Face Stockholm - Blush Fire

To be honest, I don't know much about the brand FACE Stockholm but my husband picked this gorgeous blush up for me a while back on one of  his business trips.

The most I had heard of the brand in terms of it's quality was just how wonderfully pigmented the products are and this in itself intrigued me so I was pretty chuffed to try out one of their blushes.

The shade in question is called Fire.  A deep, bright orange with a golden sparkle through it that is barely visible on the skin.   I have had a look for this on the website but I think it may be part of their Pro range.  Well done Boy for tracking it down!

When I applied this the first thing I noticed, true to it's reputation, was how pigmented it was.  In fact, I had to tap it a few times to remove excess so to avoid an Aunt Sally situation.  In the end it gave me a subtle flush of orange on my cheeks that works well with a sunkissed glow and would look fabulous on darker skin tones.

I have worn it all day in the sunshine and heat and it lasted throughout.  FACE Stockholm is a brand I definitely want to explore more.  Especially their skin foundations and definitely more of the blush collection.  From a price perspective, they seem to be roughly on a par with the likes of MAC, maybe a little more expensive, I can't quite work out the rate conversions but a blush is around 20Euros.

Who else has used Face Stockholm? What would you recommend?

x

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

I haven't worn my hair down in ages.  Most of the time these days I scrape it up into a top knot and it is only on the odd occasion I style it down.

Needless to say all that tying up of the hair is making my scalp a bit sensitive and I sometimes get the odd headache so I thought I would give it a rest today.

I didn't want to go through the old hoo ha of washing, drying, styling, straightening my hair malarkey so I left it to do what it wanted which was a bit of a messy mass on my head.  It needed something, so I dug deep in my drawer of hair goodies (yes, I do have a dedicated drawer, bag, and bathroom cabinet dedicated to hair products!) ...  and out came Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray.  

Now I bought this such a long time ago with the aim to use it on holiday but in the end it only got used on a handful of occasions, mainly because my hair wasn't quite long enough at the time to suit a tousled barnet and the fact that I wasn't completely sold on it. 

I have been told by many that this surf spray is the best out of legions of sea salt spray products but for me I am not too sure. 

True, it has given me the texture that was required for my already beach wavey hairstyle but I can't help feel that it doesn't actually add to the wave in my hair which is what I want it to do.  In fact, my hair probably had more wave before applying the spray.  I want to 'spray and scrunch' and appear to have naturally beachy locks.  

I am not sure Bumble & Bumble does this.  Texture is all it gave me and in some areas of my hair the texture seemed a little 'coated' so to speak, as if I had applied a tonne of 80's style hair spray.  

I think it's great for a temporary fix and would be a heck of a lot better if my hair had been pre curled but for effortlessly beach ready hair I think there has got to be something better out there.  I would use this spray again in the event that I don't find anything better and if my hair has been curled or waved prior to using it.

I have a few more similar products that I can test my theory on so I will endeavour to keep you posted.

What's your favourite sea salt hair product? 

x

Blythswood Square Spa

You might remember a few months ago I attended a blogger event hosted by Scottish Ballet at Glasgow's 5 Star Blythswood Hotel & Spa.

At the event Blythswood kindly gave us some complimentary passes to their Spa's Thermal Experience so a few weeks ago, I got round to booking a girly day at the spa with my 2 sisters in law, Esther and Katie.

First of all, when you enter Blythswood Hotel, it is impossible to escape how gorgeous it is.  It previously was home to the Royal Scottish Automobile Club which is reflected in it's contemporary decor while keeping many of the traditional and somewhat breathtaking aspects of the building.

We were directed down to the spa level which feels like entering another world in comparison to the glitz of the main hotel, plush yet zen like furnishings, dimmed mood lighting, relaxing scents and friendly informative staff greet you as you enter.  The staff couldn't be more helpful, directing us to the changing rooms where you have your own personal locker equipped with towels, flip flops, robe and a bottle of water for your convenience.  They have thought of everything!

