Mother’s Day Gift Edit 2019

Mother’s Day is one of the few opportunities when I can spoil my mum a bit and make her feel loved and appreciated. We are very close but as she lives in another country, I always consider what to send her across for this special celebrations.

I created a shortlist of products that I’ve sent her this year. I hope that you will like my ideas and perhaps even consider them as gifts for your mum.

Firstly, I bough my mum a bottle of her favourite perfumes – J’Adore from Dior.

Secondly, as my mum loves skincare so I got her some natural products from Made for Life Organics:

  • Head and Hair Treatment Oil – a deeply nourishing and conditioning treatment for head and scalp. Based on ingredients like: rosemary, burdock nettle, almond and apricot kernel oil which are rich in vitamins D and E. The product is known to boost circulation, clear the mind and condition hair so I though that it would be a perfect gift for my mum as she loves to have a healthy and shiny hair. It comes in 100ml bottle at the cost of £30.
  • Tone and Firm Body Oil – offers detoxifying combination of organic herbs and essential oils including green tea, rosemary, mint and lemon stimulates circulation. Active nutrients penetrate the skin, encouraging the elimination of toxins from the fatty tissue. It comes in 100ml bottle at the cost of £30.

Both of these products are 100% organic and full of natural botanicals, created to nurture anyone with the purest organics packed with active ingredients from the wild world. They come in a pretty packaging so would be a great gift for anyone. For more information and to purchase visit:

https://www.madeforlifeorganics.com/

Thirdly, as my mum has likes unusual and trendy accessories I got her a couple of products from BasketBasket range:

  • African inspired Raffia Fruit basket – a beautiful, colourful fruit bowl to add up some vibrancy to her bedroom. Made from straw and raffia.

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  • Raffia Beach Basket – a lovely beach / shopping basket with wooden button and cord fastener, inner pocket, plus leather handles, along enough to go over the shoulder.

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Both of these products are handmade with natural, sustainable products, mainly from Morocco and Madagascar. Website offers a lot of other handmade products and there’s something for everyone with the prices ranging from £19-£50.

https://www.basketbasket.co.uk/

Lastly, I decided to get my mum a Gioteck TX-40 headset as she is a music lover. It took one year in research & development and now all TX headsets deliver an impeccable blend of features, quality and design. I loved how stylish it looks as it combines sleek black with cooper finishes. Gioteck’s range not only looks good but also is durable, reliable and stylish so I am sure my mum will enjoy using it.

headset

Product can be purchased from Argos for £24.99:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8361851

I hope that I gave you some ideas which might help you to come up with a perfect gift for your mum.

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Pauline

 

Christmas 2018 Gift Edit

As Christmas approaches, I am finalising my gift shopping for my friends and family. Chocolates, wine and socks are always good but what else can you get to make the people you care about happy? As a result of my search, I put together a shortlist of products that I could consider for my closest family members-my husband and my parents and my sister. I hope you find my suggestions useful and if you decide to buy any of the items listed below then I hope that the person you get them for will appreciate them.

Firstly, as we’ve just moved into our new home, I wanted to get some luxury, personalised Christmas sacks for me and my husband. Harrow & Green offers a unique range of personalised festive sacks and stockings which were previously snapped up by Kate Middleton for Prince George and Princess Charlotte a few Christmases ago. It is a London-based studio that designs original, modern and stylish gifts. It is the creation of stylist Tanya Taylor and graphic designer Philip Taylor. I got us 2 personalised sacks which were designed and printed in-house. Not only they look really exclusive but they also are made from the high-quality materials.

