L'Occitane Brightening Moisture Cream

I bought this at the airport on my way to Antigua earlier this year, I had never tried L'Occitane products before but this brightening cream caught my eye and as it was duty free I thought I would give it a go. I did not use this while I was away because I wanted to test this in the UK rather than in the hot Antigua climate.

The reason I wanted to try this one was because I thought my skin was looking a bit dull and I had heard good things about L’Occitane - this cream is supposed to give you a youthful radiant glow - just the job. WRONG, this product did not work at all for me! Which is a shame because it has a lovely fragrance and a light gel/cream texture which I thought would be good for my oily/combination skin type.

This cream can be used morning and night, I personally did not see it as a night cream, it did not absorb deeply into the skin like I would expect out of a night cream. However, I did not like this as a day cream either – it dries quickly and leaves a powdery layer on the skin. The main test for me is how it sits under foundation as I wear make up almost every day and I sometimes find that moisturisers make my skin a little oily with foundation over the top.  This had a different effect, the foundation did not mix well with the powdery finish and made it hard to blend, (sort of like putting face powder on first then foundation) I tried two different foundations and they both had the same outcome. I also did not see much in the way of brighter skin, I think if I was able to use this more as a day cream then I would be able to see the difference but I did not see the pot to the end.

So overall I did not find this good for morning application because of how it reacts with foundation and not great as a night cream as it’s too light and I don’t like how it dries on the skin.  I think this cream would be good if you do not wear much foundation (unlike me who cakes it on thick) or if you want a lighter alternative as a night cream.
I am not ruling out L’Occitane products though, I should have done my research before buying this moisturiser! I would like to try the hand creams because I have seen them a few times in magazines and I think they are the best sellers.

Have you tried this brightening cream? If you have and liked it I would be interested to know what skin type it suits


 

Twitter

Good afternoon bloggers and readers! Just a quick post to let you all know I am up and running on twitter, I opened an account for my blog a while back but have only recently started to use it. I know people like to follow in different ways so if twitter is your thing then it would be great to see you on there.  If you would like to follow on twitter then my handle is below

I have not been twittering for long so sorry if I am repeating what you already know, but if you follow the #bbloggers & #fbloggers then you can find some really great blogs and you get to mingle with like minded people. I have recently started joining in on the #bbloggers weekly discussion on a Sunday evening at 8pm GMT, there is a different topic each week to join in on so worth having a look.

Bloggers I follow on twitter and worth having a look:

@TheBlackPearlB – beauty blogger with frequent links to posts, I love her blog!

@TattooedTeaLady – beauty blogger & twitterer – always something interesting to read on her twitter - she is currently arranging an east midlands meet up , if you are interested then have a look at her blog

@BeckyBedbug – fashion & beauty blogger - humorous tweets and frequent links to her outfit posts

@Hello_TerriLowe – beauty blogger with humorous tweets - favourite tweet so far? - `My mother should of told me my nans dog died. My usual joke of "wheres susan, is she dead yet?" didnt go down to well this time'

August 2012 Magazine Freebies

OK, I admit it, I am a magazine FREAK! I spend sooo much money on magazines its silly. But there is nothing more satisfying then curling up on the sofa with a cuppa and flicking through the glossy pages (although I am a fan of the new matte style of company magazine!)
What makes a magazine extra exciting is the freebies that come with it, in the past the samples have just been plain old crap, but over the past year I think some of the freebies have been fab! magazines are defo upping there game. Here is the overview of the august editions and their freebies - I am not buying all of these! so I would be interested if you buy one and write a review ( I can add the link to your blog on this page) see one here

Elle Magazine - St Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Body Moisuriser - 75ml - choose from light/medium & medium dark 

Quite a substantial size for a freebie, enough I think for one application - I have tried this in the past and loved it. If like me you are scared to commit to a full on tanner then a gradual tan moisturiser like this is a good option. it also develops the same great colour you would get with the normal tanner more slowly, so I feel you have more control over your colour! 


