Author Archives: Dani - So Many Lovely Things

The best beauty advent calendars 2015

Posted in Beauty, Body, hair, Make Up, nails, Skincare by

It’s October, I know, but Christmas seems so close (?) I can almost smell it. And I’ve seen so many fabulous beauty advent calendars that I can barely contain myself.

Looks like this year companies really upped their game.

So I am listing my favourites on the market. With offers this great, a little more than a month to decide might seem a long tim – but it is not.  Before you know, you’ll be popping that number 1 window…

charlotte_tilbury_beauty_advent_calendar_2015The Book of Make Up Magic, Charlotte Tilbury, £150

Is there anywhere Ms Tilbury is not in at the moment? No. And her advent calendar, albeit counting with “only” 12 items, including a fair share of CT classics, is fabulous. You can sign up now to be the first to know when it becomes available.

house_of_fraser_beauty_advent_calendar_2015Color Couture, House of Fraser, £20

Coming in at an almost unbelievable price, this lovely beauty advent calendar is packed full of HoF own beauty brand. I had a peek at their Christmas show and it is full of very wearable items. Fantastic value for money.

 liberty_beauty_advent_calendar_2015Beauty Advent Calendar 2015, Liberty, £149

Limited edition, beautiful inside and out…. Oh, Liberty has done it again and it’s full of their fabulous premium brands, including Diptyque, Hourglass, Kiehl’s and Aromatherapy Associates.

It’s available now from the Liberty website or in-store. And you get that welcome overdose of pretty Liberty print.

bodyshop_beauty_advent_calendar_201524 Happy Days, The Body Shop, £60 and £80.

The Body Shop is bringing out not one, but two advent calendars. The 24 Happy days advent calendar, the “standard” one, contains bath and body classics plus some new launches.

The 24 Happy Days Premium Advent Calendar includes more luxury ranges such as the fabulous Oils of Life.

bodyshop_beauty_advent_calendar_2015_1Plus, they are partnering up with WaterAid, and for each selected Christmas gift they sell, water for a whole day is provided to a family in Ethiopia.

selfridges_cosmic_beaty_advent_calendar_2015Cosmic Beauty Advent Calendar, Selfridges, £95

Think the iconic shop beauty hall in a box. With an outer-space motif. What’s not to love? Exactly. Armani, Kiehl’s, Lancôme, Shu Uemura, Urban Decay, Viktor & Rolf and YSL classics and launches are in there. Even better, you can get it now!

ciate_beauty_advent_calendar_2015Mini Mani Month, Ciaté, £49.99

Nail addicts all look forward to this one, which has become a Christmas classic. Every year it seems to get better and this edition comes with a special Olivia Palermo shade too.

No excuses not to have festive nails throughout December!

benefit_party_poppers_advent_calendar_2015Party Poppers, Benefit, £34.99

Music with your festive calendar? Yes, please. Plus 12 minis to live in your handbag during the party season. Available now.

makeup_revolution_advent_calendar_2015Makeup Revolution Advent Calendar, £45

A fab calendar packed with 25 full size (yes, all full size!) Makeup Revolution products, which I love, selected by staff at their HQ and the 25th is a Christmas gift. Sweet. Available at Superdrug.

m&s_beauty_advent _calendar_2015Beauty Advent Calendar, M&S, £25

Packed full of well-loved brands, this advent calendar comes in at an affordable £25, but there’s a catch: you must spend at least £25 on M&S beauty to be able to buy.

lush_12days_ofchristmas_contents_beauty_advent_calendar_201512 Days of Christmas, Lush, £49.95

Natural and fragrant bath product in all shapes and sizes to prepare you for the big C day. And oh, yeah, it’s vegan too!

loccitane_beauty_advent_calendar_2015Noel Approche, L’Occitane, £39

24 luxurious hair, body and skin care treats awaits inside this super cute calendar, available later this month.

no7_boots_beauty_advent_calendar_201525 Days of Beauty Wonders, Boots No7, £38

A fan of Boots No7 brand? well, you are in for a treat. There are loads of skin care, body and makeup here, including six full-sized products. You can sign up to be the first to know when it launches.

you_beauty_discovery_advent_calendar_2015YOU Beauty Advent Calendar, £59.95 (plus P&P)

You can get £330 worth of great brand products in this advent calendar – Caudalie, Benefit, Molton Brown, REN, Rodial and more, all await behing the little doors. Available from You Beauty Discovery.

