My Winter Skin Saviour- Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment

Lucas' PawPaw Ointment


This does slightly contravene my plight to use mostly natural ingredients, as you can see from the list below it does contain petroleum jelly (slap wrist).


Active Ingredients:    The ointment contains 39mg/gm of fresh fermented paw paw, unguent Carica Papaya L, and 0.1mg/g of potassium sorbate as a preservative.    petroleum jelly based.


However I forgive you Lucas because your ointment is the absolute DON. There is not another word for it.  

I use this on my lips, my nose, my hands as a handcream, my feet and dry heels, cuticles, elbows, bites and stings, crusty cold sores (mm sexy) and any dry or chafed area.  It has worked on everyone that I have tried it on and I do regularly try and slap it on people at work and get them hooked on  it as well. It has been found that the antiseptic properties of the pawpaw accelerate the healing of wounds which, I assume, is why it is so amazing.


The tube is my preferred packaging as it makes it really easy to apply. In this freezing weather I would rub the tube between my hands before applying otherwise it will solidify slightly and be a bit too difficult to apply.


I have just ordered what will be my fifth tube this year although only my 3rd from http://www.pawpawshop.co.uk  who only charge £3.95 for this in it's tube form. A tube lasts me about 3 months if I am not attacking other people with it (which I do tend to do).


This is one of my all time top tips and top beauty products that I recommend. Get in there!

Get Naked - an exfoliator that smells of cookies

Naked Jojoba Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash

I was really surprised by how much I like this facewash.  It doesn't win over Korres cream facewash or The Sanctuary warming microbrasion scrub but it comes a very close third which is still pretty impressive to me, nothing else has even come close.

It ticks all the boxes that I want in that the packaging is easy to use and, while simple, isn't beige! I hate beige.  It is cheap, smells gorgeous like sugar cookies and is gentle but effective.

I reckon that in a blind test a lot of people would automatically assume this is much more expensive as it feels like good quality on the skin and is a brilliant pre-fake tan scrub (which I need a lot of at the moment)! And oh my goodness, it's only £3.99!!

The facewash is formulated for sensitive skins and the bottle contains several thousand tiny jojoba beads which deeply cleanse and exfoliate.  Jojoba is known for it's soothing and moisturising properties and it also smells absolutely gorgeous and sweet.  

I definitely recommend this and is much cheaper than my other favourite exfoliator so good if you are on a budget. Thee ingredients are 97% natural and contain no parabens.

Naked is available online at www.nakedbodycare.co.uk or from Boots.

There is also a glowing skin rice shower scrub pictured but I have to be honest the smell put me off so much I physically could not use it. Eeew! Scent is a very personal thing and this one isn't for me.

PR Samples

Fake Bake Flawless Self Tan Liquid Review

The lovely Julie from the tan bar kindly sent me this to see what my thoughts were as she is selling it in her online shop.

Fake Bake Flawless Self-Tan 


Flawless is obviously, a liquid product and it is applied with a professional mitt which is handily included in the box.  It is very similar to He-Shi fake tan in application although the spray does make it easier to apply as you can just spray it onto your skin then smooth on with the mitt. 


The colour guide bronzer assists in making the application even easier whilst providing an instant golden tan.  It dries super quickly and absorbs well so that you don't get as much transfer as with the lotion or the mousse so you could potentially wear it throughout the day.


Formulated with Fake Bake’s exclusive triple tan formula (DHA boosted by DMI & Erythulose) for an intense tan that lasts longer. Suitable for all skin tones and skin types. Pleasantly fragranced with a tropical scent. No artificial preservatives or Parabens.


Cost £18.50

My Thoughts

Colour - I did quite like the colour of the tan but it was just ever too slightly orange, I have used tans that suited me much better and I think this would be better for someone who isn't as naturally pale perhaps someone with type 3 or more olive toned skin.

Application - this was really easy to apply and much quicker and simpler than a mousse or lotion, I was impressed.

Price  - I think the price is pretty reasonable as a liquid will go much further than a mousse or lotion so yes, this is definitely a fair price for a premium product.

