Miami Glow JLo Eau de Toilette 100ml Sample Review RRP £49.99

 

Having reviewed the other 2 fragrances by Jennifer Lopez recently, it was only fitting that I reviewed the last in the ‘Glow’ range, Miami Glow.

Firstly let’s just talk packaging. I loved the cute packaging so much that I did a live TikTok (sometimes you need to see the product live rather than just in photo format)!

Epitomising the beach vibes of Miami, the bottle has a holiday bracelet adoring the neck of the bottle with the cutest pair of gold flip flops. Use it as a bracelet, key ring or as a decoration for your holiday bag. It’s just the cutest, gimmicky addition I’ve seen in a while and gives the recipient an introduction to what the perfume notes may hold.

The fragrance itself lends to fruity notes with an obvious top note of Coconut Water, giving it that sunny, holiday vibe.  Also included are top notes of Passionfruit and Pink Grapefruit, which at first gives it a juicy, sparkling scent. Middle notes of  Orange Blossom, Cyclamen and Heliotrope, give it a sweet almond scent merging Mediterranean, lush greenery into the bouquet. Base notes of Amber, Musk and Vanilla leave the skin softly scented with nurturing, creamy and softly sophisticated balm. 

If you love your sunny scents then this one is for you. It’s available to purchase from Superdrug and The Perfume Shop or by clicking the link HERE

Aoura London Secret Envy / Pretty Woman Eau de Parfum 100ml RRP £15.99

 

Around February this year I did the review on the Aoura London Body Mists, and was surprised by the quality of the fragrances. In time for Christmas are the Eau de Parfums 100ml, and again I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the cost and quality of the fragrances.

Secret Envy

Always a sucker for packaging, this multi-faceted bottle looks beautiful. The cut recyclable plastic shines and catches the light making it look expensive and most definitely display worthy. 

The scent itself lends towards accords of fruity, floral and woody notes. It starts with Sweet Pear, that gives light and sparkling top notes. Middle notes are feminine Lily of the Valley and citrus Vetiver. Base notes are nurturing, soft and earthy, with spicy Patchouli and sweet but gentle Vanilla. It’s a fragrance that suits everyone, and I think is a nice ‘first’ fragrance for teens and young adults, due to the fruity notes. 

Pretty Woman

Again in the same multi-faceted cut plastic (I actually thought it was glass until I saw the press release), is Pretty Woman. The pink jewelled tone bottle, catches every angle of light and again is a bottle that needs to be displayed. With similar accords of fruity and floral, this is lighter than Secret Envy and makes a beautiful daytime fragrance. It has top notes of Bergamot, Blackcurrant and Pear, middle notes of Jasmine, Rose Petals and Rose Water. It leaves you softly scented with a base of creamy White Musk, Patchouli and nurturing Vanilla. It’s a sophisticated perfume, classy, most definitely feminine and has a soft base that is slightly seductive.

Each 100ml bottle will last ages, as it’s Eau de Parfum it has more longevity than Eau de Toilette so you can expect it to last for up to 6 hours on the skin. Vegan friendly and cruelty free makes this the ideal Christmas present. You can purchase from Boots in store or by clicking the link HERE

L’Occitane Christmas Gifting Sample Review

 

I always love reviewing the L’Occitane Christmas gifting range, the packaging is so bright and cheerful, and there is always a huge price bracket to choose from. Whether you are looking for a Secret Santa or a tree gift, to something more extravagant, L’Occitane makes gifting easy. It’s also worth noting that they have complimentary gift wrapping and this weekend delivery is free!

Fragrance Collection Verbena £69 worth £82

The packaging entices the recipient not just by the colourful box, but by the delicately wrapped products in crisp yellow tissue paper. Unwrapping this is a delight as inside you’ll find:-

• 100ml Verbena Eau de Toilette 
• 250ml Verbena Shower Gel
• 30ml Cooling Hand Cream Gel

The perfume, as you would expect from Verbena is lemony, uplifting, citrus and revitalising. It’s ideal to use not just as a signature scent, but to also spritz when you need clarity and concentration. It awakens the senses and helps get rid of brain fog.

The top notes of Lemon and Orange are zesty, citrusy whilst middle and base notes of Verbena, Petit Grain, Rose and Geranium leave a woody, almost aromatic scent that tantalises your senses without being overtly sweet. 

The Shower Gel makes showering an utter pleasure, the fragrance fills the bathroom with zesty Verbena and again, is ideal for first thing in the morning to make you feel bright eyed and bushy tailed, or before a night out if you’re feeling rather jaded. 

It contains Lippia Citriodora Leaf Extract / Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil aka Verbena, a plant full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits so help detoxify and reduce puffiness. It also helps remove excess oil so ideal if you suffer with acne.