As I said, plenty to look out for, and for  all budgets! Always worth remembering Primark usually brings a couple out at around the £10 mark.

Which one do you want to get you beautifully manicured hands on?

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You can take a look at my 2014 selection here.

Thomas Hills talks hair at Fashion International backstage

Posted in Fashion, hair by

thomas_hills_fashion_intlThomas Hills knew from a very young age that hair was his business. So much that from 13 he entered the industry, worked with great brands and set up his own Salon in Surrey, where he collects achievements and awards, trains promising hairdressers and has an amazing team.

thomas_hills_fashioninternational - 4This team was brought by Thomas to the London Amba Hotel for two days as a Fashion International partner, creating the hair looks using PIMP Amsterdam hair products.

On the night, there were six designers showcasing their collections and the models had a tidy centre parting and soft/grunge waves for five shows and hair up for the other.

thomas_hills_fashion_intl1After attaining extensive experience in the customer side, Thomas Hills has branched into fashion session styling and in between hair fluffing and sprays, I caught up with him to find out more about it.

I asked Thomas about the challenges of styling for multiple shows, like that one on the night. He mentioned it is important to use different people to meet different briefs and bear in mind deterioration of hair condition, as well creating something that is wearable and will last, and flatter the designs.

On the creative process, Thomas said it is a collaboration, and for this show, it started around six weeks before. He can mould the team around the brief, playing to individuals strengths, so the formation of the team varies according what is being achieved.

Hills aims to produce wearable looks that work well with all models; something that is on trend with his own twist, but is achievable in the available time.

thomas_hills_fashion_intl5Ultimately, his creation need to compliment the designs because in the end, they “hairdressers are there working for the designers”.

And what is hot right now? Thomas bets on warmer, soft looks, straight ends. Softer, complimentary colours, like golds and browns are in and for my delight dip dye, harshness and clashes are gone.

Of course, after my interview I stayed around to watch the show and may have fallen in love with one piece or two… I will talk about them very soon, promise!

Thomas Hill’s salon, TH1 Hair, is located in Oxted, Surrey.

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A step into mindfulness: Aromatherapy Associates for Liberty Clear Mind Bath & Shower Oil

Posted in Beauty by

aromatherapy_associates_for_liberty_clear_mind_oil_review - 1Mindfulness. Something that is so talked about nowadays but still not exercised enough by most of us.

Aromatherapy Associates and Liberty are here to give us a little helping hand with the gorgeous Clear Mind Bath & Shower Oil, which was born to help us “find peace in a frantic world”.

This fabulously thick and aromatic oil contains chamomile, frankincense, palmarosa and bergamot.

They went through 12 blends before perfecting this gem which aims to help free our thoughts, achieve stillness of mind, live the present moment, which are principles of mindfulness, as well as revitalising the mind and body.

aromatherapy_associates_for_liberty_clear_mind_oil_review - 1The smell is powerful, its texture silky. What I really like is that they teach you how to use it in the shower, which for me is perfect (my low blood pressure makes baths an unpleasant business).

Just drop a 50p size amount on you hand, rub and inhale twice or thrice, before rubbing it onto your torso and tummy.

It may sound weird, but just the first pat of the routine made me clear my mind completely and focus on the aromas. I felt revitalised, and happy. When showering, the aromas are still release, and sink deep into our tissue.

I really enjoy the whole ritual. It does make you step out and take time not to think about anything, and be present.

aromatherapy_associates_for_liberty_clear_mind_oil_review - 4Mindfulness is something really close to my heart, as an anxiety sufferer. I did struggle a lot to find it, and after a lot of hard work, it became easier. And this oils is a great nudge towards it; it gives you that daily dose, even if for a short period of time, of stillness. And this is great.

