Perfect Valentine's Day Gifts

Panicking about what to buy your loved one this Valentine's day? Do not fret! The bf and I have been hectically reviewing products to find the perfect gifts for you. Though don't tell him that's what all these presents have been for, he just thinks I'm really generous ;).

First up are Gifts for Him.

A fragrance always makes a lovely present. So why not treat him to a new scent this Valentine's day? Over the past few weeks we have been liberally spritzing ourselves with Paco Rabanne 1 Million. With notes of peppermint and blood mandarin mingled with cinnamon and rose absolute, with a touch of leather, this is a masculine fragrance with a modern twist. Sexy and deep, yet not too heavy, it's easy to wear and versatile. I am told that this is currently a very popular fragrance, and I can see why!

If your man is a little hesitant (or just plain lazy) when it comes to skincare, why not introduce him to an easy and effective routine gently? There are many kits out there designed to give you a taste of the products on offer, and this can be a great way to nudge him along, while letting him chose a few favourites. The Liz Earle Men's Try-Me kit has four travel size products in a handy re-usable wash bag including the amazing Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (with muslin cloth), Sensitive Shave Cream, After-Shaving Moisturiser and Face & Body Wash all for £15.60.

The bf has developed a particular soft spot for the Shave Essentials kit (£28.35). He already likes Liz Earle, after constant thieving of my products (deep marks from greedy fingers digging around in my moisturiser are a deadly giveaway!) and he has not been disappointed by the 'manly' products. He tells me that the Sensitive Shave Cream and After-Shaving Moisturiser make for a smooth and comfortable shave.

Why not add some fun to Valentine's day? Men are encouraged to purchase us sexy underwear, so why not turn the tables on him with some novelty pants? These ones from ASOS are just too cheesy not to love ;).

Gifts for You, Both of You

I always like to by a gift for Valentine's that we can both share. Let's keep it clean now ladies... 

Why not treat yourself to a beautiful candle to set the mood? I was recently sent the Thalgo Indoceane Relaxing Scented Candle (£16.50), which promises to burn for 50 hours. I have noticed that even after about 6 hours of burning it still looks very full, so fingers crossed it lasts forever lol! Not only does this candle look gorgeous, it smells divine with spicy Indian notes of Coriander, Cardamom and Incense on a tender, enchanting base of Patchouli.

If you are planning a romantic night in you may want to indulge in Linden Leaves Aromatherapy Synergy Body Oil (£16.20). I have been testing out 'In Love Again' with organic rosehip and avocado oils blended with pure sweet almond and apricot kernel oils, enriched with vitamin E and infused with a sensual blend of neroli, vanilla and sandalwood this oil smells absolutely delicious. The packaging is also unique with tamrillo and strawberry floating inside the bottle. This natural oil is perfect for daily use after bathing or showering in place of a lotion, especially for dry skin. It also works especially well as a soothing massage oil or bath oil ;).

I hope you all have a lovely Valentine's day! What gifts will you be purchasing this year for your loved one? xxx

Waiting for Miu Miu!!!

I am waiting for my NEW Miu Miu Platform Wedge Sandals so I can pair it w/ the outfit... hopefully!!!

Style/Makeup Crush & Jemma Kidd

I tried to watch the new 90210 series but I just couldn't get into it.  I used to love the old one in the 1990's and could never make up my mind whether I wanted to have Jason Priestly or Luke Perry as my boyfriend!  Good guy vs. Bad boy! (bad boy usually won).

However, one of the cast members of the newer version that has caught my eye off-screen is Jessica Lowndes.  I pretty much always like what she wears and it's very similar to my own style I guess.

I totally coveted that Miss Selfridge embellished cropped jacket that she wore in the first pic below!  I also love how sleek she looks in a tailored blazer and glizty trousers/leggings.

I am literally IN LOVE with that white dress below with the delicate black belt detail around the waist...stunning!  I really like the colours in the third pic too, a kind of maroon skirt mixed with a delicate baby pink silk top.  Very sophisticated!  I like that she looks sexy without having all her bits annd bobs out, which is how it should be done.

I saw this pic of her from a photoshoot and just thought...wow! How amazing is that jacket??!  You could have someone's eye out with it but it's so 'fierce' as Tyra would say!

I'm also loving Jessica's makeup looks, especially the one below with soft smokey, defined eyes and a bold pink lip.  I always think it's easier to get away with stronger looks when you have dark hair...not sure why that is.  Maybe because of the contrast between light and dark when you have blonde hair? It makes darker makeup look more intense...just a thought. 