Red - REN Clean Skincare Travel Set - Inc Vetiver v7 Hand & Body Cream 15ml /Active 7 Radient Eye Gel 5ml /Hydra-calm Global Protection Day Cream 15ml (sensitive) 

Out of all of magazines this is probably the freebie that I would like to try the most. I have read a lot about the REN masks & serums in the bloggesphere and has had great reviews, so this is a good opportunity to try other items without the price tag (the day cream is £27) I think I may be reviewing this one! The only thing is I do not really like Red magazine, is it naughty to buy just for the freebie? I think its worth the £3.80 for the sample!


Cosmopolitan - Miss Guided Splash & Polish Nail Varnish choose from Missmatch / Misslead / Misstify 

I did not realise that Missguided sold nail varnishes, I always associated them with clothing but I have had a look on the website and they also sell beauty items and accessories too. There are three summery colours too choose from I think I would go for the orange, but all look quite nice and the bottles are cute too. I have not tried any of these polishes myself, have a look at this review, it also shows a few other items available from Missguided.co.uk


Marie Claire - Avon Mascara in either - Shock Max /  Super Extend Extreme / Super Curlacious 

A full size mascara Avon is being given away with Marie Claire with a choice of three: lengthening, curling or volumising. It says it is worth up to £10 but having a look on line you can get them cheaper (from £3.99) but its still cheaper to buy it with the magazine as this is sold for £3.70. I have not tried any of these mascaras - see a good review for Super Shock Max here Super Extend Extreme here and Super Curlacious here


Harpers Bazaar - Neom Luxury Organic Hand Cream available in - Complete Bliss Moroccan Blush Rose / Inspiration Violet, Chamomile & Cedarwood

I had not heard of Neom before so I went and had a quick read on their website and found out they specialise in luxury organic body care and home ware.Looking at the products I could almost smell them (weirdo!) I think its because the scent names are so lovely! Read more about it here


Glamour - Balance Me - choose from - Pure Skin Face Wash in Normal Combination - Wonder Eye Cream - Balancing Face Moisturiser - Rose Otto Intensive lip salve 

Although I have not tried any of the Balance Me range yet, I really like the sound of it being free of all nasties and has many natural ingredients. Its also made in the UK (founded by two English sisters) I like to support home grown businesses. I think some of these have been in beauty boxes in the past? If you have had tried them I would like to hear your comments!

June Empties

Here are my June empties, I am sure I had more this month? but this is all I could gather. I do have a really bad habit of not finishing a product and just buying more before its empty - I know its naughty, my mission is to finish the whole pot before I move on (or if I really dont like it give it to a friend who might!) whos with me?

L'Oreal Youth Code Day Moisturiser - This is my second pot of youth code, I bought it on a whim when I looked at my face in the morning and thought the old crows feet and head creases were setting in. I will be reviewing this separately because I think it is worth its own review, but is a re-buy

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle eau de toilette - Probably my number one fragrance and now its gone :-( hubby if you are reading this then LOOK THE BOTTLE IS EMPTY! it settles on the skin  so lovely, it is soft yet strong enough to be noticed all day infact if I spray it on a scarf or something it will be just as strong the next time I come to wear it. Its a classic and a must if you have not tried it yet - defo a re-buy

Soap & Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em Body Buff - It did not take much for this to be empty, its only a small pot - I have already reviewed this here along with two others which are empty too but were thrown out meh. This is not a re-buy item for me

Dove Summer Glow Daily Face Moisturiser  fair/medium- My immediate thought is - its OK, it does add a touch of colour to the skin which can be devleoped into a darker colour after a few applications, but it does have a bit of a greasy texture and made me a little yellow. It also gave the biscuit smell, but I am yet to find any kind of tanner which doesn't develop on me smelling of digestive. I am still on my quest to find the perfect everyday tanner moisturiser for my face as it always seems to look too pale compared to the rest of me! any suggestions welcome. Not a re-buy

Natural Collection Lash Build Mascara black - One of my favourite cheapy mascaras (£1.99) I originally bought this because I only had 2 quid in my purse but I have re-bought this a few times now and I have also tried the water guard version which is equally as good. I think it is the thick brush which does it for me as it gives a great application. This is a re-buy item but I have my eye on some other mascaras at the mo like this Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara

Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Conditioner - This reminds me of when I was a teenager, me and my friends used to use SUN IN spray where we would desperately apply it trying to get really blonde hair! I bought the shampoo and conditioner in the go blonder range, I have used the Highlight Activating range before and as a comparison I did not see much difference at all. My hair was not noticeably lighter but it is a good daily conditioner for blonde hair. Not a re-buy for me purely because it doesn't add anything to the colour of my hair.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation in Ivory 100 - this is quite a heavy foundation obviously because of the staying power claims, I found it a bit cakey and I dont think it would stay put for 25 hours, not that I tried it. My T-Zone started to get a bit oily mid afternoon but a lot of foundations do this on my skin and need a little touch up. I dont think I did myself any favours going for an Ivory shade but it was the best match available - not a re-buy 

Collection 2000 Colour Intense Trio - Mocha Choc

Rummaging through the bargain bin at the chemist earlier today I found this little beauty - the colours are right up my street for daily wear and was only a quid! Having not tried a Collection 2000 eye shadow for years I was looking forward to trying it out, the colours looked lovely in the palette and I thought this was going to reignite my relationship with Collection 2000, but I was wrong.

Swatching the colours on my skin took ages too develop into a significant colour and was really powdery (also if you look at the just the brown one it looks like a massive birth mark or something lol)

I tried it out using the light colour over the whole eye up to the brow, the pinky/peach colour on the lid and the brown in the crease and under the lash line then blended together. I also used a Rimmel brown kohl eye liner as it was lacking something.

So what do you think of collection 2000 eye shadows? for me its going back in the bargain bin and staying there!

 
 
 

Whats in my bag? Michael Kors Pink Ostrich Oversized Clutch

I have seen these `Whats in my hand bag posts' on other blogs and thought is a good idea to show all the bits and bobs we carry around. Most the time I carry a lot of unnecessary stuff but the contents of this bag is actually quite tame! the bag of choice - my Michael Kors pink ostrich skin clutch - I bought this on my Bicester Village trip and was really chuffed to stumble across it because I already had my eye on it (so had to buy it with the discount!) there is also the option to wear it on the shoulder with the long gold chain strap, but sometimes I just tuck it in the pocket at the back.
Now if you are like me, when you swap bags you only take out what you really need, this means all my bags have something left in them and its like a treasure hunt when I come round to using that bag again!

So the contents are below - I have taken some extra pics of the make up that's in there too. You will see I have night nurse and antibac as I have been suffering with a cold this week, its July for goodness sake - I should be out in the sun not in doors with a cold looking at the hail outside!

 Also, there is a pic of my little pineapple charm which was given to me in Antigua and I still have not taken it out the packet, don't even know how it ended up in this bag!

 
 

1) Ted Baker Purse 2) Sony Xperia Phone 3) Dior Palette 4) Dior Lipstick in Rose Abracadabra 5) Bvlgari Jasmine Noir Essence 6) Pineapple Charm from Antigua 7) Night Nurse Day & Night Capsules 8) Antibacterial Hand Gel 9) Keys for Every Lock Possible

I tend to use this Dior palette of a daytime, I don't use this Dior lippy so often but fancied wearing a deep red colour!(Rose Abracadabra) but the swatch looks a little on the brown side. This Bvlgari perfume is a great size for your handbag, I also have the larger bottle too as it is a gorgeous soft/woody/warm smell which would also be good for night too ;-) 

 
 
 

GoGo Phillip Purchases

On my last visit to Selfridges I came across the GoGo Philip range of jewellery and just had to buy a few pieces. If you have ever looked at this range in any of the Selfridges stores you will know that it is really hard to choose! I believe it is also available in some Topshop stores and also ASOS so I suggest you have a look see. Gogo's collection is a range of unique statement costume jewellery which is described as bijoux & vintage inspired, its full of unusual pieces which are definitely a  talking point  (like the lego block necklace below - truly random but I love it)
So what did I buy? a summery daisy ring, a random lego block necklace & an 80's inspired triangle necklace, what's not to love! have you bought any GoGo Philip pieces recently?