The oil comes in a handcrafted bottle; mine has my initials – nice touch, Liberty!

It sits in a beautiful box designed especially for the collaboration, using one of Liberty’s iconic floral prints, Genevieve, from AW03, which colours marry the ingredients quite well.

aromatherapy_associates_for_liberty_clear_mind_oil_review - 2Aromatherapy Associates has a personal connection to Liberty. Its founder, Geraldine Howard, bought her wedding in the store, which I thought I was quite a cute story to add to this collaboration.

At the launch, in one of Liberty’s amazing private rooms, all carved in beautiful wood, in line with the iconic store stunning interior, we were treated to a fantastic hand massage. I chose calming, and the soothing it brought me (added to a glass of bubbly) was quite overwhelming.

The Aromatherapy Associates for Liberty Clear Mind Bath & Shower Oil costs £48 for 55ml and has at least 20 uses, and it available exclusively at Liberty, in-store, I recommend a trip over any time, I just love the place, and online.

And if you want to read more about my obsession with oils, it’s all here!

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

Unleashing my inner Rebel with John Lewis and Charlotte Tilbury

Posted in Beauty, Make Up by

charlotte_tilbury_makeup_john_lewis - 1My nature has always been a little bit rebellious. I am not mutiny prone, but do enjoy shaking a few feathers now and then.

My style is, albeit “normal”, quite rebellious in the sense I don’t really care what people think. I dress for the occasion, myself and the way I feel on that moment. And the same goes for my makeup.

So no wonder when John Lewis got in touch with me to pick a Charlotte Tilbury look to re-create, I was drawn to The Rebel.

charlotte_tilbury_makeup_john_lewis - 1 (1)After deliberating between looks I love and wear, The Vintage Vamp and the Bombshell, I settled for the one that is quite close to my soul, but ultimately that I find harder to wear.

Let me explain. I always struggled with the red/green combination. I love green eye shadow, but also love red lipstick, but always thought of it as a bit Christmassy. The fact this looks pulls it off is quite exciting.

Also, I do struggle with making a smokey lower lash line look good on me, so I am hoping to pick up Ms Tilbury’s tips and tricks and make it work.

On top of that, I do the other two favourite looks quite often, so it is great to try something bolder and different.

charlotte_tilbury_rebel_look_john_lewis - 2Armed with my Charlotte Tilbury The Rebel Look kit, which contains Luxury Palette Rebel Eyeshadow quad, Rock n’ Kohl Bedroom Black eyeliner, Cheek to Chic First Love blusher, Lip Cheat Kiss n’ Tell lip liner, K.I.S.S.I.N.G Love Bite lipstick and Lip Lustre Hall of Fame lip gloss, I set off to create my own rebel.

And I picked a night in the town rebel.

charlotte_tilbury_makeup_john_lewis - 2After creating a face base (Hourglass Primer and foundation mainly), I started with the eyes by adding the primer colour in The Rebel Eyeshadow Luxury Palette, a creamy metallic beige which is also great for highlighting, to the whole lid.

I used the pencil shadow brush to add this lighter colour to the inner corner of my eyes, to open and highlight them.

Still with that brush, I added the enhance shade, a lighter emerald green, contouring my crease and creating a shape, then a blending brush to colour in from the outer to the inner corner.

With a smoking brush I added the smoke colour, a rich pine green, above the crease created with the enhance shade and first smoked up upwards. Then I smoked downwards. With the pencil shadow brush I added to the lash line and smoked upwards.

With the same brush and colour I lined my lower lash line, making it go over my comfort zone on purpose, to create a more smoked look.

Finally, I applied the gorgeous pop shade, a rich seaweed green with gold flecks, with my finger, as suggested by Ms Tilbury herself.

The eyeshadows are soft, very pigmented, blend beautifully and have no drop whatsoever.

Using the Rock n’ Kohl Bedroom Black eyeliner I lined my upper lash line and pulled a small flick. I also lined my bottom lashes water line. I then used the pencil brush to rub the kohl in both lash lines, giving it a more fluid edge.