I love that Jessica doesn't try to hide her freckles which I think always look cute on girls!  I had some serious hair envy going on when I saw the pic of Jessica below.  It looks like they might have tinkered with the colour of her eyes because they don't normally look that green.  She does have beautiful green eyes but they're not normally this vivid.

I have been using the Jemma Kidd Pro Skin Rescue Bio-Complex Veil for the past week or so and I used it as a base for the red lip look in my last post. 

I am a big believer in primers.  I know not everyone sees the point in them but for me, the good ones really do add that extra polish to your skin.  Alot of people ask how I get my skin to look flawless in my blog pics and the answer is a proper skincare routine, a good primer, a good foundation and good concealer.  I never use Photoshop or any other software program to airbrush my pictures because I feel that would be a misrepresentation of the product's performance.  Primer is an important step in my routine to smooth out my skin to prepare it for makeup.  My favourite basic primer is still the L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer but this Jemma Kidd product is very unique.  Let me tell you why...

The L'Oreal primer will smooth your skin, hide visible pores and make your makeup go on easier and last longer.  BUT this Jemma Kidd Pro product is an innovative super duper multi-tasker because it's:

• an anti-ageing moisturiser
• a primer
• an illuminator
• a tint that evens the skin tone
• has SPF15

How amazing would this product be to take on holiday/weekends away with you as a multi-tasker?!  Here's the blurb:

" Anti-aging complex of Sodium Hyaluronate spheres to moisturise, hydrate, plump and even out fine wrinkles; added anti-oxidants Vitamin A, C and E which act as food for the skin to increase elasticity, clarify and brighten, also contains SPF15 for added protection to give luminosity and radiance to the skin.  Innovative anti-aging all-in-one skincare treatment with added SPF 15 can be worn alone or as a prep and prime base.  Unique and innovative natural skin' like texture that glides onto skin blending effortlessly.  Formulated with a botanical complex of Horse Chestnut, Algae, Butcher Broom, Calendula and Cantella extracts which improve the skins micro-circulation.  Moisturises and evens skin tone leaving your complexion naturally radiant, luminous and flawless".

The product itself is quite thick in consistency but you only need one pump for the whole face.  There are two shades available (Nude P1 and Nude Y1).  I have Nude P1 which is for warm toned skins with a pink undertone and Y1 is more yellow toned for cooler toned skins.  This product can be used alone as a tinted moisturiser OR under foundation as a primer.  I like to use it under my foundation because it makes my skin look amazing.  It's basically like the L'Oreal one BUT it illuminates your skin and has an SPF as well so cuts down the need for other products.  I have seen some reviews of this product saying that people don't understand what the product is trying to be.  But, I think it's obvious that the brand developed it as an answer to lugging around loads of products (moisturiser, illuminator, SPF and primer).  It was made for convenience, efficiency and as a time saving tool and that it certainly is!  I love the conceot behind the product and I love the product itself.

When you apply with, it feels like a thinner consistency version of the L'Oreal primer.  You only need a very thin layer on the face and you will instantly notice that your skin looks alot more even in tone, radiant and redness is significantly reduced.  I love that this product does so many different things and the fact that it saves you having to lug 3 or 4 different products around when you're travelling.  This is a holiday must have!  It's quite expensive at £32 for 35ml pump tube BUT when you think about all the boxes it ticks and the fact you only need one pump per application, it's actually not that bad.  Plus I never get sick of how it makes my skin look flawless and perfect.  It has the slightest hint of illuminating 'shimmer' but it doesn't look glittery on the skin.  It just translates as a glow.  You can buy it from Feel Unique with free postage worldwide too.

Something I discovered yesterday is that when you combine Estee Lauder DayWear Plus Sheer Tint Formula Moisturiser WITH the Jemma Kidd Pro Skin Rescue Bio Complex Veil, it gives you the most amazing holiday skin combo!  It's never nice to have to wear foundation in the summer or when you are on holiday in hotter climates.  I am very self conscious about the redness in my skin so I always like to make sure my skin looks even.  I used both of the above products on clean skin yesterday and this was the result...

I was really impressed by how much this product combo evened out the discolouration in my cheeks.  Normally my cheeks are very red but these products made my skin look slightly more tanned, really healthy and radiant.  All I would need is a teensy bit of concealer around my nose and under my eyes and maybe some powder down my T Zone to eliminate shine.  Finally I have found products that will allow me to foundation free in the summer!