Discovering beauty at Waitrose

IMG_5609Waitrose is one of my favourite supermarkets. What I didn’t know was how extensive their beauty range is – from the sheer amount and quality of the brands. Some I knew well, others I discovered on the night.

As well as the likes of Balance Me, Bee Good, Richard Ward, Neal’s Yard and Crabtree & Evelyn, Waitrose has its own range, with the quality you’d expect from the brand.

IMG_5603-0The fantastic Waitrose Heritage Collection has just launched with new fragrances and has hand washes, hand and body lotions, hand creams, body washes, bath washes and body butters.

My favourite blend is the Orchid & Honeysuckle version, which has the warm smell I look for in perfumes, body, bath and shower products.

Not only they feel great on the skin, have great fragrances and all the properties we expect from them, the packaging is also rather lovely.

They also have great gift packages, perfect for small gifts and stocking fillers.

IMG_5593-0Among the brands I discovered, Gisela Graham – my Christmas tree is laden with her decorations, but I had no idea she did beauty. Pretty as expected.

IMG_5612-0BRYT skincare has cleanser, serums and moisturisers. Plus, their lovely colourful packaging so caught my eye straight away.

IMG_5615-1Humble also impressed me with their honey based range with strong frankincense notes.

 

The event was held at the beautiful Waitrose Cookery School in London King’s Cross, which I had no idea existed, let alone that it was that fabulous.

Apart from sampling some of the amazing food devised by their chefs, I found out their classes are very affordable and cover a range of cuisines. And they do gift vouchers (hello, Christmas!).

So next time you are doing your food shopping, you might want to add one or two quality beauty products in there!

And that is just a small samples of what’s available. Waitrose beauty products are available in stores and online.

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My pick of Beauty Christmas crackers

Christmas crackers enchanted me since my first Christmas in the UK. In Brasil, where I come from, there wasn’t anything like that, and I thought it was great.

When I discovered beauty Christmas crackers, my little heart skipped a beat. How fabulous: a little treat to pick you up before your meal, after you already been to the excitement of opening your gifts.

Here is my pick of Christmas crackers to make you day more beautiful!

dermalogica_xmas_crackerDermalogica, £30 for 3, from Selfridges

One of my go-to beauty brands has a cracker with some of its best-sellers: the precleanse, the gel cleanser and the daily microfoliant. Poses the perfect opportunity to try and fall in love!

ted_baker_xmas_crackerTed Baker, £24 for 3, from Debenhams

Ted Baker beauty surprises you with a mini fragrance or nail colour.

clarins_xmas_crackerClarins, £49 for 6, for Selfridges

A bit pricier, but well worth it, as it is packed with Clarins Classics: Nail Treatment Cream, Miniature Rouge Eclat Lipstick, Miniature Wonder Perfect Mascara, Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream, Beauty Flash Balm and Eau des Jardins Treatment Fragrance.

debenhams_xmas_crackerDebenhams, £4.50 for 3

Super cute in its nutcracker soldier packaging, this won’t break the bank and will bring a treat of lipstick, nail polish or lipgloss.

thisworks_xmas_crackerThis works sleep plus, £12

Ah, how I love this little spray. Give the gift of good sleep, in a cracker. So good it’s sold out on the this works site, but Boots has it still!

jomalone_xmas_crackerJo Malone, £32

Delightful and fragrant, you crack yours to a lime basil & mandarin cologne, a blackberry & bay body & hand wash or nectarine blossom & honey body crème.

nailsinc_xmas_crackerNails Inc, £38

A brilliant selection of six full size new and best seller nail shades, this is perfect for the girls’ Christmas dinner!

steamcream_xmas_crackerSteamcream, £8.95

Classic all-round skincare Steamcream mini-tin inside this silver cracker. Great for vegans!

boots_no7_xmas_crackerBoots No7 Cracker Collection, £16 for 6

With 3 nail colours and 3 BB lips glosses, at this price you can treat all ladies of the house at cracker time!

cowshed_xmas_crackerBullocks by Cowshed, £9, from John Lewis

One for the boys: a male body wash and 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner. Cowshed has a female version too.

moltonbrown_xmas_crackerMolton Brown, £32

With a feminine and a masculine version, these crackers come with a pink pepper hand cream, body lotion and body wash for her and a black peppercorn body wash, body lotion and a Bai Ji Hydrator cream.

margarethdabbs_xmas_crackerMargaret Dabbs, £12

Containing the best seller Nail & Cuticle Serum.

Phew! Hard to pick, but still a couple weeks to go! What’s your favourite? Have you seen any amazing ones I missed?

Happy Christmas!

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Let’s talk intimate hygiene with Sass Refreshing Mist

sass_intimate_refreshing_mist - 2We just don’t talk enough about our private bits and that’s a fact. Our intimate area is just as important as any other part of our bodies and should be cared for accordingly.

That’s why I really like what Sass brings to the market: a modern range of intimate care products for the modern woman.

I have tried a few but am going to start with the Intimate Refreshing Mist, a handy spray to give that freshness burst when you need the most.

It is perfectly natural to sweat in the intimate area and for the vagina to build odour. If you have long days, rushing from one place to another, you may feel you need to freshen up. I certainly do!

The fragrance is subtle and crisp. It feels very comfortable and refreshing upon application, plus, it dries quickly. Although the product contains menthol, there is absolutely no tingling!

Personally, the mist is most welcome over my period, which is a particularly uncomfortable time where I can certainly do with a few refreshes during the day, especially when rushing from work to blogging and social events.

sass_intimate_refreshing_mist - 1The bottle is small enough for the handbag. From looking at it, it could be a mouth spray, glass lenses cleaner, face mist, whatever.