I coated my eye lashes with mascara and applied Eylure Fleur Loves lashes.

Then I used my usual contouring shade (a dull brown from Inglot) to the cheeks, and applied Inika and Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked highlighter high on my cheekbones and middle of the face, above my lips cupid bow and centre of the nose.

charlotte_tilbury_makeup_john_lewis - 3Using the Cheek to Chic First Love blusher swish shade above and below my contouring, near the hair and jaw line, as well as neck and chest, I moved on to apply the pop shade onto my cheekbones.

I finished the look with the stunning K.I.S.S.I.N.G Love Bite lipstick, which is a lustrous vivid orange-red, perfect for my skin, after lining my lips with the butter soft Lip Cheat Kiss n’ Tell lip liner. To add extra oomph, I dabbed Lip Lustre Hall of Fame lip gloss to the centre of the lips.

Then I added a little star just to make it cute.

The Rebel is a bold, beautiful and brave, celebrating uniqueness, which I think, for me if just perfect.

And I am over my red/green fear. Watch this space, it will appear more often. Plus, I have at least 5 Charlotte Tilbury products on my list now, as I love what I tried. *sigh*

John Lewis is a new stockist for Charlotte Tilbury makeup and there you can find all the extensive  CT makeup range and all 10 amazing look sets, including The Rebel, which cost £165 each and have all the items you need to create a day and night version of the makeup look.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for the Charlotte Tilbury Book of Make Up magic advent calendar, which will be available in John Lewis. It is to die for, I promise!

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Maybe you are thinking: But Dani, did you really need that many pictures of you? Well, no. I did, however, love them and had a lot of fun doing the look and taking the pics (thank you Andy!), there were 80 in total and I think I did well. At least they are in galleries… no?

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

Weather changes: what about my skin?

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

winter_skincare_somanylovelythings - 1My skin is, at the best of days, problematic. After suffering from acne most of my life, I really need to be careful with how I approach skincare.

Season changes can play havoc with it if I don’t start adapting my routine at the first signs of change.

Whereas spring and summer are gentler and require less care in general, this time of the year can be quite challenging for me, and I have already started to adapt my ways.

winter_skincare_somanylovelythings - 2Immediately, the colder air seems to suck out the moisture of my skin. Although I have acne, my skin can get quite dry and dehydrated.

A common mistake for acneic skin sufferers is to think oily skin doesn’t need moisture. I myself did that for a long time. Sebum and hydration are two different thing, so make sure you are hydrating and nourishing oily skin.

At the same time, I cannot use very rich creams on my face. In the summer, I can’t even contemplate; in the winter, I can take a bit more richness, but not a lot.

I change to a gentler face wash/cleanser, such as S5 Clarity Cleanser (ever so gentle) and Trilogy Balancing Gel Cleanser.

In terms of toners, I tend to swap for gentler one, such as the Dermalogica Multi Active Toner every other day, then rotate my favourites Clinique Anti-Blemish Clarifying Lotion and Pixi Glow Tonic.

winter_skincare_somanylovelythings - 7

A pre-cleanse, when wearing heavy make up, also helps making the whole process less abrasive. The Dermalogica Precleanse is fabulous, I cannot recommend enough.

During the day, I’ve been starting with The Body Shop Essence Lotion and follow with a moisturiser with SPF, which can be Caudalie Polyphenol C15, Balance Me Natural Protection Moisturiser, Dermalogica Sheer Tint or Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance (the last two are tinted).

Other times I use Clinique Anti-Blemish Solution Clearing Moisturiser or thisworks energy bank sun flash or light time skin plumper with a sunscreen underneath, such as the fabulous Eucerin Mattifying Sun fluid.

winter_skincare_somanylovelythings - 8At night, I usually apply either a good moisturiser or light night cream. Favourites at the moment include the S5 Balance Fluid, The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Gel and Cream, Liz Earle Superskin Face Serum (which is a fabulous thicker serum).

