Vibrators and Flourish Cosmetics

I had a very unexpected meeting today. I thought that I was meant to be seeing the manager of a new beauty brand but it turned out that he had in fact just launched an Erotic Boutique called ohtique.com. (Check it out for amazingly posh vibrators and sexy candles that turn into massage oil!)

Now I'm not one to be prudish (quite the opposite in fact) but I did get a shock at first when the very well-to-do man in question started discussing vibrators. He had obviously been immersed in it all for a while and was totally non-plussed by the whole thing, but I couldn't help but give an embarrassed giggle every time he said the word clitoris. However, after a cocktail or two he, my colleague Charlie and I were laughing raucously and telling our own vibrator related stories a bit too loudly I think.

We did discuss the fact that most women probably own or would like to own a vibrator. I don't think that we should be embarrassed by this. They are great if you're single and can also be a lot of fun in a relationship. However, can I advise you never to buy the Purple Pulser from Anne Summers. My friends bought me this as a gift at University and it is one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen...all big and purple and glittery....

Anyway, I don't really know how to make the transition from vibrators to organic cosmetics, but here goes...

Owning a vibrator is a really umm natural thing to do, just as natural as beautiful organic beauty brand Flourish Cosmetics! (oh dear)

Seriously though, I was recently introduced to Flourish Organics and am totally addicted. This small beauty brand is housed in Ireland and everything in the range is natural, organic and beautiful. The prices are good too.

I am increasingly of the opinion that we shouldn't be shoving a whole load of chemicals on our skin and there is something so refreshing about a brand that is truly natural with simple ingredients. I also love the idea that the products are handmade in the middle of nowhere in Ireland. There's something terribly romantic about it.

If you'd like to give Flourish a go then here are my recommendations:

The Vitamin E Face Cream is lovely and light and manages to fight sebum as well as being anti-ageing thanks to the combination of geranium and Frankinsense oil.

I love the Cleanser. It made my skin glow and also got rid of a few spots that were lurking.  The secret ingredient is Palmarosa Essential Oil! I rubbed the cream into my skin and removed it with a muslin cloth although you can also use it the traditional way with cotton-wool.

The Peppermint Foot Lotion is just perfect for relieving tired and blister- ridden feet. (A big problem for me now that I'm having to squeeze into my summer shoes). It smells fantastic and left my feet feeling all tingly.

My favourite product of all is their Rose Face Cream. It's thick and luxurious and is great as a night cream. It also only costs £35...eat your heart out Creme de La Mer!!

I've got loads of reviews coming up so come and visit again soon. xx

Retro Beauty

Sometimes the amount of beauty products on the market can be totally overwhelming. It seems that just as you settle on a moisturiser or mascara that you love, then the next big thing comes out and you just have to try it.

It’s funny to think that in the not too distant past women had just a very basic choice of products and they made do and still managed to look fantastic.

I’m always fascinated by beauty tips and recommendations from the older women in my family. Some of the oldest tips are the best and in this post I’m going to go back in time and celebrate classic beauty advice from years gone by.

Pretty much the only cleanser on the market in my Grandma’s day was Ponds Cold Cream. Every beauty conscious woman had a pot of Ponds on her dressing table and it dates all the way back to 1915. Nowadays there are a plethora of cleansers available, but I think that Ponds is still up there with the best of them (and is really good value  at only £4.49 a pot). Not only does this product thoroughly cleanse your face whilst removing stubborn makeup, but it also leaves you feeling moisturised rather than drying your skin out like some other cleansers can do. If you fancy giving Ponds Cold Cream a go, I recommend rubbing it into your face with your hands and then removing with a warm flannel. Your face will feel super-soft and glowing.

