look even more fabulous! Only £12.50 from Amazon.

The Sanctuary’s Best Sellers Collection is a great body indulgence kit with their classic scent. £15 from Debenhams.

Clinique’s Chubby stick Whole Lotta Candy collection means you will have three beautiful shades to choose from for the New Year’s party! £20 from House of Fraser.

Pretty doll eyes with YSL Baby Doll Mascara Set – to put it on and remove later! Find it at Boots for £24.50.

Must Have minis from Nails Inc – lots of shades to start well the year – fro nudes to neons – this will keep your talons colour going for a while! Great value of £23.52 from QVC!

Festive talons courtesy of Clinique’s Party Tips nail polish set.. Three pretty shades for sensitive skin for £20 from House of Fraser.

Discover Elemis’ great Tri-enzime kit with this 4 piece set, for only £24.12 from QVC.

OPI’s Fit to be Tied #2 has two beautiful nail shades and delivers glitter in the right amount. £18.55 from QVC.

Clinique’s classic 3 step kit is one of my favourites cleanse, tone and moisturise sets. Have a go with this intro collection and see for yourself. £20 from Debenhams.

The Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is a classic – and is has a special edition for Christmas – £26.25 for 200ml cleaner and 2 muslim cloths!

Over £26

I couldn’t leave out the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay, coming out on the 12 December for £37. Hurry!!!

Beautifully packaged MAC’s Stroke of Midnight eye kit in Smoky got me hooked. Smokey eyes paradise with Chillproof, Retrospeck, Gaelic Gold, Well Put Together and Carbon (my fave matte black eyeshadow). At £32, exceptional value for money.

Benefit’s Groovy Kinda Love gift set has their best sellers to keep you pretty – and all for £29.50 from Boots.

Sparkle! The Urban Decay Starlight Glitter set can help with that! £30 from House of Fraser.

Guinot has brought some lovely gift boxes this year, each one looking to fix a “problem” in a girl’s life.

Ready Set Glow will deliver complexion brightening tools; Damsel in De-Stress will pamper and help relief stress; Supercharged Youth Boost delivers a boost for ageing skin. They also have a male grooming gift set called Tied up, with a face wash, after shave and shaving brush! They are priced between £46 and £64 and can be found at your nearest salon using Guinot products or at the Salon Skincare website, amongst others. website

Reveal a younger you with YSL Forever Youth Liberator Serum set, £64 from Boots.

Lancôme’s Visionnaire is of my favourite serums – and this set has lots of amazing goodies to accompany it! It costs £82 from Boots.

This classic selection of half size MAC brushes is amazing – and a fantastic value too at £42.

And finally, a girl can dream…. fro £300 you can get the WHOLE Alber Elbaz collection for Lancôme at Harrods. Sigh…

Product Review: L’Oréal Studio Line #TXT Wave Creating Spray

Fine, flat hair. One of my beauty curses. Any help to fight it is more than welcome, so I was delighted to try the new L’Oréal Studio Line #TXT Wave Creating Spray.

Packaging is simple and effective, with bright colours – I personally like the purple/coral combination. The spray diffuses well delivering the right amount of product to the hair.

What I really like it is that it doesn’t feel like you applied anything to the hair – it doesn’t crunch or weigh down the hair.

L’Oréal says that the spray is to create texturised waves on straight hair and is specially formulated to help protect hair against heat. This last part is very important for me!

After applying to the tips of my hair, I used a curling wand to style. I then brushed and ended up with soft tousled waves. And an extra bonus: volume!!!

It also lasted all day – and when I woke up the next morning, they were still there!

This had to become a go-to product, which I am not surprised, as my previous one for curls was L’Oréal’s Hot Curl, also part of their Studio Line range.

It is priced at £3.79 for 150ml and you can find the Studio Line #TXT Wave Creating Spray at retailers country wide. More information on this product and others on the #TXT line at the L’Oréal website.

This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my own true experience with the products and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Nails of the week: blues and purples with silver

This post is a bit different, as I have no idea what base polishes were used.

I’ve been to Brazil and my lovely manicurist Irma looked after my talons for two weeks. She is the only person I will let touch my nails. Although I enjoy doing my own manicure, there is something lovely about sitting there and letting the professional her do her job, while I rummage through boxes of nail polish so she can make my crazy (in her view – but quite tame in mine!) ideas come true.

blue, purple and silver nails - somanylovelythings

So I went frantically picking all blues and purples that tickled my fancy and ended up with this lovely selection. The common element: the silver foil string topcoat from Impala, called Atitude Pop, from their Rebelde collection.

The topcoat has a decent saturation of fine silver tinsel like strings suspended on a clear base. I just love the effect, really brings all the colours together beautifully!!!

Rating:

Product review: Liz Earle Healthy Glow Cream blush

Although I have a few other shades, coral/peach is my favourite colour for blusher – it goes well with most skin tones and makeup colours. I was very happy to try the Liz Earle healthy glow cream blush in Coral, 05.

Packaging is lovely – simple, elegant and most importantly, extremely compact. It also has a little mirror on the lid.

Now, I might have mentioned before that I avoid using cream makeup products as my skin is prone to oiliness and it all melts and also because of my scarring – these products tend to sink on them. Not pretty to look at.

I am delighted to say I was pleasantly surprised with this Liz Earle blush. It looks darker in the pot than it is on the skin – but it is highly pigmented, so you only need a little.

It has a lovely creamy consistency that applies and blends extremely well and a matte-ish finish to die for. And somehow it delivers a lovely glowy flush of colour. I don’t quite get how it does it, but I love it. Most importantly, it does not sink into my scars after a few hours of use. Score!

The Healthy Glow Cream blush is available in seven beautiful shades, retails for 16.50 and can be purchased at the Liz Earle website where you can also find a fantastic line of cosmetics and makeup!

So Many Lovely Things

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Monthly Archives: December 2013