Purchase - I personally wouldn't purchase this as it doesn't make my skin look that great, it's a lovely product but for those with slightly darker natural skin or skin that tans in the sun more than mine would.

Do you like Fake Bake?

Nail Rock on Youtube

I decided that while I was stuck at home this afternoon I would make a video about the Nail Rock wraps as I really do love them and at £6.50 they are accessible to most people unlike a lot of the products I like!

Nail Rock Nail Wraps - They Really Do Rock!

As a salon nail covering Minx and Incoco have some beautiful designs.  But the nail art can often cost £20 or upwards for a manicure or pedicure and a lot of people just don't have that kind of money at the moment. 


Step in Nail Rock!  They have perfected the at home nail wrap that costs just £6.50 and can be bought from ASOS, Topshop, River Island or Lipsy and are perfect for creating an amazing animal print or metallic look even if you (like me) are totally rubbish at Konad or other nail art skills.

Each packet comes with a sheet of 24 different nail sticks such as above which can be cut to size and the application procedure is easy peasy.

1. File your nails or toe nails into shape and remove any polish
2. Buff the shine off the natural nail so the sticker can adhere
3. Find the best fitting sticker and cut it to size if necessary
4. Place the Nail Rock sticker on your nail then blast with a hot hairdryer (low setting) until it starts to melt
5. Smooth and press onto your nail
6. File off any excess at the end of the nail 

Nail Rock update their designs every season and at the moment they have some gorgeous lace and Giraffe print designs and metallic gold and silver. There is also a set available that includes one set of animal print and one set of chrome print so you could have an accent nail if you wanted to.

I went for the pink animal print version for my tootsies.

I think these are fabulous for a special event or for when you want your toes to last and last as they can apparently last on the toes up to 8 weeks so great for on holiday.

They cost £6.50 for a single set or £10 for a set of design plus a set of metallic chrome nail wraps.

The Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps should last for at least a week on the fingernails as well so I definitely recommend these and will be buying some more and different designs to review soon.

Find out more on the Nail Rock website or buy from ASOS, Lipsy or River Island

What do you think about the nail wraps?  Do you think they are cool or tacky?  Let me know!

My New Website!

I wanted to start a new website for Bronzed Glow spray tanning, my mobile business I have recently started.  It took a while and it doesn't look anything like I had first envisaged but here it is:

I went with simply www.bronzedglow.com as it seemed easier to remember, and obviously I checked on Twitter if that was the best one and the unanimous decision was yes.

So I am sorry there isn't another proper makeup post up today but I thought I would let you know why and what I have been up to.

Sarah x

Sneek Peek at a New Sleek Makeup Item for Spring

For those of you that have been interested in buying Illamasqua's Liquid Metals but not had the funds these could be just the thing for you. 

Sleek Makeup are introducing Molten Metal, which is a new cream eyeshadow duo with colours Pewter and Gold.  The creams are highly pigmented and designed to show up on all skintones.  They can be used all over the face and body and will cost just £6.99.  They will be available from 5th January in Superdrug nationwide and www.sleekmakeup.com 

What do you think? 

Orly Glam Nail Varnish

Orly is one of my absolute top brands of nail varnish simply because of the bottle which is a work of ingenious wonderment.  Why hasn't every brand got a rubber handle? 

All Orly nail lacquers are free of DBP, Toluene and all traces of Formaldehyde and Formaldehyde Resin so again, very clever. 

And this red polish with super super fine red glitter is also a work of wonder.   Absolutely perfect for Christmas or whenever you are feeling a bit glam. 


What do you think?

Boots iPulse Smooth Skin

If you liked my previous blog posts about the Boots Smooth Skin iPulse machine then you may be interested to know that iPulse are currently holding demonstration days throughout the UK.


Get full details of what's happening in your area at www.facebook.com/iPulseSmoothSkin

Just to also let you know that the launch of something new from iPulse could well be launching in January. So I will keep you updated and will let you know if I hear anything. I've got my eye right on that pulse girls!