As we wanted to make a day of it, we had also booked treatments but that wasn't before experiencing the exclusive Thermal Spa.

The Thermal Spa was a true chill out experience, with various rooms taking you from wet to dry, hot to cold, awakening the senses whilst refreshing the skin.  I loved the Saunarium - basically a sauna with a viewing window over the pool.  The crystal steam room, Laconium and Trepidarium where all favourites of mine as they smelled utterly gorgeous and had to be nearly snoozing on the tiled benches.

The hydro pool brought us a bit of fun with pink, green and blue froth bubbling up from behind and beneath us, while the vitality pool provided some cool down time.

We then moved on to our treatments.  Mummy to be Katie went for the special Ila mother-to-be package while Esther and myself went for the Anne Semonin Anti Stress Back Therapy.

Well, I tell you, I have never had my butt cheeks pumelled before so this was a first, I did mention I had some pain in my lower back so I guess it only made sense for the therapist to really go at it.  Odd at first, eventually I realised the benefit as I slowly felt the tension releasing.  As for Esther, this treatment went down as one of the best massages she has ever had, and she is a seasoned spa junkie so she is in a good place to judge.

Katie felt suitably chilled after her treatment and was pleased not to be driving so she could snooze all the way home given her state of utter relaxation after he mummy to be package.

And that's where it all ended, we left the spa quite late in the day with a cumulative decision to make the most of our pampered state and head home to bed.

It was the best sleep I have had in a long time!

I am already looking forward to my next visit to the spa but if you are in Glasgow/Edinburgh I definitely recommend a visit to Blythswood Spa.

x

Rock the Kasbah!

I simply can't take it anymore, I NEED a holiday, so this week I booked a cheeky week in Morocco.  Three nights in Marrakech, 4 nights by the coast in Essaouira.

Some twitter friends helped me finally make a decision with tales of their own great experiences in Morocco.  Sometimes you gotta just love twitter.

It goes without saying, I am now obsessing over blogs inspired by Marrakech, looking for the best places to go and see and also looking for some inspiration for my holiday wardrobe.

I plan on making like Jade Jagger, kaftaning it up and accessorising for a bit of glam.  Hippy chic is what I like to call it ;)

Hopefully I will get the best of both worlds by staying in a Riad in the centre of the Medina in Marrakech before moving on to somewhere more plush by the sea in Essaouira.  I have longed to visit Morocco since I was a teenager so this is a bit of a dream trip for me, not sure why I left it quite so long.

I would love to hear from anyone who has been, where you recommend going, seeing, doing etc ... I have quite a few ideas but I don't want to miss a thing!!

I look forward to well and truly rocking the kasbah ... can't come quick enough!

x

GIVEAWAY: Serenata Flowers

A couple of weeks ago, I received some fabulous news but I had to sit on it for a while before it could be officially announced.

Well, I've now been given the nod and so I can finally tell everyone that I am going to be an Auntie again! :D This is my 11th new nephew or niece but it never gets any less exciting.

My sister in law has gone through a long and tough battle to get to where she is so it is an absolute delight to be able to share in the joy of her baby news.  I want to send her something to mark how special this news is and to wish her luck along the way so it was good timing that a pleasant idea popped up in my inbox this week.

Serenata Flowers are an online florist who offer delivery throughout the UK and beyond.  As well as floral arrangements, wine, chocolates and hampers are also available for delivery.  It's a great solution to sending a gesture of love, thanks or just a hello to someone.  As well as being quick and convenient it's lovely to be able to browse for the perfect arrangement whether someone is near or far, knowing that it will be delivered to their door as the ultimate surprise!

Having a browse, I have picked out a couple of faves which I think my sis in law would love.

The Pamper Dream Package - Mums to be should always feel pampered!

Purple Moon - This is my sis-in-laws favourite colour - this arrangement just makes me think of her!