The branding is super discreet both in colours and literature, with a contemporary design. And that approach runs across the whole range; none of them scream VAG at you.

Not that I have a problem with that, but I do know some people who do, who would hesitate to buy or display in their bathrooms. This could be any beauty product!

It contains an odour neutraliser, soothing aloe vera and is suitable for use during menstruation and pregnancy too. The brand does not test on animals and is suitable for vegans.

The Sass Intimate Refreshing Mist is available from Boots and costs £8 for 30ml.

Sass has a great range from shaving gel that help with ingrowing hairs, cleansers, serums, dryness gels and sports products for the intimate area, well worth a check.

I can definitely say I #GotSass! 😀

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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.

Clock change: make it empower hour!

dove_empower_hour - 5
Good morning lovely people, we just got an extra hour! Yay! Let’s not think about when it is taken from us – yet – and let’s fully enjoy it by using it for ourselves!

Dove has challenged me to have a moisturisation empower hour. They gave me a few tips and sent me some products to help me get the best of that “free” hour.

Here’s how I started my day and used that brand new 60 minutes, that was given while I slept and claimed when I got up, all for myself.

Before I got into the shower, I lit an aromatic candle in the bathroom and kept the lights off. Low lights send a relaxing message to the brain.

dove_empower_hour - 2I took 5 minutes to breath. Recently I was gifted a brilliant shower aromatherapy shower oil called Clear Mind and it helps with mindfulness, a practice really close to my heart.

I rub the rich, golden and fragrant oil in my hands and deep inhale three times, then I rub my tummy and chest with it, before stepping into the shower. It is great; it delivers a true moment of calmness.

Then I swept a dry brush up my arms and legs towards the heart for 5 minutes to stimulate lymphatic circulation. This helps the body get rid of toxins.

dove_empower_hour - 1For a good 10 minutes, I exfoliated my whole body with the gorgeous Dove Exfoliating Body Wash, which gives skin a gentle scrub, removing dead cells and moisturising at the same time.

The skin is left super soft and ready to better receive the next skin care steps. I always use a body oil after showering; and I cannot recommend the Dove DermaSpa Goodness³ Body Oil enough!

I then used a Dove moisturiser on damp skin (at the moment I am loving the richness of the DermaSpa Goodness³ Body Cream) and for another 7 minutes I rubbed my muscles; especially forearms, thighs, shoulders and upper back.

I also manage to squeeze a quick 2-minute massage with the Dove DermaSpa Uplifted+ Body Roll-On, which is a fabulous treat for the body.

Plus a cheeky 60 second hand fix to exfoliate and moisturise my hands, which are ever so often neglected.
dove_empower_hour - 1 (1)After that, I put a soft dressing gown and slippers on and applied a face mask for 10 minutes. I used Caudalie’s Detox mask to help unclog my skin. Following that I applied a second one for another 10 minutes, this time a hydrating face mask, also from Caudalie.

While I waited for the masks to work their wonders, I had my handy humidifier on, had a coffee (yeah, I can’t shake that habit) and caught up with my magazines.

I find the humidifier is great in the winter to help counteract the central heating, which is super drying to the skin. For me, it is extra helpful as I suffer from rhinitis. The fact this has a soothing light is a bonus!

After removing the face mask, I took 5 minutes to moisturise and massage my face. I used an oil (the extraordinary Dr Jacksons Face Oil) and a serum (Liz Earle Superskin Face Serum). I applied both with upwards movements to stimulate circulation.

dove_empower_hour - 8Finally, with my last 5 minutes, I gave myself a powerful, knot-crunching hand massage using the Dove DermaSpa Intensive hand Treatment, which is super moisturising and smells amazing.

I feel revitalised, ready to face the shorter days. Well, I mean, as ready as one can be. As the steps in the hour are very short, I will certainly be picking and choosing to incorporate them to my routine.

What about you? How are you using your extra hour today?

The Dove Exfoliating Body Wash costs around £2.55 for 250ml and £4.38 for 500ml and is available now from retailers nationwide.

You can read my full review on it.

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This post contains PR samples and was written in collaboration with Dove.

 

 

The best beauty advent calendars 2015

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.

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

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

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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Fierce and feminine: the new Ghost Girl fragrance

ghost_girl - 1Not long ago I attended the fabulous launch of this feisty new fragrance fro Ghost: Ghost Girl.

 

Starting with the packaging, it all scream girly fun. I love the colourful writing around it and the darker pink gives it an edge; this is feminine, but by no means sugary.

Its opening notes contain pomegranate, pear, raspberry and bergamot; the middle are orange blossom, tuberose and almond blossom on a base of amber and cedar wood notes.

ghostgirl - 1It is fresh and not too sweet; it’s flowery-frutal, so very light and good for the summer. It develops and lasts quite well.

It’s aimed at girls and women in their teens and twenties, and I do feel it is bang on the audience. It a young and fun scent, with a decent price tag.

The contradictions between sweet florals and muskiness embodies the scent feisty spirit rather well.

ghost_girl - 2For my personal taste, at first instance, it lacks a little bit of depth and warmth; this is how I like my fragrances; I’ve never been a fresh, fruity perfume person. The opening and base notes I really like.

 

Having said that, it is not something I would not wear. In fact, I’ve been using quite a lot, it is a reliable day scent and it grew on me to become my holiday pick for the beach!

And that’s me having all the fun at the launch party!

Ghost Girl is available in 30ml (£25), 50ml (£34) and 100ml (£46.50) and is available from retailers nationwide.

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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.

Looking after my hands with a 60 second fix from Crabtree & Evelyn

crabtree_evelyn_handMy hands suffer. Not only they perform all mundane tasks but they are also battered by my aerial antics. Add an Italian heritage (someone who talks with their hands) and the poor thing pretty much work around the clock.

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