This time tomorrow ...

... I will be singing my lungs out and bopping about to the one and only Rihanna!!

I cannot tell you how excited I am to go, not to mention the fact that I am going with my buddy Jen who I don't get to see too often as we live miles apart (our lass is a Geordie).

The tour is sponsored by Nivea who are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and Rihanna just happens to be the voice of the centennial celebrations! Thanks to Nivea, I have been given the opportunity to go along and watch this utter goddess of pop perform!  The Nivea tour bus will also be at the venue so hopefully I will get to pop on for a nosey.

Who knows, maybe I will bump into the lady herself *I die*

Now I need to go panic about what to wear ... ;)

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.

My latest obsession ... Green Tea!

I've pretty much always known that green tea is good for you but not being a tea/coffee drinker in general, it's never occurred to me to include green tea (or any tea for that matter) in my daily routine. 

That is until I met the wonderful Mikey who was sharing some of his weight loss, feel good tips with me.  He said it had worked wonders for him so without doubting a word he uttered I rushed out to stock up on some green tea.  

The initial objective to drinking green tea was weight loss as it's known for its anti-oxidant qualities and increasing the metabolism but after a couple of days of drinking i started to notice some other perks to add to it's extensive list of benefits. 

I aimed to drink up to 4 cups a day - any more was a bonus.  After a couple of days I noticed my tired, dull and spotty skin completely clearing up.  My make up sat flawlessly on my skin and I noticed a much more radiant glow to my face.  It was wonderful! 

I also felt much more alive, awake and my mood was perkier in general.  My energy levels had definitely increased too which was fantastic for going to the gym :) 

Honestly, I am bowled over!  Why did it take me so long to catch on to the wonders of this magic pot of goodness?! 

Due to feeling a bit poorly last week I haven't drank it regularly for a week and my skin has started to break out again so today I got back on it ... like a car bonnet ;p (for all your Geordie Shore fans!).  

I am hoping that my skin will clear again within a couple of days and this time I plan to keep green tea in my routine permanently.   So far I haven't noticed any weight loss effects but I guess when you eat for Britain, no magic tea is gonna help you! 

You wanna know what else green tea is good for?

• Depression 
• Headaches
• Reduces risk of cancer (allegedly)
• Heart conditions
• Cholesterol
• Tooth Decay
• Acne

There is so much more to add but we could be here all day.  Basically there isn't much that green tea isn't good for. 

So far I haven't used any particular brands, I am looking to try a few and see what suits best.  However, I have been drinking green tea infused with jasmine which smells amazing and although tastes a little soapy, it is a little easier to go down than green tea straight. 

I have been told it's best to let this tea brew so I leave the teabag in for up to 5 minutes before decanting.  I quite like to squeeze the life out of the blighter too ;) 

Are there any green tea enthusiasts out there who can recommend a particular brand to try or how best to drink your green tea?

x

Nivea Soft

In my last Nivea post I mentioned that my favourite day moisturiser is Nivea Soft.  I wear it everyday without fail using it as a replacement for a primer.  It is rich enough to re-hydrate my skin and light and easily absorbed enough to be worn under make up without it slipping off or causing oiliness.  It contains Jojoba oil and Vitamin E leaving skin feeling supple, smooth and refreshed.

Even though I love this moisturiser, even I was unaware of it's popularity - it's Nivea's best selling worldwide product with 13 sold every minute in the UK alone!

So, it was pretty exciting when 3 tubs of Nivea Soft arrived on my doorstep one morning.  I go through tubs of these like there is no tomorrow (it's also a body moisturiser so I end up using a LOT of this product).

My new arrivals weren't just any old Nivea Soft, these were limited edition packaged as designed by fashion designer Josep Font.  Known for his avant-garde pieces,  Josep's Nivea designs were inspired by his haute couture collections and were designed with the objective ...'the beauty creation'.

There are 3 limited edition designs:

• Estella - inspired by expressionist sculptor Frank Stella depicting the eyes of a fantastical female figure flash through a kaleidoscope of shapes and colours
• Sea - motif of a mermaid wearing a turban of starfish
• Dreams - evokes a mysterious night time world

If like me, you are a sucker for chic packaging, you can get these lovely limited edition tubs from April to July at an RRP £6.59

x

Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Collection

Since my first foray with Crabtree & Evelyn a few months ago I have been quite taken with the brand.

Just before year end I was sent some products from their lastest range of bodycare - the Pomegranate Collection.

My favourite from the collection is the body wash which I just cannot get enough of. C&E's Pomegranate body wash is a sophisticated but festive range and although the holiday season is over, it's still a gorgeous range for the cold winter months and dark nights.

The fragrance is quite subtle with not just scent of pomegranate but hints of mulberry and mistletoe. The texture of the product is so silky soft ... it's a shower time delight. My skin is left feeling clean, fresh and almost satin like and that's before I moisturise.