Also included is their best selling Cooling Hand Cream Gel in Verbena. This lemon scented cream is infused with Peppermint and Thyme that gives a cooling effect, whilst also acts to protect the hands from dirt, bacteria etc. Rapeseed Oil helps nourish and moisturise the hands, whilst also acting as an anti-inflammatory making it ideal to soothe dry, chapped hands.

The set makes for a beautiful gift for that someone very special.

SOS Beauty Kit / Winter Rescue Duo £17

This great tree gift/stocking filler is incredibly inclusive and universal, so ideal for anyone. If you are stuck with deciding on a present or don’t know your recipient well, then this is a great choice. Inside the brightly coloured box contain the best selling Shea Butter Hand Cream 30ml and The Petit Remedy 15ml.

The Hand Cream is filled with nourishing Shea Butter that helps not only nourish and hydrated dry hands, but also protects hands against environmental aggressors such as wind, rain etc. It also moisturises nail beds so encourages healthy nail growth.

The Petit Remedy is your rescue remedy in a small pot, that’s ideal to keep in your car, bag, travel luggage etc.  It can be used anywhere from hands, lips, to cracked feet. It contains nourishing Sweet Almond Oil, Lavender Oil to help relax and soothe the senses, Immortelle Essential Oil From Corsica used for it’s anti-aging benefits, Calendula for soothing inflammation, red, irritated skin and of course Shea Butter. It can be used anywhere on the body and even on the ends of the hair to help nourish dry, split ends. 

The gift selection as mentioned above is huge, and if you can’t get to the shop to see for yourself in-store then you can check out the gifts online or by clicking the link HERE

Method® Body Body Wash 532ml Sample Review RRP £6.50

In the past I’ve often used the Method® range of household cleaning products. I like their ethos of using plant based ingredients, using recycled packaging and that the products are cruelty free. The household range is excellent and has such a good reputation, and now they have launched into body care I was interested to see if it would live up to the same standards as their cleaning products. 

I was sent the Body Wash to review in ‘Pure Peace’, ‘Simply Nourish’ and ‘Daily Zen’, each one bringing it’s own benefits to not only cleanse the body but also cleanse the mind, and give a sense of well-being.

Pure Peace

Pure Peace is a tranquil blend on ‘Sweet Peony’, ‘Rose Water’ and ‘Pink Sea Salt’. The creamy, scented Body Wash is ideal for anyone who wants to shut the bathroom door, and just wallow in waters, whilst dreaming of a delicately scented garden. It’s a feminine fragrance, uplifting and not overpowering and total escapism from our busy world.

Sweet Peony extract helps strengthen the skin and holds in moisturiser, whilst Rose Water acts as an astringent, so helps clear the skin of excess oil. Pink Sea Salt reduces inflammation and helps balance the skin’s natural PH levels.

Daily Zen

This uplifting and refreshing blend is ideal for the start of the day or after a gym session. It smells fresh, clean and is ideal for both men and women. It’s a sporty, clean fragrance and has many ingredients that help detoxify the skin. Ideal if you suffer from blackheads and preventing breakouts. Ideal if you’re feeling sluggish and need a revitalising shower!  My 15 year old son has already nabbed this for himself!

It’s a head clearer with ingredients such as Cucumber, refreshing and acts as an astringent and toner to tighten pores. Seaweed Extract that helps tighten and improve skin tone texture, as well as being high in Vitamin C. Finally Green Tea, often used in skincare to help calm inflammation and redness, as well as controlling excess oil levels. 

Simply Nourish

My favourite (although I like all them), is the Simply Nourish. A cocooning and nurturing shower gel that leaves skin feeling soft and moisturised. It smells creamy, slightly sweet and actually very similar to my Elemis Nourishing Body Wash that costs a small fortune!

Having been of poor health recently and on top of that breaking my toe today, I am definitely in need of some ‘Take Care’. This is the ideal body wash for those who’ve been a little down, need some pampering and TLC. 

Ingredients such as Shea Butter really help to moisturise dry skin types, whilst it contains fatty acids that protect the skin from harsh weather elements. It also contains Rice Milk and Coconut, both known for their intense moisturising and soothing properties. Ideal if you suffer with inflammation, redness and chapped skin. 

The lather from all of these is frothy, light but doesn’t strip away the natural oils of the skin. Many body products contain harsh ingredients that leave skin feeling dry, whereas these don’t. The huge 532ml bottle lasts ages, as you only need a small amount on a body puff to lather up your body. They make fantastic Christmas presents, Secret Santa gifts too.