Letterpress+Sack

Secondly, I decided to get some get something for my parents. I normally get them a joint present in addition to some other small bits such as a bottle of their favourite perfumes. I recently came across some lovely hampers from Hawkshead Relish’s and ordered a Chilli lovers hamper for my parents. This hamper is the perfect gift for any chilli lovers as it includes a range of chutneys, pickles and spicy sauces that will make the foodie in your life happy this festive season. Hawkshead Relish’s hamper is presented in a hamper tray and includes:

  • Hot Garlic Pickle 195g
  • Chillililli Pickle 290g
  • Chilli Jam 220g
  • Mango Chutney 200g
  • Cheeky Chilli Salsa 195g
  • Black Garlic Pickle 200g
  • Kashmiri Tomato Chutney 190g
  • Bonnie Sauce Co Smoky Chipotle Hot Sauce
  • Bonnie Sauce Co Fiery Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce

For more gift ideas, please check their website:

https://www.hawksheadrelish.com/shop/

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Thirdly, as my sister is only a few years older then me, I decided to get her some skincare. I have recently discovered an award winning skincare range from Angela Langford which I personally really liked so I thought that it would be a great gift for her. All Angela Langford’s products are based on natural ingredients including: almond oil, apricot, safflower and jojoba (to nourish) are blended with chamomile and cocoa (to soothe) and eucalyptus & lemon (to cleanse and brighten). I ordered 2 of the award winning products from the range:

  • the Radiance Restoring Face Oil which was named by the Good Housekeeping Institute as their best facial oil for 2018. The oil is perfect for all skin types (even sensitive) and leaves skin feeling silky smooth and radiant. This beautiful natural face oil contain blends of chia seed & sea buckthorn specially chosen for their therapeutic effect on your skin – they also smell divine. The oil comes in a handy 15ml bottle and costs £20.50.

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  • Clean Sweep Natural Organic Cleanser blends together glugs of almond, apricot, safflower & jojoba are blended with chamomile, cocoa, lemon & eucalyptus to cleanse your skin. It comes in a 5ml jar which lasts around 3 months and if used regularly it makes skin softer & smoother.

clean-sweep

To purchase any of Angela Langford’s products please visit:

https://www.angelalangford.com/

I hope that this review will give you some ideas and help you to come up with a perfect gift for your dad

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Pauline

 

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

As the Mother’s Day approaches, I decided to spoil my mum a bit and get her a few little presents to make her feel loved and appreciated. We are very close and she means a world to me so I always go through quite a bit of an effort on that special day. As my mum is 60 this year (in June), I decided to get her a hamper with a few carefully selected items.

As a result of my search, I put a shortlist of products that you could consider for your mum. I hope you find it useful and if you decide to buy any of the products featured below then I hope that your mum will love them.

Firstly, I thought about getting my mum a bottle of perfumes. As you are probably aware, there is a massive trend of personalisation nowadays – from handbags with initials to fragrances. I came across The Perfume Studio that offers many fragrance gift sets and allows anyone to create their perfect, signature fragrance at the comfort of their own home. They have various perfume making sets available i.e. the fresh, the exotic or the natural collection. I didn’t want to compromise so I decided to get my mum a luxury Ultimate Collection which includes almost all of the fragrance accords offered by the Perfume Studio.

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Your mum will have an opportunity to create her own sensational signature fragrance from 18 exclusive perfume blends carefully selected by Master Perfumer, Francois Robert. The set comes in a beautiful box and in addition to all lovely perfume blends it also includes a beautiful small purse atomiser and a 30ml glass dressing table atomiser.

What I like about it the most though is that you can add a special touch with a personalised message to which will be printed on the bottle. The bespoke fragrances normally cost fortune but The Perfume’s Studio Ultimate Collection is only £95. In addition to beautiful sets of fragrance making sets, you can get some Gift Experience Vouchers. If you would like to order anything then visit the website:

https://www.theperfumestudio.com/

Until the end of this month my blog readers can get 10% discount on their order by applying the code FIRSTCLASS at the checkout. Don’t forget to adhere to the delivery dates listed below:

  • Engraved items: Order by Midnight 06 March 
  • Everything else: Order by Midnight 07 March
  • Gift and Experience Vouchers: …anytime!