Norma Jeane - She is a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe - these could be perfect!

Asides my sister in law, Serenata have given me an exciting opportunity to offer to readers of Saskia the Style Fairy.

Serenata are giving away a floral bouquet of your choice up to the value of £30 plus p&p for someone in your life you think deserves a little surprise.  This giveaway in particular is only open to readers in the UK and will only be delivered within the UK so please keep this in mind when entering.

All you have to do to enter is:

a) Be a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect (if you follow through other means, please let me know as this will suffice)
b) Leave a comment in the box, finishing the poem below in your own words.

"Roses are red, Violets are blue ... (the rest is up to you!)" 

You can be as funny or heartfelt as you like and I will pick out whose poem tickles me or brings a tear to my eye the most ...

The giveaway will be open until midnight Friday 31st July.

Good Luck!

* This post was sponsored by Serenata Flowers

ALICE TEMPERLEY FOR TWININGS WINNER!!

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway ...

The winner of this very gorgeous scarf was chosen through Random.org which picked out number 9 .... 

Who happens to be the very lovely .... 

LAURA!

Well Done Laura! An email will drop be dropping by soon to request your address info :D 

Thanks again to all who got involved, hopefully more giveaways will be popping up soon. 

x

Reiss Wedges

I shouldn't have done it.

I had no money, nada.  But I somehow managed to acquire a new pair of wedges.

After wearing my black Dune wedges to death, it really was a safe purchase to buy another black wedge.

However, these are much cooler, edgier and dare I say it a little bit more dangerous than the Dune offering.

I absolutely love love love the zip back detailing in these wedges and have in fact been on the search for a pair with this kind of feature for a while.  The split tone suede, leather effect makes these wedges rather special along with their peeptoe which thankfully doesn't allow my tootsies to pop out and be overly exposed.

The danger aspect is the height of these wedges.  I haven't measured but they are certainly higher than any other wedges I own.  Despite this, they are still delightfully comfortable to wear.  The soles feel like they are cushioned making me walk with a little bit of a spring in my step.

Despite being on a spending ban, I made an exception for these beauts, considering they were in the sale,  I feel I got a bargain.

I can always excuse them as a late (v.late) birthday gift to myself! ;)

x

Motilo: Social Shopping Online

Only just last night I was doing a bit of online browsing and I took to twitter to find out opinions on a particular item I was lusting after.  Fortunately the consensus from my twitter buds was the thumbs up but it reminded me what a lonely experience online shopping can be.

Let's face it, we all live busy lives, some of us hectic lives so online shopping is often a preferred method and in many cases a plain necessity.  As convenient as it is to have a parcel of goodies sent to your home for your perusal and omitting the dreaded changing room mirrors and awful lighting, it is a shame to miss out on the social experience with your bestests that once upon a time, in simpler days, was just so much fun!

That's where Motilo.com comes in.  Launched in April 2011, Motilo is an online community where friends can share the shopping experience in real time using webchat or just normal online chat.  It basically fuses fashion forward retail therapy with the delights of social networking through an e-commerce platform.

You don't need to be a member of the site to use it but to make use of the social networking tools, Motilo have teamed up with facebook so you can log in through your facebook id.  Not only are they on facebook but you will also find them on Twitter.

Updated daily, items are chosen from hundreds of different international websites by Motilo stylists and you can create 'looks' from any of the pieces on the site.  You can share 'looks' of different outfits with friends and if you want you can choose to buy them.

Motilo is still currently in beta but they hope to launch version 2 by October.

I went a little bit click happy when I tried out the 'create a look' facility on Motilo.  I decided to style up a few looks for a holiday.  Something a little dressy, something for the beach and something that I could party in all night long and come straight home to the beach bar!

Statement dress with skyscraper sandals for an evening of glamour

I am all over high waisted bikinis this summer!

Looking good at the beach party taking you all the way through to the next day!! 

