Honey goodness for your face: Bee Good Youth Enhancing Hydrate, Smooth & Prime Serum

bee_god_serum_review - 1Aside of coconut, honey is my other obsession in life. I love the taste, the smell and even the texture of honey so was delighted to try the lovely .

A honey serum, is for me, a marriage made in heaven as serums are another obsession of mine.

This one has a thicker consistency than your average serum, but is quite light in texture. Once applied is quickly absorbed by the skin.

bee_god_serum_review - 3It has a very fresh smell and feels great on the skin – not sticky or heavy.

Applied at night, skin feels nourished and happy in the morning, although alone I don’t think is enough; I combine with an oil or lighter cream in my arsenal.

For day, it is pretty good; because it is quite light it behaves well under makeup, living up to its “primer” name, although I don’t feel it enhances durability.

It contains peptides, which stimulate collagen production, hydrating British honey, antioxidant-rich propolis and firming blackcurrant seed oil and larch extract, which all combine aim to smooth the skin and help with ageing signs.

It is suitable for vegetarians.

bee_god_serum_review - 2Bee Good is one of those companies you can’t help but fall in love with; they use British honey and botanicals, have an eco conscience, are free from synthetic colours, mineral oil, silicone, SLS and SLES or parabens, don’t test on animals and look after their bees, support the countryside and bee keeping initiatives. They are good ones; overall a lovely company brimming with amazing products.

The Bee Good Serum costs £25 and is available from Waitrose, which has a great beauty range including Bee Good.

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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.

Easy eyes with Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil

charlotte_tilbury_colour_chameleon_review - 1Since I did my Charlotte Tilbury Rebel look, with John Lewis, I cannot stop wearing the makeup products, separately. I don’t think a day has gone by without me using at least one.
From my initial hesitance, despite rave reviews, to fork out for must have items, to a wish list that is close to s best seller, I have developed an unhealthy obsession with it. and includes two shopping trips and a visit to the Charlotte Tilbury beauty boudoir in London’s Covent Garden shop.
Yes, Tilbury lives up to her “makeup magic” motto and I’ve been enchanted.
My biggest surprise was the Colour Chameleon Colour Morphing Eyeshadow Pencil.
charlotte_tilbury_colour_chameleon_review - 2I run away from eyeshadow pencils at the best of times; in fact, I believe there is only another brand that will work for me.
I got sent the pencil in Smokey Emerald, for hazel eyes. While mine are not hazel (they are light brown) and I think the colour works pretty well. I also bought Bewitching Black, perfect for easy smokey, light or dark.
charlotte_tilbury_colour_chameleon_review - 3This pencil glides amazingly and blends beautifully. I usually draw the crease, from the Middle of the eyes and use a fluffy brush to smoke it.
It takes seconds to achieve a great look, for all occasions. And it’s immovable; it will stay in place all day, no crease, no melting.
The great thing is that there are many colours and Ms Tilbury has clearly labelled them as being for day and night, as well as for your eye colour. This one, for example, is night for hazel eyes.
I do feel though, it’s good for day too, if you use a bit less and blend more. And it can be layered later on for a darker evening look.

Also works wonder on the lower lash line, and it’s easy to smoke it there too, my favourite way is with a pencil brush.

Clever, eh? Now I have at least another one my wish list: Champagne Diamonds, which I think will make a great base and highlighter.
The Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon comes in a good half a dozen colours, all designed to bring out eye colours and cost £19 each online, at stockists like John Lewis and also from the fabulous newly opened Charlotte Tilbury shop in Covent Garden, London.
At the moment there are fabulous gifts sets containing the pencil, as we as a box with five colours (including bewitching black) for you to crate amazing looks.
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This post contains PR samples and items I bought. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Want an easy blow dry? Revlon Perfectionist 2 in 1 Dryer does just that!

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 1Another memory from childhood: you know those electric round hot brushes, very spiky? When Revlon got in touch about the Perfectionist 2 in 1 hairdryer, that’s what I thought about.

I couldn’t have been more wrong!

To start with, I was a bit sceptical; after all I had my share of 2-in-1 products that won’t do either 1 or 2 properly. Well, this is not the case here.

Hair routines usually consist on a couple of steps at least: drying and styling. This tool promises to style while drying, saving time and stress from multiple tools on the hair.

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 2The Revlon Perfectionist 2 in 1 hairdryer is, putting it bluntly, a hot air hair paddle brush. It has three settings including a cold one.