I am really impressed with Crabtree & Evelyn products and the great thing is they have a sale on at the moment ... with the Pomegranate range reduced. I am going to purchase some more of the body wash along with the hand wash and body cream.

I'd love to know what everyone else likes from Crabtree & Evelyn as I expand my collection.

x

Botox in a jar!

I was sent this little jar of magic months ago ... why I haven't blogged about it sooner, I really don't know.

Instant Forehead Smoother from Bremenn Research Labs.

You see, the concept of this product and imagery from a packaging perspective, the objective seems nigh on impossible.

It promises to 'Reduce the appearance of forehead wrinkles and pronounced expression lines'. Sounds a bit too good to be true, doesn't it?
Surprisingly, it's a lovely, rich, moisturising cream to start with, not much of a scent and seems to take a lifetime to finish the jar which at £60 odd quid is actually a bit of a blessing.

I don't think this is a permanent fix for those looking for a needle free botox fix ... instead i think there may be a bit of an optical illusion going on. Once applied to the forehead the appearance of any fine lines are magically reduced ... it literally is an instant result that leaves your skin feeling hydrated and smooth.

To be honest, I probably don't have a lot to work on in the way of testing and revealing via photographic evidence the results of this product as the lines I do have, only I seem to notice. However, as I am hitting 30 this year, i think this little pot may become my new best friend in times of need.

I do notice a significant difference after application and if you do have pronounced expression lines i'd suggest giving this a go as you should notice an instant result although it would be highly unlikely the result would remain permanent. Easier and less daunting than needles though. You can buy this product from Salonskincare.

x

These face wipes should come with a warning!

It's my own fault really, it's a bit of a skincare crime to rely on some face wipes to rid you of the daily dirt and grime that our poor faces are subject to.

Normally one to be quite careful with a skincare routine, I have grown a little weary and downright lazy when it comes to looking after my face. This might be why, when purchasing my £4 jammies from Primark a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist picking up another bargain which lay in wait beside the tills.

Primark 4 in 1 gentle facial cleansing face wipes ... a pack of 2 for £1. Now you and I both know face wipes rarely come cheap, you spend up to a fiver or more for a half decent supermarket brand so this was a bargain I couldn't resist.

I didn't think for a minute they would be of a substandard quality or full of ingredients that may strip my skin of all it's goodness. It's Primark! What was I thinking?!

Aahhh.... *shakes head, tutting at ones stupidity*

I used these for around 2 weeks solid and have suffered from full on pizza face ever since! Painful, obvious, big, red, blinding spots have crept up all over my usually clear-ish skin. Urgh.

Silly thing is it took me a fortnight to realise the source of the damage.

Now I am on a mission to 'fix my face'. I am back into a cleansing and toning routine with a bi-weekly Strivechtin facial scrub, my trusty aromatherapy associates oil slathered all over my face with a little darphin purifying balm for good measure. Keeping my fingers crossed that my skin clears up as quickly as it flared up.

Other than booking myself in for a facial (any excuse!) Does anyone have any other quick fix recommendations?

x

My Skin Saviour ...

Up until 4 or 5 months ago I was convinced I was allergic to Estee Lauder skincare products. I found their cleanser/toner broke my skin out and dried it up to a shrivel. That is until I tried this .... my skin saviour ...
Estee Lauder DayWear Plus for normal/combination skin. I first purchased this at duty free going on holiday about 3 months or so ago. I applied it day and night on holiday and by the end of my week away my skin was looking like its old self again, revitalised, clear and hydrated!

I did think it could have been a helping hand from the Sun but I continued to use it after I came home and yup, my skin was still lovely. The only time my skin broke out in any way or started to 'play up' was when i ran out of it a couple of weeks ago! As soon as I repurchased my skin started to behave again.

DayWear Plus is described as a moisturiser with SPF which helps to 'prevent lines before they appear'. Since I have not noticed any new lines appearing I guess I will assume it's doing it's job! ;) The cream itself is an aqua colour but is clear on the skin (although there is a tinted moisturiser version of this which is great for Summer).

It contains a blend of anti-oxidants such as rare South African Red Tea, Grape Seed, and a combination of Vitamins C and E. Basically this means it moisturises, protects and re-enerigses all in one. Bonza! Ooh and it has a whiff of cucumber for that fresh feeling!

I think I will purchase the tinted version of this when the nicer weather comes in again but I would like this to remain a staple of my skincare. I also find it works great as a primer as well as making my skin looks and feels healthy - just the way I like it!

x

Lets get Naked!

I have had a busy week this week including a trip to Edinburgh while the Fringe is still in full swing to see an amazing burlesque/cabaret show (more to come on that in future posts).