In case you are not au fait with iPulse  it is a home-use IPL hair removal system for the face and body and you can see a video about it here (not a sponsored link)


For international sales enquiries, email fbell@cyden.co.uk


Unfortunately I lent mine to a friend and never got it back! And I haven't seen her since.  So I did do 24 treatments on my bikini line myself. Which have 80% grown back now.  So around 20% of hair has been permanently removed and I am sure with repeated treatment it would have got even more hair. But it looks like we'll never know unless she reads this and sees fit to give it back....

Lipstick Storage and Rambley Update

Hi girls, it's pointy nip freezing here in the UK isn't it? Eeeep! I am trying to keep warm by having lots of cups of tea and the odd hot chocolate. We made a special one with marshmallows and whipped cream yesterday but mine went a bit flat!

I was asked to show my lipstick storage the other day.  And this could well disappoint you...but I don't have a massive amount!  I only keep things I use. After around 6 months if I haven't used something I either sell it or give it away. I hate having things sitting there that aren't getting used as it makes me feel wasteful.


My storage sits on one of my floating shelves underneath where I have all my bits and pieces for getting ready in the morning so it's easy to pull out and grab what I want.  The acrylic storage is from Muji


I tend to keep brands together so Mac together, YSL together with other gold cased ones, drugstore ones together etc.

I finally managed to get the hang of my spray tan tent after it's efforts to ping across the room every time I tried to take it down.  I have dubbed the manoeuvre the 'reverse Pringle' as that's what it looks like!

I had a sniff of these Occo candles at an event this week and OMG they are gorgeous.  Apparently they are loved by Danni Minogue who has them in her X Factor dressing room.

I was sent the Sleek Sparkle palette and to be honest it's not really my thing at all.  The dark colours are either colours from other palettes or filled with glitter and red ...I don't want to wear red eyeshadow!  I think this is a bit too out there for me.  

I was sent a lovely early Christmas present from elf.  I haven't tried much of it yet only the makeup setting spray which is brilliant. I set it with my hairdryer like I do with fix plus - is this what everyone else does?

I absolutely love this stuff. I have absolutely nothing else from Nuxe but this Multi Usage Dry Oil is absolutely fabulous. As soon as it has run out I will buy the full size version -  I got this sample from Space NK ages ago but never used it.  It makes your skin look absolutely stunning and radiant, bronzed and glowing. It also smells a-m-azing. Definitely worth the hefty price tag.

My Gelish nails are absolutely awesome! I love them so much.  Will definitely be getting these again and they are a billion times better than those Jessica Geleration ones I had. Love it!

What kind of week have you all been having?  I have been so busy with work and Bronzed Glow that I  have been a bit slacking with comments but I will respond asap.  Also my mum had a bit of a scare recently and I thought she might be very ill again but fabulous news - she is not too bad and, while she might have something wrong with her it isn't life threatening - wohoo! She is my everything so I am soooo pleased.

Why is it so difficult to buy men presents?

This Lynx Rise Trio is a great gift for a younger nephew, brother or cousin.  The box contains a shower gel, exfoliating wash and a deodorant in the Rise and Recover scents.  The shower gel and exfoliating wash are surprisingly good quality, I have used the exfoliator before as it's one of Matt's favourites and it does a pretty good job and smells nice too and a bargain at £8.00 from Boots  a tip if your bloke does manual work like building or gardening - an exfoliating shower gel makes getting the grime off so much easier!

Elemis 5 Piece Luxury Set - Now this would be perfect for your husband, dad or an older brother. The men's luxury travel collection from Elemis is gorgeous, and I love the bag it comes in, very chic. Perfect for a business man who travels a lot.

Contains: 

• 1 x Ice Cool Foam Shave Gel (200ml) - high performance foam that moulds to the face for a close shave 
• 1 x Deep Cleanse Facial Wash (200ml) - milk protein base that helps removes dirt leaving skin refreshed, use morning and evening with warm water
• 1 x Daily Moisture Boost (50ml) - helps soothe shaved skin, apply morning and evening to the face and neck 
• 1 x Time Defence Eye Reviver (5ml) - helps smooth and hydrate, apply around eye contour, avoid direct contact with eye
• 1 x S.O.S. Survival Cream (20ml) - instantly soothes problem areas and sensitive skin, apply morning and evening to face and neck
• 1 x men's travel bag

QVC Beauty price - £49.50 

Four Piece Men's Grooming Kit from Liz Earle

This lovely four-piece men's grooming kit is from Liz Earle and it features everything from an invigorating face scrub to an aftershave moisturiser - to keep the man in your life perfectly groomed.