While Motilo is still in beta version you can still get involved and be among the first to try out and make use of the site so I will hopefully see some of you on there!  As well as that they also have a fantastic competition running at the moment to win a Mulberry bag ... you know you want to ... you can enter here and/or here!

Happy Shopping!

*post sponsored by motilo.com

Champagne Pamper Package at The Bonham/Chamomile Sanctuary

Last month after a very hectic week of awards, events and blatant nose to the grind, my girl Ann from girl in the city and I headed East for a day of pampering and indulgence with the Chamomile Sanctuary and The Bonham.

Starting off at the very plush Restaurant at The Bonham where food is rooted in French tradition using Scotland's abundant natural larder.  Chef Michel Bouyer has been awarded two coveted AA rosettes for the restuarant, in recognition of his creative flair.

Ann and I arrived to a glass of bubbly and a Market Menu to make the mouth water.  Two courses was on offer but being us, a little bit greedy some might say, we went for three! :)  Although we arrived at a quiet hour, the atmosphere is relaxed with a minimalist urban interior keeping a little bit of cool about this very gorgeous traditional building.  It goes without saying, the food was just beautiful.  From my risotto to the melt in the mouth lamb I ordered, it all went down a treat.

Suitably stuffed, we were then whisked away in a complimentary taxi to the Chamomile Sanctuary for an afternoon of pampering as part of their Pamper package. 


A set choice of treatments is available with this offer and while Ann went for the blissful option of a masssage, I decided to face my fear and get my very first pedicure.  

I have very very tickly feet as well as the fact that my feet are just plain U-G-L-Y but my therapist made me feel comfortable, relaxed and she also seemed to have the midas touch when it came to fondling my tootsies.  No tickly moments and no kick in the face for her ... smiles all round.   I had a huge choice of polishes and in the end went with a gorgeous milky lilac.  For your own sakes, I have chosen not to display a photo of my trotters but rest assured they looked the lushest they have ever looked after some Chamomile TLC.

The Chamomile is in a central but quiet location in Edinburgh and is beautifully elegant on the inside.  The decor makes for a relaxing visit in itself and the staff are all so helpful and friendly.  


Needless to say, Ann and I hit a couple of cocktail bars before we headed home, feeling very blissed out and refreshed from such a treat! 


So where might one take advantage of an offer like this?  Well you can purchase this offer for £75 per person, which is a steal for such a lavish day of pleasure and play,  directly through Chamomile Sanctuary or The Bonham.

x

FOTD: Pink Eye

Apologies for hideously bad quality photo booth images but it was the quickest way for me to take photos of my make up yesterday. 

I wanted to go for a soft feminine look so decided to break out all the pinks.  Eyes, lips and cheeks all in tones of soft pink.   Pink is not always the easiest shade to wear on eyes, you can potentially come out looking a little ill or bruised so tone, intensity and contour is quite important.  

This was a daytime look so I was able to keep it soft and subtle avoiding any chance of a heavy handed application.

FACE:  Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 Beige - Desert, MAC Select Cover up concealer in NC25

CHEEKS:  Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzer in 52 (Just started using this, review will follow!) and New CID i-glow in Coral Crush 

EYES:  Clinique Strawberry Fudge palette, MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, MUFE Smokey Lash mascara

EYEBROWS:  Shavata eyebrow pencil

LIPS:  MAC Pro Longwear lipstick in Love Forever! smudged over lips applied with finger, topped off with Lipstick queen fifteen minutes of fame gloss in 2 minutes

A review on the Bourjois bronzer is coming up soon.  It's the first time I have properly strayed from my holy grail bronzer, Nars Laguna so I really want to let you know my thoughts.  Watch this space!

I kind of miss face of the day posts, I remember back when I started blogging it was one of the most popular type of posts from bloggers.  I quite like kicking it old school sometimes!