Secondly, as my mum loves skincare so I got her some SAMAYA’s skincare. SAMAYA brand is based on Ayurvedic principles, which helps anyone to achieve samadosha or a ‘perfect balance’ in your life, beginning with your skin. SAMAYA’s range includes cleansers, creams and treatment oils. As my mum uses Elemis moisturiser, I got her a Kapha Treatment Oil from a range of 3 high-performance all natural oils: Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

All SAMAYA’s Oils contain a concentrated blend of active compounds that visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles by using some clinically proven active anti-ageing ingredients. All SAMAYA cosmetics are made in England and have a quick-absorbing formulas which aid skin to appears youthful and radiant, whilst their calming aromas impart a deep sense of tranquillity. The oils come in attractive frosted glass bottles with convenient pumps that dispense the perfect amount in one go. SAMAYA’s Anti-Ageing Treatment Oils make a very thoughtful and (again) personalised present because in order to choose the right oil for your mum, you have to take into consideration the person’s constitution type. I am sure that my mum will appreciate that I took the time to find her a unique and luxurious gift that is high performing, stress-alleviating and all-natural.

The oil costs £79 for 30ml and you can order the oil from SAMAYA’s website:

https://www.samayaayurveda.com/

Thirdly, as my mum has lots of jewellery and travels a lot I decided to get her a Caroline Jewellery Portfolio from Wolf – a luxury British leather-goods company established over 180 years. They are known for designing the world’s most beautiful jewellery cases, watch winders and boxes. The Caroline Jewellery Portfolio is defined by its distinctive quilted exterior and classic shape. It looks just like an elegant wallet and is made of high-quality quilted black leather, anti-tarnish LusterLoc™ lining, zip lock closure, gold finished fittings and leather tassel.

It has 13 earring holes, 1 ring roll, 2 compartments and 4 necklace holders with pocket. It is definitely a perfect gift for anyone who pursuits perfection, luxury and style and I am sure that my mum will love it. After opening it, I now want one for myself as well. The prices of the range start at £49 so if you are interested in ordering a jewellery case or portfolio for your mum then visit:

https://www.wolf1834.com/

Lastly, I decided to get my mum a couple of products from the Scentered range – a portable mood therapy collection of 100% natural, fragrance therapy balms and candles, designed to help busy people cope with the challenges of modern day living and achieve their best at all times. As I mentioned above, my mum travels a lot as my parents have 2 houses so she spends most of the week in the city where she works and them spends the remaining part of the week at the countryside with my retired father. She loves all travel versions of any products so I got her Scentered Mindful Aromatherapy Minis Tin and a Sleep Essential Set.

Mindful Aromatherapy Minis Tin contains five of Scentered best-selling 100% natural balms:

  • Sleep-well – a bedtime ritual to quieten an over-active mind and relax the body, at home and away.
  • De-stress – a calming balm to ease everyday tensions, soothe the mind and lift the spirits.
  • Be-Happy – an uplifting ritual, perfect for days when you’re feeling less than your best and in need of an extra lift.
  • Focus – an ability boosting ritual to help you perform your best at work.
  • Escape – an Escapism ritual to stimulate motivation and creativity, and enhance meditation practice. Recharge the batteries in a moment and go.

The tin is travel-friendly and perfect for transporting the balms.

All Scentered balms are formulated with a blend of moringa and shea butters, to ensure a non-greasy finish and long-lasting fragrance delivery. They can be used individually to target a specific need or together as a ‘booster’ kit. They come in a handy 5g non-drip mini version and a whole tin of 5 balms costs only £26.

In addition, I got her a Sleep Essential Set which contains:

  • a super soft, 100% silk eye mask to block out unwanted light;
  • Scentered’s Sleep Well Therapy Balm (5g) .

The sets aim is to help you to let go of everyday stress and tension and encourage deep sleep. As my mum have had some sleeping problems recently, I hope that it will help her to get a restful, good night’s sleep.

Visit https://scentered.me/ to order any products from this range. 

I hope that this review will give you some ideas and help you to come up with a perfect gift for your mum.