My Grandma Lily was ultra-glamorous and amongst other things had the most incredible nails right up to the day she died. As a teenager I bit my nails and she always begged me to stop biting and to follow her tips for long, strong nails. When I finally gave up my disgusting habit, I followed her tips and hey presto, long, healthy nails! To grow your nails Lily style, eat a cube of jelly a day (the gelatine strengthens bones and nails), use a good nail strengthener (I recommend Nail Tek II) and keep your hands hydrated with a moisturiser that includes nail strengthening ingredients (Grandma swore by Vaseline cream for Healthy Hands and Stronger Nails).

Another great retro beauty tip is that Olive Oil is one of the best beauty friends a girl can have. It can be used as a hair mask (apply to damp hair,  wear a bath cap/wrap it in a towel for twenty minutes while it works it’s magic and then rinse. Rita Hayworth kept her hair beautiful by doing just this. She’d use lemon juice to get rid of any oily residue), rubbed into cuticles, as a make-up remover (using an oil based cleanser is actually good for oily skin), as a moisturising hand treatment (apply and wear cotton gloves overnight while it sinks into the skin), the list goes on! The thing I love about Olive Oil is that it is pure and safe with no added nasties. It is also so cheap and incredibly effective.

Another great retro tip for beautiful hair is to wash it in beer which will make your locks bouncy and shiny! After shampooing, rinse your hair in flat, warm beer (the more hops the better), leave it to soak in for a couple of minutes, then rinse and apply conditioner as usual.

Cold water is one of the oldest beauty secrets out there. If you’re brave enough, make your final hair and body rinse in the shower a cold one as it will make your hair shiny and vibrant and your skin will look great too. The same goes for your face. After cleansing, splash it with cold water to close the pores.

I’d love to hear about the beauty tips that you’ve learnt from the older and wiser women in your life.

Some Products For The Man In Your Life

As well as being a total product junky, I also get a lot of enjoyment from making my own beauty products. (I will do a proper post on this soon).

If you've been reading this blog for a while then you'll know that I often use my husband Chris as my beauty guinea pig and we were in absolute hysterics when I made him try my chocolate face mask the other week. He looked a real sight as he sat there, with a face covered in chocolate (amongst other ingredients). He ended up eating a lot of it and  I have the most amazing photographic evidence of the whole experience but have been forced to swear that I will not publish it. Damn!

As well as having his face smothered in my weird and wonderful recipes, Chris also trials and reviews men's products for me. This has turned him from a soap and water kinda guy to a product enthusiast. (I won't say junkie because he's definitely not that keen, but rest-assured I'm working on him!)


Here are some of his current favourites:

Clarins Men Exfoliating Cleanser

£21

Buy here

Chris reckons that this is the best exfoliator that he has ever used. He uses it as a face wash in the shower and his skin has been really radiant and clear as a result. This also won an award at the CEW Beauty Awards so is trusted by many beauty insiders.

Lab Series PRO LS All in one face treatment

£22

Buy here

This product is great because it pretty much delivers everything that a man would want from a moisturiser. It is perfect for using after shaving and is smoothing, repairing, moisturising and mattifies the skin. 

Biotherm Homme Youth Architect Serum

£58

feelunique.com

I never thought the day would come when my husband would willingly apply a serum, but it has and Chris LOVES this product. Every time he applies it, his skin looks smooth, healthy and positively glowing. It contains a list of great ingredients that really work on a man's skin (Did you know that a man's skin is considerably thicker than a woman's so needs a different type of product?) and is great for smoothing out pesky fine lines.



The CEW Beauty Awards 2013 (The Oscars of the Beauty Industry)

On Friday it was time for the annual CEW Beauty Awards (known as the Beauty Oscars). Winning one of these awards is a massive accolade and can really boost a brand's selling power.

I always love it when a really small brand manages to come up trumps as it can literally change the life of the brave enterpreneur(s) who had the guts to follow their dream and often began by mixing and bottling their ingredients from their kitchen as is the case with Balance Me.

The Awards started with a delicious lunch. Lisa Snowdon, myself and our mutual friend and amazing facialist Neena Trehan had a good old natter (and giggle) before things got going. We also got a bit trigger happy with the cameras on our mobiles...