Contains:

• 1 x sensitive shaving cream (30ml)
• 1 x face and body wash (100ml)
• 1 x face scrub (30ml)
• 1 x aftershave moisturiser (15ml)
• 1 x gift box

This would be great for your boss or a boyfriend as part of his Christmas stocking or perhaps your son for his first grooming products.  £25.00 on QVC Beauty


These are just a few ideas of things that I like and are obviously beauty and grooming related! I reckon men secretly love it..Matt still uses my Sienna X exfoliator which is in a flourescent pink tube!


Would you buy your bloke a grooming gift?

Winner of the Xen Tan £100 Giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS FROM XEN-TAN!

 

Charlotte - charlottesobsessions2.blogspot.com

 
We would like to take this chance to thank you all for entering for entering the giveaway of fabulous Xen Tan products, and announce that Charlotte is the  winner of the £100 worth of Xen-Tan products!


Xen Tan have taken the details of everyone who entered and will be contacting you shortly with your 15% off discount code.  Please note the code will be able to be used for 1 week from the date of when they send it to you.



Sarah and Xen-Tan xxx  

Joy To The World

The Body Shop are looking to bring ‘Joy to the World’ through singing this Christmas through a whole host of joyous activities for everyone to get involved in this festive season. 


The search is now on to find the most joyous choir in the country to feature in The Body Shop Christmas You Tube montage of singers, which will be released and promoted during December. 


Whether it’s a community choral group, a school choir or an ensemble of talented friends or work colleagues, we want to hear from them! We’re looking for choirs that will capture the joy of the festive season, whatever their musical style, age or ability. 


So, if you know of a gifted group with the X factor encourage them to enter The Body Shop ‘Joy to the World’ singing competition! For the chance to feature in our montage, entrants simply need to film their choir or group singing the well-loved carol ‘Joy to the World’. The winning group will also receive £200 RRP worth of The Body Shop products and five runner up choirs will win £100 RRP worth of The Body Shop products each. 


How to enter: 


Entrants need to send a video clip in mpeg format to joytotheworld@thebodyshop.com with one representative from their choir’s contact name, address and phone number before the 29th November 2010. 


Films should be no longer than 2.5mins in duration. 


My email did also say >>Please see Terms and Conditions*  but I couldn't find any anywhere?!  So if you can find any then please share and I will add them in!

OPI Nails on The X Factor

Click to enlarge

As I follow a lot of nail bloggers on facebook I know that nails on the X Factor are a very popular topic.  Since OPI are the official nail brand for the X Factor and they sent me the details I thought I would pass them on.


Don't know about you but all the above picture makes me think is "what the hell is going on with their hair/Cher's expression"  they certainly seem to be having a collective crap hair day!


Do you like their nails?  Do you watch X-Factor?

Nicki Minaj Makes It Pink Friday at Mac

I am not sure whether this makes me cool or a complete saddo since I  am probably too old but I LOVE Nicki Minaj!   

Nicki has got an amazing style. I can’t get enough of her pink hair and eye catching make-up. To mark the occasion of her album release, Nicki has teamed up with M·A·C cosmetics for a Pink Friday Limited Edition lipstick.  

Sources say it is very similar to Pink Nouveau with a touch of Girl About Town making it a very Barbie pink, which makes sense as Nicki calls her fans her Barbies and  KenBarbz. I'm such a nerd.  The lipstick is a satin finish which is sheer but buildable.

www.thestyleandbeautydoctor.com

Now I WANT one of these with an all-caps styleee. It looks like something I will never wear and just leave in my lipstick display case with all the other pink lippies haha! And yet that hasn't discouraged me at all.

You will be able to purchase this from Friday 26th November 2010 and each Friday until December 17th from www.selfridges.com and www.maccosmetics.com  I love the look of the colour and it will be named Pink Friday which is the name of her album being released today I do believe.