Available to purchase from Waitrose in-store or online, or by clicking the link HERE

No7 Stellar Edit Christmas Makeup Review

 

The new Stellar Edit from No7 has landed just at the right time, for seriously ramping up the stakes in Christmas glamour/party makeup. Each product has been carefully formulated to give a flattering look, anti-aging party look, without the heavy glitter but still giving shimmer and glow.

Christine Lampard is the face of the new No7 launch, a good choice as someone who has class and always looks polished yet glamourous. No7 have also worked with WGSN ‘the number one consumer trend forecaster’ who’ve helped with the makeup colours and textures for this launch. Focussing on astrology, the collection is full of shimmer, metallic and pearl hues, that are as captivating to look at as they are to apply.

The collection comprises of 15 items and I was lucky enough to be sent 5 items to review. 

Lipstick Infinity £12.95

It’s impossible not to open this lipstick without exclamations of delight. It’s simply divine and a welcome addition to the other best selling lipstick Starry Nights. This perfect neutral, nude suits all skin tones and the flattering shimmer gives lips the allusion of a fuller pout. The shimmering gold particles are dusted on the outside, so when you apply the lipstick it gives a golden hue. The lipstick itself is satin in texture and glides on effortlessly. 

Lip Liner Infinity £7.95

Again a suit all shade, ideal for all skin tones. The lip pencil is wind up, so no need for sharpening. There are several ways you can use this.

The shade is ideal for outlining as well as filling in the lips. 

• Either use to outline then follow with your lip colour of choice (it’s a universal lip shade so can be used to outline all lip colours). 
• It can be used all over the lips for longevity colour, simply outline the lips then smudge into your lips and apply gloss to the centre of your lips. 
• For the illusion of a fuller pout, use a highlighter pencil to outline slightly above your lips, then use the Infinity Liner to line just below the highlighter on your cupids below and directly under in the middle of your lower lip. This make lips look plumper. 

Lip Glaze Infinity £9.95

A beautiful ‘Glaze’, that delivers a small amount of sheer, natural lip colour that gives lips just a pop of colour. It’s ideal if your lips lack colour as it has a natural ‘cherry bitten’ hue. 

The Glaze can be worn all over the lips by itself, or on top of another lip colour to give a burst of juiciness. Below I’ve paired it with the Infinity Lipstick, just onto the centre of my lips. 

Again it’s a versatile shade that suits all skin tones, and doesn’t have that stickiness that many glosses have.

Multipurpose Highlighting Stick £9.95

I love highlighting sticks but often they just leave a path of large shimmer particles, that can be unflattering especially on maturer skin types. I think No7 have hit the right formula with their Multipurpose Highlighting Stick. It contains pearlescent shimmer, rather than full on shimmer, and so with application you get that ‘ethereal healthy glow from within’, rather than looking shiny. There are so many uses for highlighter but here’s just a few!

• Apply to the centre of your lips or just above your cupids bow to give the illusion of a fuller pout.
• Apply to the décolletage if you are showing your chest area, to make it stand out (gives the appearance of youthfulness and class). 
• Apply to your shins if you are showing off your pins to elongate you legs.
• If you are wearing sandals, mix a small amount with moisturiser and apply to the tops of your feet to make them look moisturised. This looks gorgeous if you have a natural tan or have applied fake tan. 
• Of course, you can use to sculpt your face by applying as a cheek highlighter, above your brow bone to lift the area, and a small amount applied to the centre of your nose will elongate your nose.
• Apply to the centre of your eyelid to make it ‘pop’ which helps correct hooded eyes. Alternatively to widen the eye area, apply to the inner corners of your eyes.

The Burgundy Collection Eyeshadow Quad £12.95

The perfect eyeshadow quad for Christmas. This contains 4 colours that can be used in a multitude of ways:-

• Saturn - a neutral base colour, apply all over the lid. Can be used for a more natural daytime base or a base to apply the other colours.
• Galactic - a deeper shading colour, ideal for creating depth and cut crease. If you have hooded eyes (not much eyelid), then use this above your eye crease to give the illusion of space. You can also take a brush and use this colour to line under your eyes.
• Celestial - A shimmering, molten burgundy that looks gorgeous placed on the outer corner of the eyes and winged up, or on the centre of the lids. Tip: you can also apply on your lips, after primer and mix with a little gloss for a shimmering look!
• Midnight - this metallic Amethyst is gorgeous to use as a liner. Taking a small liner brush, wet the end and dip into this shade and apply as a liner. It can also be used alone just smudged on the eyelid for an instant glam party look.

The whole collection is beautiful however, it is LIMITED EDITION so this means it may leave the shelves! You can purchase from Boots in store or online or by clicking the link HERE