Are fotd posts of interest to you?  And what do you think of pink eyes ...?!
x

Alice Temperley for Twinings GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the launch of Twinings new and improved blend of Earl Grey, Twinings have teamed up with the fabulous Alice Temperley to create an exclusive, bespoke Temperley for Twinings print.

Alice Temperley's design mood board

An absolutely stunning scarf of 100% silk, Alice Temperley's gorgeous print scarf brings to life the incredible journey of the original Early Grey blend created by Twinings in 1831, as it travelled across the oceans from China to the UK.

The print will be used over a number of products but this beautiful scarf is limited edition with only 1000 available to purchase at £115 a pop.  You can purchase here.

I feel incredibly lucky to have been sent one of these gorgeous scarves... I have literally not had this off me all weekend.  I love the length, the colour palette and the sumptuous texture of the scarf.  Not only that, I also have an extra one to give away! You do not want to miss out on this - this scarf is just too chic to not lust after.

If you want to be in with a chance of winning this stunning scarf, you have to do the following:

1.  Be a follower of my blog through google friend connect
2.  Leave a comment below simply saying 'Fancy a cuppa?'
3.  The giveaway will close on Friday 22nd July


If you happen to leave an anonymous comment - you must must must leave an email address otherwise there is no point in counting your entry.

Winners will be chosen through random.org and the winner will be announced this weekend.

I hope that's clear enough - get commenting!! :)

Good Luck!

x

Eucerin - Skincare with integrity

Eucerin is a brand that has always been on my radar, with over 100 years of experience, it's hard to miss it.  I have never tried the products as although I sometimes suffer dry skin, my skin isn't sensitive enough for me to deem it necessary to purchase.

However, when asked to review it for my blog, I had a perfect guinea pig in mind.

Meet my husband, Garrath

Garrath suffers from quite severe eczema that consumes his entire body.  He mostly uses medicated lotions to help alleviate pain, flaking, itching and cuts that can be caused by his eczema.

He has so many lotions and potions that his toiletries bag is twice the size of mine if not bigger and shower times take forever.

It's meant to be us girls who take their time!

Garrath has tried many solutions over the years to no avail.  He now knows what is good for him and what isn't and despite finding some skincare from the high street, most of his skin relief is still medicated.

So, he was a little ominous when I asked him to try Eucerin as he worried this may disturb his current routine which is going okay but still not the best, with a lot of achey, flakey skin on his head, hands and particular parts of his face.  There are not many brand he puts his trust in so it was a big ask for him to give this a go.

Here is what he used and what he thought of them:

Eucerin Dry Skin Relief Shampoo with 5% Urea
Garrath's previous solution to a flakey scalp was old favourite 'Head & Shoulders' with some medicated oils for extra measure.  This helped to reduce the flakiness when his hair was first washed but after half a day or so the itching began and flakes re-appeared.  Using Eucerin, Garrath really liked the texture of the shampoo as it felt moisturising on his skin but best of all it reduced the flakiness but kept his scalp itch free for much longer.

Eucerin Dry Skin Bath & Shower 20% Omega
Garrath found the best way to use this was to dampen skin and moisturise it all over his body as he was in the shower.  This product has given him positive benefits within just a few days of use.  His skin is free from the dreaded itch and he feels it helped to lock in the moisture throughout the day.  Normally Garrath has to re-apply creams throughout the day but re-application has reduced since he has used this in his shower.

Eucerin Replenishing Face Cream and Replenishing Night Cream 5% Urea
The most noticeable difference Eucerin has made is from the face creams, both day and night versions.  Garrath always has flakiness or sore red patches on his face from his eczema.  It is rare that his skin looks well.  Since using the face creams, he has only had to apply once in the day then once at night and has also been able to stop using his medicated lotion.  No need to get up in the middle of the night to reapply face cream to alleviate tightness and dryness that interrupts his sleep.  You can also see how fresh and smooth his skin feels and looks.