X

Pauline

 

SkinHealthSpa Facial

Ultimate Facial at the SkinHealthSpa in London Bishopsgate

Today, I would like to tell you about the ‘ultimate facial’ I had at the SkinHealthSpa in London.

I was welcomed by a friendly receptionist who asked me to fill in the customer’s information card and then invited me to sit in a lounge located on the second floor. A few minutes later my beauty therapist – Lenka picked me up from there and we went to the treatment room located on the first floor.

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So let me tell you about my treatment…

From what I heard from Lenka the ‘Ultimate Facial’ was initially developed for one of SkinHealthSpa’s long-term following celeb’s who was looking for: ‘something to combat the grime of make-up, shoots, studio lights and London grime’. The client loved it so the clinic manager decided to introduce it to all clients. The facial is used to treat lines and wrinkles, acne scarring, pigmentation, skin surfacing, pores, dead and tired looking skin and can be used on all skin types.

Skin Health Spa’s Ultimate facial takes around one hour and combines 3 treatments and light massage to finish:

  • Microdermabrasion Treatment
  • Balancing Enzyme Facial Treatment
  • Transderm Treatment

My therapist started by removing my make-up and then completed the balancing enzyme treatment. Following from that, she performed the microdermabrasion treatment which removed all dead skin cells and exposed a freshly looking skin. At that point she started my Transderm treatment. It was definitely my favourite aspect of this facial as she massaged a beautifully scented serum onto my face using the Transderm equipment. Lenka explained that: ‘Transderm is an alternative to injections for all mesotherapy applications, mainly skin rejuvenation on face, neck, chest and hands and cellulite treatments.’ My treatment was finished by a light facial massage and at the end my therapist applied some serum, moisturizer and sunscreen on my face.

Result:

My skin looks fresh, relaxed and the small lines from under my eyes appear reduced. I would definitely recommend this facial to anyone as an extra treat when you want to look your best. I will definitely visit SkinHealthSpa again in August before my wedding as like all the brides I want to look my best on that special day.

The only unfavorable feedback that I could think of is that the treatment room didn’t quite look as exclusive as I expected and the lights weren’t dimmed. It felt more like being at the dentists office rather then at the elegant spa. On the other hand though I went there for a facial and I was unquestionably impressed with the result and how my skin looks like now after the treatment so I guess that’s all that matters.

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Price: £145 for a single treatment or £390 for a course of 3 treatments.

SkinHealthSpa also offers a range of other treatments so check out their website for more details:

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Clinic address:

SkinHealthSpa City Treatment

12 Brushfield St., Bishopsgate, London. E1 6AN

http://skinhealthspa.com

Tried and Tested: Freshious Life & Beauty, New 5-A-Day™ skincare

Today I would like to tell you about the new 5-A-Day™ skincare from Freshious Life & Beauty.

logo freshious

We all know that eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day is a necessity.  Freshious Life & Beauty have created 5-A-Day™ Nutritional Skincare Plan for the Face which is based on the unique blend of five organic superfood ingredients to cleanse, tone hydrate and protect your skin. The range was shortlisted as a finalist under the ‘Best Organic Beauty Product’ category so I decided to try it and see for myself.

Freshious-2

Ingredients:

The Freshious Life & Beauty range is packed with wholesome ingredients to ‘feed’ the skin with vital vitamins and minerals. What’s worth a mention is the fact that all the products are vegan friendly, gluten free and non GMO, containing only nutritious ingredients such as pomegranate, green tea, carrot, avocado and rose hip to provide premium skincare.