It does looks quite bulky but it’s light, and feels slightly too big in my hands but is quite comfortable to use, as it is ergonomically designed The brush feels comfortable on the hair and scalp, there was no tugging and it detangles quite well.

I went straight for the higher speed. In the beginning I thought it would take ages to dry my hair but then I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it is indeed due to the Iconic Conditioning Ioniser for quick drying.

It did take a bit longer than my usual (super) quick dry but the results were amazing: almost that of a professional blow dry with little effort.

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 4My hair was lifted from the root and had great volume, I was very impressed. It also had more shine to it.

Better still, I went to bed and woke up with hair that didn’t need any styling re-touches, which is usually the case when I just quick dry or let it dry naturally.

revlon_perfectionist_2in1_dryer_review - 3My hair is fine and kinks a lot at night so always needs some smoothing in the morning. I just needed a normal brush and go.

The new Revlon launches in January 2016 and will retail for £39.99.  it will be available from big 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.

Highlighting with theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

thebalm_maryloumanizer_highlighter_review - 1Oh how a love a good highlighter. I use it every day; subtle for work and amped up for going out. Regardless of its intensity, it is always present.
I had been dying to try theBalm products for a while, as a friend in Brazil, Joana Freitas, a makeup artist, has great things to say about the brand and had raved about this product in the past.
When it came to Debenhams, I knew it was only a matter of time. Luckily for me, inside the fabulous Debs’ end of the year party goodie bag, I found the Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter staring me in the face.
thebalm_maryloumanizer_highlighter_review - 2The colour is great, it is a warm golden beige, with just the right amount of shimmer, a bit different from anything I tried before, which are usually peachy, pinky or white-ish/yellow gold highlighters.
It blends like butter, has a good pigmentation and last well, I find perfect for everyday as is quite discreet, giving a lovely sheen, catching the light very well and effortless to put on.

Plus, the cute and cheeky vintage inspired packaging gives it extra brownie points with me, although in general, the compact, with a mirror, is super simple and without a lot of weight to it.

I really love this highlighter and although I have an extensive collection, this one certainly has a place among the others.
thebalm_maryloumanizer_highlighter_review - 5You can get theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer at Debenhams, for £17.50 online and in selected stores.
It is super popular, so might be difficult to pin down. Cindy-Lou is a lovely rose and Betty-Lou is a warm bronzer that you might want to try too.
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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.

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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Heavenly tresses with the Revlon Professional Uniq One

revlon_professional_uniq_one_coconut_hair_treatment_review - 1The Revlon Professional Uniq OneCoconut Hair Treatment is a fantastic hair treatment designed to care for 10 hair care concerns.
It has he most amazing coconut smell – did I mention o love coconuts? Oh yeah, only 1000 times!
Anyway, apply to damp hair after washing and immediately hair feels super soft. It’s a great help to brush as it helps detangle.
The spray is fine and the mist is light, not weighing at all on the hair.
revlon_professional_uniq_one_coconut_hair_treatment_review - 2After drying, the hair feel soft, shiny, nourished and of course, coconutty!
I can say I  did notice improvement on most of the ten areas mentioned, especially shine, frizz control, body, easier styling and detangling and smoothness. Thumbs up!
This product is part of the professional range so we can get that from your salon, Amazon and other online retailers. It costs around £10.
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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.

Shine and shade with the gorgeous Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit palette

hourglass_ambient_lighting_edit_palette_review - 1Can Hourglass do anything wrong? From what I can gather, the answer is no. I am flooded with fear every time I approach the counter as I know I am about to part with a great chunk of money.

With the Ambient Lighting Edit palette is no different. In fact I knew it wouldn’t as last time they brought out an ambient lighting trio, I was very close to buying it.

This one has six amazing products – a powder, two highlighters, two blushes and a bronzer.

The powder, called iridescent Strobe Light and is new to the brand, gives that airbrushed effect, it’s almost translucent for my skin tone, with a glow sheen to set and tune skin to perfection.

I have to admit that this is only good for me when my problem skin is having a good day as it doesn’t conceal much.
hourglass_ambient_lighting_edit_palette_review - 4The highlighters are beautiful; a subtle, non-glittery shine that catches and reflects the light beautifully.

Dim Light has a peach undertone to blur and highlight and Diffused Light is pale yellow, or white-golden to boos clarity and conceal redness.