Then I complement with a serum and/or oil, depending on how parched my skin feels. Favourites include Balance Me Radiance Oil, Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely revitalising Facial Oil, Caudalie Vinoperfect (to help me get rid of some sun/hormonal dark spots that usually appear on my face in the summer), Jurlique Rose Moisture Plus, S5 Purity Serum.

winter_skincare_somanylovelythings - 9I never thought oils would be suitable for my skin, having acne and all, but since I started, with Balance Me Radiance oil, I noticed a great improvement.

The theory is that once you are already giving your skin oil, it doesn’t need to produce more. It did work for me and after a while I could, for the first time in years, see radiance on my skin.

All that in conjunction with the fabulous Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster, which is great for face and eyes, giving my skin that extra hydration, day or night.

winter_skincare_somanylovelythings - 4I feel that high on my cheekbones and around the eyes,my skin get extra dry, so I use eye creams in the morning and evening. Favourites include Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair, S5 Renew Eye Cream and Joan Collins Superlift eye serum, not to forget some coconut oil from time to time.

Mists play a huge part in my winter routine. Central heating is not great for skin so I keep mine in check with a great facial spray.

I love the Jurlique Rose Mist, Pixi Glow Mist and Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritz.

winter_skincare_somanylovelythings - 6My lips suffer all year round and tend to dry, flake and chap quite easily. Unlucky for me, they are also quite “fussy” in regards to what works, and Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream and Nivea Lip Butter are the only things that will prevent and treat them well.

As the season evolves and weather fluctuates, I adjust the above accordingly. I am always trying different combinations: some nights I might use oil, serum and moisturiser; some days, only serum, depending on how my skin feels and looks.

The important thing for me is is to keep it comfortable, looking healthy and most importantly, breakout free as much as possible.

What kind of changes do you make to your skincare routine for the new seasons? Does your skin suffer with it?

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This post contains a mix of press samples and products I bought myself. Refer to links for full reviews and info.

All about the eyes: Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Superlift Eye Serum

Posted in Beauty, Skincare by

joan_collins_contratime_eye_serum - 1In the past few years I’ve become a bit obsessed with eye creams. Yes, it *maybe* has something to do with my age, but it is the type of product I really enjoy, as I can feel an almost immediate result.

I was really looking forward to trying got the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Contra Time Superlift Eye Serum.

The packaging is simple has a nice weight to it; the pump is very sturdy in gold. Easy to use and dispenses a generous amount of the stuff; I could do with a bit less to be honest.

The cream itself is a lovely fluid, off white and a tiny bit pearlescent. It is silky and non-greasy, applying very well and being absorbed straight away.

joan_collins_contratime_eye_serum - 2As soon as I apply, I feel a lovely freshness, as if it is minty, but not quite. I apply it before going to bed and it is not irritant to my sensitive eyes, and that is very important.

Skin in the area feels hydrated and smooth and I think it delivers. I cannot stress enough how important it is to use eye creams; the skin in the area is finer than anywhere else in the face and it is really prone to dehydration.

Make sure you use an eye are specific cream from you mid-20s, no matter your budget. The important thing is that is if for around the eyes and moisturises.

This product is said to work at cellular level , shielding skin against  sun damage and dehydration, as well as speeding cell renewal – it encourages older cells to behave younger! A bit like me.

It is priced at £35, so not the cheapest of items, and comes in XXml and it lasts well, so I think the price is fair.

You can get the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Contra Time Superlift Eye Serum from their website, QVC (with great deals) and Urban Retreat.

Apart from skincare, Joan Collins Beauty also has fragrances and makeup, which is also lovely. I tried the gorgeous Divine lipstick in Crystal; you can find my review here.

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

Unleash your inner Rapunzel with Irresistible Me Hair Extensions

Posted in Beauty, hair by

irresistible_me_hair - 1Since I decided to go for an extreme chop, when I was a teenager, never again my hair got that “almost at the waist” length again.

In reality, for most of my life, that wasn’t really something I was thinking about. When I was in my late teens and twenties, short hair, mushroom style, was all the rage. That’s fine, you can judge me. You should.