Products:

The Freshious 5-A-Day™ range comprises of day, night and eye cream, cleansing milk and a facial serum:

  • Freshious 5-a-Day™ 2-in-1 Cleansing Milk 100ml 
    • Facial cleanser enriched with lemon, mandarin and pomegranate;
    • Gently cleanses for smooth fresh skin;
    • Ingredients stimulate cell renewal and fight dullness.
  • Freshious 5-a-Day™ Certified Organic Facial Serum 30ml
    • Certified organic facial serum;
    • Enriched with white grape seed, avocado and green tea;
    • Light enough for fast absorption and non-greasy feel.
  • Freshious 5-A-Day™ Radiance Day Cream 50ml
    • Day cream enriched with apricot, carrot seed and mandarin;
    • Packed with skin softening nutrients;
    • Vitamins A and C nourish and protect from the environment.
  • Freshious 5-A-Day™ Radiance Night Cream 50ml 
    • Night cream enriched with Rose hip, pomegranate and green tea;
    • Ingredients stimulate cell repair;
    • Boosts collagen and elastin.
  • Freshious 5-A-Day™ Radiance Eye Cream 15ml
    • Eye cream enriched with green tea, carrot seed, avocado, and pomegranate;
    • Helps to refresh, smooth, firm and tone;
    • Light application and fast absorption.

Freshious-lt

Result:

I was looking for a high quality and performance natural skincare that was full of the antioxidant rich ingredients that work. I’ve been using the Freshious 5-A-Day™ range for almost a month now and my skin looks and feels great. It is radiant, smooth and my fine lines look less visible. I am obsessed with my skin and always look after it well so the concept of ‘feeding’ my skin with a new skincare range really appealed to me:

“Because if you want healthy, radiant and youthful skin, you’ve got to feed it just as much minerals, vitamins and antioxidants as your body does. Skin really does feed from what you put on it”.– Freshious life & Beauty

All Freshious 5-A-Day™ products are made from the highest quality ingredients and are reasonably priced so I would recommend them to anyone who wishes to give their skincare routine a boost.

Website:

To purchase your Freshious 5-A-Day™ range head to Holland & Barret or order directly from Freshious’s website:

http://freshiouslife.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Tried and tested: Moor Spa Platinum Supreme Serum & Cream

moor-spa

This week I would like to tell you about the Moor Spa Skin Care. I recently tried a serum and moisturiser  from its exclusive Platinum Supreme range which is suitable for all skin types.

Range:

Every Moor Spa product contains the unique Austrian Moor essence. Created by nature over 10,000 years ago, this nutrient-rich complex is derived from a multitude of herbs, plants and flowers and is revered for its therapeutic properties by both medical clinics and spas around the world. This consists of a wide array of organic substances and minerals such as humic acid, fulvic acid, antioxidants, proteins and mineral salts that enhance the skin’s overall health.
Platinum Supreme Serum 
This 100% natural serum contains the renowned age-defying effects of Palmitoyl Tripeptide, DMAE and Alpha Lipoic Acid – all in one concentrated product. It has a lovely silky texture and is quickly absorbent. It comes in a 30ml tube and cost $45.00
serum
Platinum Supreme Cream
This 100% natural cream combines the intensely hydrating action of hyaluronate spheres, the rejuvenating effects of sweet potato extract and the anti-oxidant properties of CoEnzyme Q10 – all in one advanced moisturizer.
How to use it:
You should follow your normal daily skincare ritual and firstly remove any make up, cleanse and tone your skin. Once your skin is fresh and clean you should apply 1 drop of the serum to your face and then once it absorbs you should massage a pea-size of the moisturiser over your face.
Results:
I’ve been using Moor Spa Platinum Supreme serum and Creme for 3 weeks now and I can clearly see the improvement. My skin looks more radiant, is soft and it looks younger.
You should definitely give Moor Spa products a go and buy them! I will definitely want to try some more products from Moor Spa!
Hope you enjoyed reading this review!
X
Pauline

Tried and Tested: ‘TEN EFFECTS’ Timeless Beauty Skin Treat & Make-up Fixer, JoanCollins

As some of you might remember, I have recently tried the ‘I AM WOMAN’ Dry Oil Body Polish from Joan Collins. I really enjoyed using this product thus I decided to try some more products from Timeless Beauty Collection.

This week, I would like to tell you about TEN EFFECTS Skin Treat & Make-up Fixer.