Both work very well. hey are so subtle that you will only realise they are hard at work when the light catch it. Beautiful and long lasting too.

hourglass_ambient_lighting_edit_palette_review - 3The blushers are marvellous. Mood Exposure has a soft plum tone and is fused with Mood Light powder, for extra brightening. I didn’t think would go with my skin, but it’s my favourite.

Luminous Flush is a champagne rose shade combined with Luminous Light powder, to add a candlelit glow.

The fact they are marbled with some of the powders created a gorgeous colour which is subtle, multi-dimension and multi-tasking. They are very pigmented, extremely blendable and complimentary to the highlighting powders.

The bronzer, Luminous Bronze Light, was my biggest surprise. A medium tan shde is fused with Luminous Light, for a very soft and warm glow.

hourglass_ambient_lighting_edit_palette_review - 6It is subtly glittery, it has good pigmentation (a little goes a long way!), applies well and makes for a decent light contour.

Every single product in this palette is very wearable. The compact is gorgeous and a pleasure to whip out of the makeup bag, although not that small. It is great for a day to night transformation or touch ups in the day. Hourglass says the colours are complimentary to all skin tones.

The deal breaker with the Ambient Lighting products is their Photoluminescence Technology, which filters out harsh light and refine the appearance, as if the skin is glowing from within and not the surface. Hourglass products are free from parabens, talc, fragrance, nanoparticles and gluten.

  Is it with the £65 price tag? If it’s within your budget, definitely yes. I thought I was going to regret. Well, I didn’t, especially when I picked it up at the beautiful Liberty London.

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A spray on-nail polish? Nails Inc Paint Can is here!

nails_inc_paint_can_spray_nailpolish - 1There was frenzy. Media outlets around the world covered the spray nail polish Nails Inc. announced, only a few days before the big launch. You could even pre-order!

Is it the end of manicures as we know it? I even asked myself. Well, now I can report that Paint Can is not really going to stop my usual mani routine. Why? Read on.

Delivery was quick; I pre-ordered, the product went on sale on a Thursday and on Monday I had my delivery. It also came with a £10 off a nail service at Nails Inc shops or concessions, which I thought it was rather lovely. The can is quite small, to be honest, I had seen it at the Debenhams Christmas event but couldn’t remember it being that tiny.

I set up lots of magazine pages (thanks Glamour) onto my dinner table, as I was worried about the mess. And added my usual topcoat (I didn’t buy the Nails Inc. one) to all my clean nails.

I decided to try it on a “busy woman” scenario. It was 22:30 and I had to sort out my nails for the next morning before bed.

nails_inc_paint_can_spray_nailpolish - 3A couple shakes and a nervous me sprayed the silver – I went for Shoreditch Lane – on my talons. Instead of doing the “one-press-move-around-all-fingers”, I pressed individually on each nail, which I think helped minimise the mess. Overall, that was less that I expected.

Pigmentation is very good; I had to go over a couple nails twice, but in general, I was quite impressed. The shade is a lovely glittery silver with a smooth and shiny finish.

I applied my trusted Seche Vite topcoat to seal the paint and after a few minutes, although I was digging the silver dipped finger, I used a wet wipe to remove the excesses around my fingers.

nails_inc_paint_can_spray_nailpolish - 4

Immediately after cleaning with a wet wipe

That was probably the best bit of all: how amazingly easy the excess came off. Admittedly, the final result wasn’t tidy enough for me (easily solved with a wooden stick, cotton wool and polish remover) and my hands remained glittery for a couple of washes with water and soap but really, wow.

Usually, I’d remove the excesses on the skin around the nail with a dry wooden manicure stick soon after applying the topcoat, which is what I’d do for a flawless mani. As I know most women don’t do that, I decided to skip that step for testing purposes.

After tidying up

After tidying up

So I fine-tuned the finish with the wooden stick, cotton wool and nail polish remover and went to bed. It dries mega quickly after applied, even before the topcoat and I went straight to bed and there were no marks. Points for that.

The whole process was very quick, possibly slightly quicker than a simple paint job (especially when drying is involved). And the result was very good.

Although Nails Inc says that using a topcoat the duration is up to four days, that for me isn’t that great. It chipped within two days and in three there was considerable peeling. I think pretty much in-line with the brands promises.

The one finger I didn’t put a topcoat on purpose, got scratched so I could see the nail by the end of the first day.