Pink Friday - yay or nay? 
  

L'Occitane Candied Fruit Scented Candle

I love candles in the Autumn and Winter but tend to stick to the usual cinnamon, vanilla and pumpkin spice and Yankee type candles. 


When L'occitane Candied Fruits scented candle I immediately thought 'that's for me'!  It is a beautiful sweet fragrance with flowers, candied dried fruit and honey and you can also smell patchouli and vanilla.


It is the perfect scent for Christmas and a gorgeous gift idea as well.  It is also worth mentioning that L'occitane use beeswax and essential oils in their candles so the scent is nothing like the artificial smell of a Yankee candle. 


I love that the candle comes in a tin with a lid so it doesn't get dusty.


L'occitane tinned candles cost £12.50 for 20 hours burn time which seems good value to me!  But either in store or on the Loccitane website

Do you like candles?  Have you ever splashed out £12 or more for one? 

Have A Pukka Cuppa Char

It's a British stereotype but I do love a nice cup of tea, and as I drink so much it is nice to have a herbal one now and again to break up the monotony.  


Pukka Teas are so beautifully packaged they are hard to ignore, they stand out a mile compared to the other plain brands.


I like the cleansing and toxin ridding properties of the Detox Pukka tea and  the Green Tea with Lemon is one of my everyday staples.  The Three Ginger tea is both warming and soothing if you have travel sickness or a sore tummy and is great if you feel a bit bloated.


Out of them all, Love Tea isn't my sort of thing as it contains lavender which I have to avoid. I still have the box on display though as it's beautiful!


All of the other teas I have tried from this range taste delicious and they are cleansing and good for ridding your body of toxins.  The tea bags are individually packaged so they are very convenient to pop in your handbag and take to work.  



At around £2.00 for a box of twenty tea-bags they are very cost effective, and a lot cheaper than buying detoxing or cleansing supplements. You can purchase from the supermarket, Holland and Barrett or their website

Do you like herbal teas?  Do you have a favourite brand?

I forgot to mention- what do you think of the new template?  Does it work ok now - I hope so!

Organic's Illusion - A Rapid Fake Tan In 4 Hours?

Organic's Illusion Rapid Tan is a brand new luxury spray tan which will be available via Bronzed Glow

As a beauty blogger I know it is important to have visible proof of certain products to see if they work and tan is an obvious one, without a picture on the skin you can't see the type of colour it will produce.  I also wouldn't want to tan anyone without something I wouldn't be happy to use myself.

So these are my results after leaving it on for the full 4 hours then having a shower.  The guide colour goes on so smoothly that I went to the shops with the colour guide on and it just looked like I had bronzer on.

Flash aaa-aaaa!

The Illusion rapid tan is different to other tans as it allows you to shower after just a few hours due to its fast developing time.

* No need to wait the usual 8 hours before showering

* No need to sleep in your tan and get brown sheets

* No horrible DHA smell

The solution is packed full of certified organic ingredients and Organic's also helps to lock in moisture and improve skin tone. The tan is particularly suitable for sensitive skins due to the addition of Chamomilla Rcutita flower extract which has excellent anti-inflammatory and skin soothing properties.

You can decide how dark you would like your tan to be. Shower after 1 or 2 hours for a light tan, 3 hours for a medium tan and 4 hours for a darker tan.  I tried 3 hours first then 4 hours the second time.  If you don't tan easily in the sun you might need to leave it on for 4 hours like I do, as even though I am pale my skin finds it hard to get darker.  The tan will continue to deepen after a shower has been taken so 8 hours after your shower you are likely to see the true result.

I am not sponsored by the people that make this or anything like that, I have purchased the tan solution to use and chose it (from many that are available) as I LOVE the fact you only need to leave it on for 4 hours, that is just amazing to me as I hate sleeping in fake tan so much.

You can see from my white marks that the tan is very natural and develops smoothly.  Today was my second tan and from my first one I found that the colour doesn't go patchy and fades evenly over the days.  I always look after my tan with oil-free moisturiser and if I am going out I use Nuxe bronzing oil sparingly as you shouldn't use too many oily products with fake tan.

