Anti-ageing with Charlotte & Co

When I received an email in my inbox proclaiming the anti-ageing properties of silk bedding I was more than a little doubtful.

I have always associated silk bedding with the 1980's, yuppies or sleazy men with bad perms on a mission to seduce - think Quagmyre from Family Guy ... giggity giggity!

Swiftly moving on ... I was sent some silk pillows from Charlotte & Co an online retailer for luxury home goods. I was so sceptical of their claims that I left the pillows unloved for quite a long time. In fact, nearly a year if i'm honest.

I have now been using the pillowcases for the past few months. You get 2 in a pack so one for husband too. Where anti-ageing is concerned ... I don't notice myself looking younger since using the pillows but I no longer wake up with pillow marks on my face and the silk satin is so much softer on my skin.

In fact this week, the silk pillow cases went in the wash so we had to make do with our ordinary cotton pillow cases. That's when the revelation really kicked in. I was uncomfortable, the material rubbed on my skin, it was too hot ....

Needless to say I now see the benefit in the silk satin cases. They let your skin breathe keeping your face cool through the night , they are smooth against your skin leaving no marks and just being altogether that little bit more comfortable.

Of course, I would never have imagined any of this had I not tried it for myself. My husband loves his silk pillowcase too so I am off to buy more and we are even toying with the idea of a full set of silk bedding.

Charlotte & Co have some items on sale just now which is another reason I am getting in there quick to buy some more. They also sell sleeping masks which I think would be beneficial as it would much softer and smoother against the sensitive eye area.

Silk bedding ... I tell ya, it's the way forward in beauty! ;)

Who else uses silk bedding? Am I slow on jumping on this beauty tip?

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Aromatherapy Associates Fine Line Oil

Whenever I'm asked if I would like to try an anti-ageing product my brain wrestles with itself. On one hand I want to jump at the chance but on the other I never see the point - maybe my skin is still too young (not really) for it to work as I never notice much of a difference. Plus, I really don't want to mess about or experiment too much with my skincare routine - once I have it mastered I like to stick to it so not to encourage breakouts or a dull complexion.

However, when Aromatherapy Associates got in touch about their fine line oil I immediately said yes, for a couple of reasons:

First of all, it's a brand I really like. I mean, really, really like. I had only ventured into their bath & body oils courtesy of birthdays & other special occasions so for me it is a real pamper product.
Secondly, it was an oil. I have only tried cream anti-ageing products in the past and since I am always being reminded about the hydrating qualities that oils have to offer then it was only right to play guinea pig.

I followed instruction exactly when using this oil - I wanted to take it to it's maximum potential. It advises to apply after serum and before moisturiser ... so I applied my serum (Laura Mercier) then applied the oil (only a drop or 2) over my face, massaging in as I went, particularly concentrating on any areas I may have noticed the appearance of fine lines. I then went onto apply a moisturiser (MAC moisturelush or Nivea).

The oil contains African Plum, evening primrose and raspberry seed extracts, which are known for their moisturising and anti-oxidant effects, as well as patchoulie, ylang ylang, apple and raspberry seed oils to help natural collagen hence softening the appearance of fine lines.

On application, you can't help but notice the smell, it is very soothing, so perfect for a bed time ritual. After using for almost 2 months now, I am not sure if I see a difference in fine lines but my skin certainly does look and feel velvety smooth - in that sense, yes, I guess I do look more youthful and fresher. It has become a part of my evening routine after cleansing that is here to stay.

It costs £38.75 for only 15ml of this oil but a little goes a long way and 2 months in and I am nowhere near halfway through this bottle. This is definitely a re-purchase item and one I will recommend to all the other old hags in my life ;)

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Holding back the years ...

... Ok so that make me sound like some warped Mick Hucknall lover ... but really I'm not ... honest!

This week in the news we read about the story of a young girl who was gifted with Botox for her 18th from her very own Mother! In her own words, she said she couldn't 'think of anything worse than looking old'.

Well, I agree with that... but I am 28 and age is catching up with me at a faster pace than I ever thought imaginable. At 18 I would never have dreamed of the concept of going through any kind of procedure to maintain my youthful looks and 10 years on I am glad to say I still feel the same. However, ask me in another 5 years time and I probably will have changed my mind!!

That said, I haven't been totally oblivious to the fact that as each day passes another little line starts to surface from the depths of my skin. I have always been on the lookout for anti-wrinkle serums but up until now the furthest I got was the Boots No.7 Protect & Perfect range. That is until I was sent this:
Its the PRIORI Coffeeberry Natureceuticals Day Complex - woah that's a bit of a mouthful!

This light cream is said to provide superb anti-ageing benefits; fighting free radicals, reducing fine lines and wrinkles as well as brightening the skin. Well, I couldn't resist, it was selling itself already! It contains 98.5% nautural ingredients infused with sunflower seed oil, avocado oil, argan oil, beeswax and shea butter... thats a lot of oil! It also contains Pomegranate and Grape Seed extracts as well as aloe vera extract to calm and soothe the skin. I won't go too much into the scientific stuff but it also contains Silica which is said to be light diffusing, thus drawing attention away from imperfections and wrinkles. Ok, so it isn't quite blitzing those ridges, instead it helps give the illusion they are not there. I can live with that ... for now.

I have been using this cream for just over a week now and I can honestly say I can see some sort of difference. The formulation is very light but only a couple of pumps are required. There is a definite Vanilla scent to this product but with clear undertones of the coffee berry. I put this on first thing in the morning before my make up routine... the first thing I notice when i apply it is the refreshing tingle all over my face, it feels like it is literally waking up my skin. I don't care for the smell too much but once my make up is on I would never notice it so this isn't a problem for me. It dries pretty quickly and I instantly notice a lovely glowy sheen to my face. Don't worry this doesn't show through your make up.

My skin has been going through a pretty bad phase just now with lots of little spots but using this seems to have reduced them or somehow magicially 'hidden' them. Another thing this product boasts is one of its celebrity fans, Michelle Trachtenberg of Gossip Girl (Georgina), however, I think I put her youthful skin and looks down to her .... well, youth!! The only downside to this product is the price, £54.85 but I guess it is a reasonably sized tube and a little goes a long way. This can be purchased at www.cosmestore.co.uk.

So far, this is a winner for me but I guess after a week it's still hard to tell. I will continue to use this product and keep you posted on the results.

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