Worth remembering that my usual manicures last between 7-10 days, chip free, using the same base and topcoat I used with this one.

nails_inc_paint_can_spray_nailpolish - 2It might be that using the Nails Inc 2 in 1 base and topcoat, which is recommended by the brand would improve that, but, although that product is very good, it doesn’t seem to be new and exclusive for the Paint Can, and probably on the same quality to the one I used.

The verdict: great for emergencies and/or a quick change. Nails in a hurry, for a couple of days, fab for the party season. Otherwise, give me the traditional method any day.

Having said that, it was a lot of fun to apply, quite pretty and let’s not deny, revolutionary. It is after all, the first in the world and I praise Nails Inc, a brand I am a big fan of, for the innovation.

Would I buy again? Head says no, but the nail junkie in me says “let’s try the pink”.

Nails Inc Paint Can costs only £10 (plus p&P) and can be purchased on their site. I believe it is well priced and was very happy to pay that amount.

I was told it sold out three times in pre-order and is currently sold out on the site, but you can sign up to get notified when it pops back in stock.

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The video was recorded especially for this post; the trial described above was my very first use of the product.

Pillow face no more: meet this works light time skin plumper

thisworks_lightime_skin_plumper_review - 1This works is a brand I like more every time I use a product or discover a new one. They don’t seem to do much wrong in my eyes.

The light time skin plumper is one of those things we all need in the morning. I am definitely not a morning person,so welcome anything to make me feel or look alive.
It’s a face moisturiser with a very fluid consistency and a lovely “wake-me-up” smell.
The secret? Hyaluronic Filling Spheres that help smoothen up the skin appearance. Although the effect is quite subtle, I do feel some plumpness in my skin after application.
It’s absorbed quickly, skin feels good and the cream behaves very well under makeup.
thisworks_light_time_skin_plumper_review - 2
Antioxidant vitamin C and Persian silk tree extract help the hyaluronic acid work in moisturising, plumping and smoothing the skin.
Overall, a good morning product. It is recommended for day and night use, but I think this is more a day cream than night, to be honest, especially in the winter.
The this works light time skin plumper cost £29 for 30ml and is available online and from selected retailers.
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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.

Dani’s Little Book of Fashion: a little quirk

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 20I started this outfit with the shoes. There. I said it. I fell in love with these lovely boy-ish brogues in silver leather and cow’s hair (yes, how amazing is that?) from Office and had to style it.

Coords are another little obsession of mine and I am finding quite hard to find AW ones; but this Zara number fit the bill ok.

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 23The fabric is thicker and slightly textured; the trousers are super wearable. Although the sleeves are shorter than 3/4, it looks great under a little jacket! Also, I love the little buttoned up details on the back and the small roll neck.

Plus, it makes decent office wear, just add heels and voilá: it’s business proof!

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 7Bag wise, as I went for another little bit of quirk, I opted for my gorgeous Lulu Guinness Lips clutch, in black. I’ve wanted a LG lips clutch for forever, so I am glad I got one to call my own!

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 12For the colder days, a fur coat, which is another obsession of mine. This one is short, from H&M, a discreet black ombré, with purple-burgundy “roots”.

Since I wore black lips for LFW, I’ve been dying to wear again. Admittedly, it is not a look that you can insert anywhere in your life, but I am trying to make some space for it.

That shift to striking lip colour really made me think more about different shades and purple was always something I wanted to wear. So I got my NYX Face Art Purple Blaze eyeliner and filled it in.

To amp it up, I added MAC’s impossibly bright Nicki Minaj Viva Glam pink in the middle, to create a subtle ombré.

Eyes were simple, with MAC’s Vex across the lid and brow bone and a little bit of MAC’s Iris, a fabulous lilac perfect for bringing out brown eyes (and lifting them when you are tired!) on the crease.

They were lined in a super flick with Urban Decay Ink for Eyes in Perversion and I added my super fave Eylure Fleur Loves lashes for a discreet flutter.

A comfortable, simple outfit with a few quirky twists; a very easy way to incorporate a different touch to you neutral daily outfits – a bag, a funky lip, striking shoes. Only one will make your outfit pop!

And I am still on the lookout for winter coords! Send them my way if you spot any!

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Styling and posing: Dani Dutra

Photography: Andy Edwards

Location: Stratford’s Gerry raffles square