When I moved to London, my hair was somewhat way below the bra line in a straight, all round length.lbf_countryside_autumn - 11

A bad DIY dye job, followed by an even worse DIY hair cut led to a just below the shoulder fix.

That, however, wasn’t the worse hair disaster. Trying to save some money, I went to a student hair academy, and, as I should know, the “just a trim” doesn’t quite fly in these scenarios and I got the worse layering job in the history of hairs. I promise.

irresistible_me_hair - 2After a whole month I had to pay £100 to get it fixed at the much higher expense of having what was left of my length disappear. Had to cut it just below the ear, in an asymmetrical bob, which luckily for me, was in.

From there it started. I was longing for long, luscious tresses and decided to experiment with hair extensions.

Being the chicken I am, I went for clip-ins. Had various incarnations and nowadays, I buy hair, cut and sew my own clips.

Until Irresistible Me sent me this luscious, fabulous Royal Remy set. This is their most deluxe natural hair extensions; the thickness of the hair is the same from top to bottom, giving it that luscious look.

I love the packaging. The pouch with the separate test hair is a good reassurance that you will be able to see if the selected colour is indeed a good match.

Providing you don’t break the seal, you can return your hair. In my case, the match was great so I went in to rip it in excitement (and didn’t even photograph before!).

A shame the pouch is not made of a more durable plastic to be re-usable; I usually keep my extensions in bikini pouches.

My hair is not very short (currently past the bra line, around 18in), but lacks in volume and body.

The hair is of great quality and the pack of 200g comes with 10 pieces (!) (1 x 4 clips, 2 x 3 clips, 5 x 2 clips and 2 x 2 clips).

The colour, medium brown (#4), is a great match for my natural colour.

lbf_countryside_autumn - 10The hair blends well, even though I feel it’s slightly thicker in texture than mine. In fact, it blends so well that the lovely Jamie from Beauty Rocks could not believe it was not my own hair, even in broad daylight.

Overall, the finishing on the piece is great. The clips are small but efficient and the larger piece has a neat netting.

It was lovely that they have videos on the site to help you choose your colour.

Shipping was relatively quick, especially considering the company is in the US, but the hair is order made in China.

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Very easy to style and take to heat and products quite well, although I tend to not use a lot, to preserve the extensions. What I use a lot is hair oil, especially when putting it away. Lately, the Got2b Oil-licious is my favourite!

The hair doesn’t tangle too much and when it does, it is easy to detangle. The bulk of the volume is on the main piece, which goes at the widest part of the head and ends just before the ears.

It washed very well, not a lot of fall, and upon scrunching and drying naturally, it took the most beautiful waves, as seen above, which makes the look even more natural.

If I am honest, to create a natural look for my, I don’t need more than 5 pieces. I tend to go for that, and that’s what you see on these images. even though it’s not quite like my style, maybe one day I will go all in.

Still, I got so many compliments on my “great hair”…

The Irresistible Me Royal Remy hair extensions cost US$299 for 22in (mine) and at the moment it is on sale for US$224, and these guys deliver worldwide.

I am truly in love. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair”. Well, now I can.

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

Getting a bit of a spa experience with Dove Uplifted+ Massaging Body Roll-on

Posted in Beauty, Body by

dove_uplifted_body_rollon_review - 1Dove, a brand really close to my heart, has revamped their body skin care recently, and not only have the products have a fabulous new packaging and are full of new technologies, but they also have added something brand new: body roll-on!

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Fluttering my Fleur de Force Eylure lashes

Posted in Beauty by

eylure_fleur_de_force_review - 1When I heard about the Eylure collaboration with superstar blogger/vlogger Fleur de Force I was intrigued.

Being a fan of Eylure and knowing the fabulous range of lashes they offer, what could she bring, apart from her off-the-charts popularity? Continue reading →

One for the gym bag: this works body makeover body oil

Posted in Beauty, Body, Skincare by

thisworks_energy_bank body makeover

Oil has been my beauty obsession for the past couple of years, so obviously I am always open to new products on my routine.

The this works body makeover is a glowing, super charging body oil, blended from 16 essential oils. If oil is what you want, oil you shall receive!

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