When i got back home this evening, I was delighted to find a parcel of goodies waiting for me! It was skin and haircare products by a brand called Naked. I think we will all agree that skin and body care is a big issue with beauty bloggers at the moment, including myself. My skin seems to be getting more sensitive by the minute but I was eager to try this range as it claims to be 97% natural. That means no sulphates, parabens or petrochemicals and it is not tested on animals. Surely, this can only be good for our skin?

Well, I am yet to make full judgement on this but tonight I used their Coco de Mer body butter after a well deserved relaxing bath. Without going into too much detail on it as yet, it contains, shea, passion flower oil and coconut extract and it smells devine!! It feels lush on the skin and non sticky. However, I will be sure to trial this for longer before I do a full review, so keep posted :)
The reason I am not keeping this under wraps for longer though is because the company are offering an online 50% off discount (excluding p&p) until the 31 August 2009. You can order online at www.nakedbodycare.co.uk and quote the code 'face09'. The great thing about this is the products are so reasonable in the first instance. The body butter is £4.80 before discount so it's a great opportunity to try out some lush, natural and cruelty free products. However, for those of you who would like to wait and see what results I get then I will keep you updated!

Hope you all have a great weekend! ;)

x

Review: LUSH Sweet Japanese Girl

Last night I used my Sweet Japenese Girl exfoliationg and facial massage bar. So really this is only my first impressions but I wanted to share with you.

First thing I want to mention is that this bar is designed for exfoliation, it is not a daily cleanser and I would not recommend you use as one. My usual routine would be to exfoliate once or twice a week.

So what does it contain? Well in this little cutey we have cocoa butter, shea butter, ground almonds and aduki beans for exfoliation and coconut, lemon, juniperberry and tea tree oils for moisturisation. It has a rough yet gentle texture and smells delicious.

How do I use it? I begin by cleansing my skin using babyface (which i am loving so far). I understand some people skip this part when exfoliating which is fine but I like to get my mascara off so i give my face a quick cleanse first of all. I then warm up the Sweet Japanese Girl with a little warm water and rub between the palms of my hands, then proceed to massage over my face. The bar is shaped like a face and has grooves that fit well over your nose to help clear any awkward blackheads lurking around there. The 'cheeks' and 'chin' can be used to concentrate exfoliation on any other troubled areas like the chin and forehead. Once, I have given my face a good massage and tackled some problem areas, I rinse and wipe off with a facial cloth.

What did i think of it? Normally after exfoliating my skin it feels squeaky clean but a little dry and I need to moisturise right away. Sweet Japanese Girl was the complete opposite. My skin felt clean, smooth and moisturised. I noticed the appearance of some blackheads (not all, but luckily there aren't too many) had reduced or disappeared. I actually waited half an hour or so before I even applied moisturiser and even then I only applied out of habit. I try and go for regular Dermalogica facials and I can tell you my skin felt and looked as cleansed, nourished and moisturised with SJG as it feels when i leave my 1.5 hour long facial!!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who fancies a try or would like to incorporate exfoliation into their routine. I think I paid around the £4 mark for this from Lush and the bar is a good size. Used once or twice a week, it should last a while.

Does anyone else use this? What do you think?

x

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.

x

The Body Shop - 20% Discount

You might remember a few months back I attended a Body Shop Beauty Bloggers Event? It was a fantastic day and we were all given some great treats and I have to say most of the products we received were real winners!

Well, today the lovely girls at The Body Shop got in touch as they are offering a 20% online discount to all bloggers and anyone who is an avid reader of beauty blogs.. They are offering this discount on a select choice of their fabulous products up until the 18 September 2009. Wow!

The codes below are against each product and can only be used once per online transaction. Discount codes are in BOLD.

Code: BLOG_SHIM for 20% off shimmer cubes.

These eyeshadow cubes are amazing! Check out some of my previous posts for looks I have created using the cubes... my particular favourite is the smoky eye. Love!

Code: BLOG_CAM for 20% off Camomile waterproof eye make up remover.

Most of you who have tried this will agree it is a fantastic product and really gets rid of all traces of eye make up whilst being kind to this sensitive area. It smells lovely too!

Code: BLOG_SCRUB for 20% off Vitamin C Cleansing Face Polish

I was lucky enough to have been sent this product after my skin consultation with The Body Shop. I use it once or twice a week and I find it leaves my skin feeling refreshed, smooth and soft.

Code: BLOG_MIST for 20% off Vitamin E Facial Mist

This is a wonder product for me. I try to carry it around wherever I go. It is perfect for travelling and keeping your skin hydrated while flying or just while you are on the go. It can freshen up a make up look and keep skin feeling soft and moisturised.

Hope you all get some goodies with these codes ... the products on offer really are fantastic and I can't recommend them all enough.

Enjoy xx