After lunch it was time for the awards. I was really pleased that a lot of the products that I had voted for won. I know a good product when I trial it! :0)

Here's a list of all of this year's winners. I have put a star by the ones that I love and really recommend that you try, although they have all been chosen by some of the beauty industry's most experienced insiders so they must be good!!

Best New Bath and Body Product (Mass Market) – Dr. Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Monoi Moisture Melt Body Oil

Best New Haircare/Styling/Colouring Product (Mass Market) – Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Shine

Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product (Mass Market) – Dr Nick Lowe Night Cream

Best New Skincare Treatment Product (Mass Market) – Carmex Moisture Plus Berry Lip Balm

Best New Make-Up Product for Face (Mass Market) – Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation

Best New Make-Up Product for Eyes or Lips (Mass Market) – Bourjois Queen Attitude Khol Kajal

Best Classic Beauty Product (Mass Market) – Bio-Oil

Best New Brand (Mass Market) – Manuka Doctor *

Eco Beauty Award – Melvita *

Best New Bath and Body Product (Prestige) – Caudalie Devine Oil

Best New Haircare Styling Product (Prestige) – Percy and Reed Lovingly Light Foaming Treatment Mask

Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product (Prestige) – Estée Lauder Daywear BB Cream

Best New Skincare Treatment Product (Prestige) – Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector

Best New Make-Up Product for Face (Prestige) – Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint

Best New Make-Up Product for Eyes or Lips (Prestige) – Benefit They're Real Mascara *

Best Classic Beauty Product (Prestige) – Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish *

Best New Brand (Prestige) – Percy and Reed

Best New Men’s Fragrance (Prestige) – Dolce & Gabbana The One Sport

Best New Women’s Fragrance (Prestige) – Elie Saab Le Parfum

Best New Certified Organic Skincare Product (Mass or Prestige) – Neal’s Yard Remedies Frankincense Facial Oil  *

Best New Self Tan or Sun Care Product (Mass or Prestige) – Elizabeth Arden Prevage Triple Defense Shield SPF50 (some people have been known to have quite a dramatic allergic reaction to this so make sure you do a skin test before using)

Best New Hand, Foot and Nail Care Product (Mass or Prestige) – Balance Me Rose Otto Hand Cream *

Best New Celebrity Fragrance – Beckham The Essence

Best New Men’s Grooming Product (Mass or Prestige) – ClarinsMen Exfoliating Cleanser *

Best British Brand (Mass or Prestige) – Balance Me *

HydroEFFECT Facial at HydroHealing Day Spa

Me and the Facial Pen

On Friday I had one of the best facials of my life. I say that because it is now Monday and my face is absolutely glowing. It honestly hasn't looked this good since I was about ten years old.

The facial in question was at the gorgeous HydroHealing Day Spa in Notting Hill. The minute I walked into the spa I was impressed. It was bright, clean and friendly. The treatment rooms had gorgeous blue tiles and lovely lighting, reflecting the water theme.

The HydroEffect Facial is a non-invasive, pain free treatment which has the same effect as microdermabrasion but without the redness and stinging.

During the facial, super cooled, sterilised water is accelerated through a facial pen. This removes dead skin cells and clears the pores so is great if you have congestion. There are all the other relaxing benefits of a facial including a face-mask during which you are treated to an amazing Reflexology session.

I really do recommend this facial if you're not into invasive treatments/microdermbrasion but want your skin to look plumped and glowing. It costs £95 and is the perfect treat. I would also recommend this for brides to be but make sure you do it about around two weeks before the wedding. (I never think you should try a new treatment too close to the big day).

Creme De La Mer Face and Body Gradual Tan and Other Stories

In the early 90's my Mum came home with a sacred pot of Creme de La Mer moisturising cream. I was given strict instructions not to use it and at £100 for 30ml I can understand why. However, after a few weeks, it had been discarded to the back of the bathroom cupboard. It was way too rich for her skin and was clogging up her pores.