All in all, Garrath loves the Eucerin products he has tried, so much so, he is going to go and purchase their anti-age range and also has some hand and foot cream to try out at home.

Admittedly he was sceptical at first but since trialling he has noticed such obvious and positive results that it looks like Eucerin will now be a permanent feature in his toiletry bag.

If you think Eucerin might be for you then you can purchase it online at Boots or straight from the Eucerin website.

Initial Jewellery

Ever since way back in the days of Carrie in Sex and the City where the obsession for name necklaces grew - the trend has continued and evolved in different forms.

Instead of full names emblazoned on our decolletage, the minimalist approach has been introduced, reducing it to just an initial.

From scrabble jewellery to dainty necklaces, there is always a new and unique way to combine our accessories with our identity.

Scrabble ring sourced from Folksy

sourced from Etsy

Sourced from Urban Outfitters

For me this has come in the form of these cute little rings from Urban Outfitters.
Despite the fact they turn my finger green (nothing that can't be fixed with some clear nail polish), at £8 each they look lovely stacked and worn alongside bigger rings.

Do you wear initial or named jewellery/accessories?  How do you wear yours?

x

NOTD: NYC Times Square

I have had a heap of NYC colour polishes lying in a drawer for ages now - most of them going unloved.  I got round to trying this one the other day when I did the 'shut your eyes, dip your hand in and paint with whatever colour you pull out' method.

I picjed out an NYC shade in Times Square.  What I immediately liked about it was that it wasn't quite a true red but certainly not a pink or orange either.  It's an unusual mix of all three and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't capture the true shade.

It applied opaque after 2 coats and gave a lovely glossy finish with no topcoat.  It may have been the lack of topcoat that caused it to chip quickly or it could have been the poor condition of my nails - I'm not really sure.

I do like these NYC shades and should really continue to pay attention to their range - it is so reasonably priced at around £3 (can't remember exact cost) that they are a great solution for updating seasonal nail trends.

x

OOTD: Fog on the Tyne is all mine!

Like I mentioned in a previous post I spent last weekend with a special bunch of Geordie lassies.

Before I left I presented to you how I would style some of my outfits so in true blogger style it's only fair to show you at least one OOTD from the weekend and a glance at what some of the other girls wore.

This is what I wore on Saturday night - Kay's big birthday bash.  I went for the Warehouse patterned dress with clashing jewellery - blue/green earrings, red bangle, gold cuff.

This is the only decent nearly full length photo of the dress, still missing out on the bag and shoes (which were incredibly hard to walk in).  Jenny who I am photographed with was wearing an embellished top and jeans - I was loving her nude clutch.

Here I am with Jen who is wearing a floral mini dress.  I can't quite remember the brand but it was bought from a Boutique in Newcastle.  Jen teamed her dress with nude heels, nude clutch and a gold smokey eye.

As for my make up, I went for my fail safe neutral eye with flicked liner - I made an absolute balls up of my false lashes but was too busy tanning and doing everyones make up to bother fixing them.
I love bold lips and on this occasion I chose another clashing shade of pink.  This is a MAC Pro Longwear shade in Love Forever!

This is Anne who has the most incredible hair.  She is wearing a gorgeous purple dress from Lipsy.  She teamed it with gold accessories and a golden eye and pink glossy lip.

Here I am pretending to be a super pro MUA.  Jenny is a brave girl! ;) 

I couldn't finish the post without showing you a pic of the birthday girl.  She will probably never forgive me for this one but her outfit was so fabulous I had to try and show it in it's full glory.  This gorgeous dress is from All Saints - the colour and embellishments are just divine and complement Kay's tanned skin.  She paired it with Pretty Polly suspender tights - I reckon the birthday girl outshone us all!

The weekend was ended in panic mode when I boarded a train to London instead of Glasgow - luckily I was able to jump off at Durham and was transferred onto a later train.  It all got a bit hairy for a moment but I made it home in the end!

x