What do you think of the colour? Apologies for the flashing!

OCCO Opens Pop Up Boutique in The Royal Exchange

   

This year’s newest and most coveted natural luxury brand OCCO, is delighted to announce the opening of their new pop-up boutique in The Royal Exchange. Situated in between Hermes and Paul A Young Fine Chocolates it is the perfect one-stop shop for glorious Christmas gifts, bathroom must-haves, indulgent home spa treats and scented luxuries for the home.

OCCO is a natural, luxury, lifestyle spa brand which launched nationwide in the UK in September 2010 so it's super duper new.  If you have a boss, friend, sister or wife who has almost every beauty product they can shake a stick at then it's unlikely that they will have anything from this brand yet.

The 100% natural fragrances transport you to coastal cliffs, deep forests, vineyards, wild meadows, citrus groves and the sea whilst the potent, enriching and therapeutic formulations balance, relax, rejuvenate, soothe, awaken and energise your senses. OCCO is a collection of 65 products for the face, body and home made with the finest quality ingredients ranging from 96% to 100% natural. The most sophisticated formulations have been used to ensure a truly nurturing and satisfying experience that is better for you, better for your skin and better for your home. Each of the ranges is inspired by the abundant natural riches of the Dalmatian Coast and Adriatic Sea of Croatia.

The pop-up boutique opens 8^th November 2010 at 18 Royal Exchange, London EC3V 3LP

OCCO is also available nationwide in leading department stores including Harrods, selected John Lewis, Fenwick, Fortnum & Mason, Heal’s and online at beautyexpert.co.uk,bathandunwind.com and musthave.co.uk

For the OCCO store  visit www.occo-online.com

Moo Moo - Udderly Smooth Range Review

Udderly smooth is not a new range but it has only just come onto my radar as it's now available in the UK and I have been using the hand cream and foot cream religiously during the last 6 weeks. 

Udderly smooth products started with udder balm and are designed to prevent chapped, sore and dry skin without making your skin greasy.  As you all know I often have sore dry skin so these are great products for me.  I can say for a fact that the certainly do moisturise your skin without making it greasy for a fact  but they do so much more! 

The creams are formulated for different areas of your body and can be for so many different reasons: 

• Nappy rash
• Soreness caused by breast-feeding
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Skin conditions caused by chemotherapy treatment
• Sunburn & Windburn
• Dry, Chapped Skin
• Dryness caused by handling paper & documents
• Cracked heels
• Ski-ing & Snowboarding
• Cycling
• Scuba diving
• Surfing
• Watersports such as yachting, sailing, canoeing, kayaking
• Horse riding
• Hiking
• Golf
• Swimming
• Gardening

They are also: 

• Suppliers to NHS Hospitals for chemotherapy patients
• Recommended by the Eczema Society
• leading pharmaceutical companies for the treatment of skin conditions caused by chemotherapy.
• Psoriasis sufferers
• Round the World racing yachtsmen
• Tour de France Cyclists

I have tried the hand cream, foot cream and the body lotion and can say by far that the foot cream is my favourite product followed closely by the hand cream.  The body lotion is too thin for my personal preference. 

I 100% recommend the foot cream if you only want to try one product from this range.  I know it says it's for feet  but I have been using it all over my feet, legs and hands.  In the tub it looks like whipped shea  butter but when you take out a blob and rub, it feels like silk is gliding over your skin.  It sinks in really quickly and moisturises so well.  The website say a lot of Chemo patients love this and I can understand as you do have very dry skin when you are having cancer treatment.  The amazing thing is that a 227g tub only costs around £7 or £8 !! This would be a perfect stocking filler for anyone in the family as it is so multi use and brilliant. 

I was sent these products to try for free, but I stand wholeheartedly behind the products(hand cream and foot cream) as I love them!  I would not recommend the body lotion as I didn't really like it myself - perhaps it would be better for oily skin.  They smell super yummy and even though they contain no milk  products the scent of the shea butter makes them really comforting and buttermilk scented. 

Definitely one of my favourite discoveries in recent months. 

Click here to see where you can buy on-line http://www.udderlysmooth.co.uk/order.htm