I have steered clear of the brand ever since, even though it has a cult following and scores of celebrities and women absolutely swear by it. I guess that I am slightly cynical of a brand that is so crazily expensive when there are so many other options on the market.

However, I had a meeting with their PR the other day and she gave me a bag full of products to try, including the Regenerating Serum, The Moisturising Soft Cream, The Cleansing Gel and most excitingly, their new fake tan which hasn't launched yet.

I have trialled all the products and unfortunately they just haven't been as miraculous as I hoped...

I've been using The Cleansing Gel in the shower as a face wash each morning. It is incredibly rich compared to most face washes and leaves my face feeling moisturised rather than dry like usual. A little goes a long way but I wonder whether it is good enough to merit costing £55 for 200ml. There are a lot of good face washes out there and even though this one is lovely, it's not spectacular. Hmmmmmm...


The Soft Cream is a much lighter version of the original cream that caused my Mum so many problems. Unfortunately it is still too heavy for my skin and I get spots a couple of days later. Una from The Saturdays swears by the Moisturising Lotion which is a lot lighter, so it would be interesting to see how my skin reacted to it. However, at £160 for 50ml this is a big investment.
I was most excited about the Gradual Tan which has just been launched. I was told that it didn't smell, went on like a dream and was good for the skin as well as producing a nice colour. On application, I was very impressed. It smelt good and application was so simple. It also left my skin feeling nice and moisturised. However, by that evening my skin felt a bit sticky and the fake tan smell that I know so well had started appearing. The colour was good, but again, how can I justify spending £65 on a fake tan when there are so many cheaper and as effective ones on the market??

All in all, Creme de La Mer hasn't really done it for me. I realise that many women see it as the holy grail of skincare and there must be something in that, but as far as I'm concerned, the price doesn't totally justify the quality.

Me and My Vajacial

 

Being a beauty writer and blogger is not always beautiful. Many of us have surprisingly awful skin. The reason for this is that we spend our lives plastering our faces with an inordinate amount of creams, serums and makeup items, all in the name of trialling and testing. This can result in allergic reactions, product overload and one thoroughly unhappy (and at times acne-ridden) epidermis.

Another element of this beauty malarky is testing new treatments. You won't believe some of the PR blurb I get sent. From suction suits that promise to change the shape of my body forever, to injecting my tummy with my own blood, there is always something weird and wonderful on the market that some poor beauty journalist will offer to try.

Anyway, one treatment that I couldn't resist trialling last week was The Vajacial!! As the name suggests, this is a facial for your vagina. Now we're not talking the kind of facial that involves having cucumber applied to your eyes whilst your face mask dries. No, this facial is quick, easy and very effective.

So, here's your guide to the Vajacial:

1. You need to head to Ministry of Waxing (It's the only place that offers them in the UK at the moment) where a Brazilian wax and facial will set you back £50.

2. They'll start by giving you an amazing brazilian wax (or plain old bikini if you prefer). The wax they use smells of chocolate and is hot wax which is SO much less painful than the strip type.

3. After the wax, out come the tweezers to remove any ingrows.

4. Now it's vajacial time!! Out comes a very clever machine that gives the bikini area a pain-free microdermabrasion type treatment whilst smoothing and moisturising with Salicylic Acid.

5. You are left with an illicitly soft and beautiful bikini area. After a few treatments you will also find a dramatic decrease in ingrowing hairs and pigmentation.

I was invited onto 'This Morning' last Friday where I discussed the treatment and debated my little socks off against the brilliant and very opinionated Natasha Devon. Here's the link:

http://www.itv.com/thismorning/styleandbeauty/has-female-grooming-gone-too-far/

Much to my amusement, we also made it into The Sun. I look awful in the photos but it did make me giggle!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4884775/this-morning-shows-live-vajacial-a-facial-for-the-vagina.html

I'd love to know your views on the Vajacial. xx