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SONY DSC

Ten Effects revolutionary skin treat & make-up fixer aims to revise and rejuvenate your skin whilst at the same time setting make-up in place. It is a luxurious product that uses a unique blend of 7 natural ingredients:

  • Allantoin  that exfoliates and rejuvenates,
  • Red Algae Gel and Frescolat MGA that calms and soothes irritation,
  • Organic Rose Water  that tightens pores and reduces redness,
  • Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerine that hydrate, moisturise and diminish the appearance of fine lines,
  • Vitamin E that protects and revises skin.

Application:

This 7 in one product comes in a travel friendly bottle with spray. I used one spritz over my make-up. It locked my make-up in place to create long-lasting and flawless coverage. It can be used anytime morning or night and if you use it regularly then it will add some extra radiance, hydration. As I have a combination skin, I really like that Joan Collins’s Ten Effects not only fixes my make-up but also minimises my pores and tones my skin due to a pH balancing layer.

Skin type:

Joan Collins Ten Effects revolutionary skin treat & make-up fixer has been formulated for all skin types.

Price:

£20.00 for 100ml

Website:

Joan Collins Ten Effects revolutionary skin treat & make-up fixer is available at:

www.joancollinsbeauty.com

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Tried and tested: Zuzka Beauty, CB12 White

Are you a Natural Beauty? Are you looking for some pure, fresh, handmade cosmetics that look and feel great? Have you heard of Zuzka Beauty yet?

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I recently had an opportunity to try 2 products from Zuzka beauty range and would like to share some feedback on them with you. Firstly, they look very girly-I love pink so Zuzka’s beauty packaging was a big hit with me. I have normal to combination skin so I decided to try:

· Zuzka Beauty Deep Pore Exfoliating Mask (£24.99 for 50ml)

It is a nice exfoliating and deep-pore cleansing clay mask. Its formula is rich in minerals, micro algae particles as well as organic tea tree so it is great to re-balance combination skin. I applied it for 20 minutes and when it dried I washed it off with some warm water. My skin was baby-soft and looked very fresh and glowing. At the same time, the mask also tightened my pores which seemed slightly less visible. I would recommend it to anyone who has a problematic, combination skin.

· Zuzka Beauty Organic Precious Oil for Oily/Problematic Skin (£18 for 30ml)

Zuzka’s Beauty Oil is a best-selling organic oil specifically created for oily and problematic skin.  I used this oil as a part of my night-time skincare routine, instead of my regular Elemis serum. Its formula contains calendula, soya and jojoba oils that are blended with organic essential oils including lavender, tea tree & lemongrass so it is great for oily as well as combination skin.What I liked the most about it was that this oil doesn’t leave oily residue on my skin. It was absorbed quickly and left my skin looking glowing and soft. It costs only £18 and you only need to use 2-4 drops on your skin so it should last for at least one month.

You can purchase both products from Zuzka’s beauty website:

http://www.zuzkanaturalbeauty.co.uk/

Another product, that I came across recently is CB12 White Mouthwash. I’ve been using it twice daily (morning & evening) for slightly over 2 weeks now. The product already gave me, whiter and more confident smile. I like how fresh my mouth feels after using it.

The product has 3 aims:

·         To whiten the teeth – CB12 White helps whiten teeth in 2 weeks by dissolving stains and discolouration from the teeth.

·         To freshen the breath – CB12 White includes the patented formula of the CB12 mouth rinses and thereby gives pleasant breath for 12 hours.

·         To protect against the formation of new stains when used on a daily basis.

It is an easy to use, whitening mouth wash that is also non-abrasive and  it strengthens the enamel as it contains fluoride .

The only negative aspect is its price tag-it costs £15 for a 250 ml bottle which is considerably more than what I normally pay for a mouthwash. On the other hand, the results I achieved in only 2 weeks were better than with my regular mouthwash so it might be worth investing a bit more if you wish to achieve a noticeable result. It can be purchased from Boots.

For more information you could visit CB12 website:

http://www.cb12.co.uk/products/new-cb12-white-mouthwash-information/

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline