The Pink Cow – Vanilla Biscuit

yummmmm! yummmyyyyy!!! yum yum yum yum yum!!!
I just took a bath in this! OMG! It’s DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! I was pruning up but didn’t want to get out of the tub because it smelt soooo good! I want to smell like this ALL OF THE TIME! It’s AMAAAAZING!
For £2.99 from Boots it’s money well spent! It says on the front that it’s a Happy Shower Gel. It’s so right!!!
You get a whopping big bottle for your money and you’ll smell amazing for ages! And my bathroom smells delicious as well!
The bottle says that it’s paraben free and that it’s fragrances are allergen free. Please note that the second ingredient on the list is SLS though. But with a smell like that I really don’t care.
I’m not usually a fan of vanilla flavoured bath products. I really thought I’d end up with the coconut one. But this has a tangy edge to it that I just can’t resist.
Definitely worth a try!
Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

MyPure – A’kin Pure Rose Hydrating Mist

This is the next product I’ll be reviewing for MyPure.co.uk for May. I have to say that I was very dubious about how it would work when it arrived and I read the instructions.
It says to spray it all over your face and body. And this little mist is supposed to make my scaly body not feel dry and itchy? You’ve possibly read about how I’ve struggled over the years finding a decent body lotion and have settled on the Vaseline Sheer Infusion as the best of the bunch. I was not looking forward to this experiment at all!
I’m not sure how it would go in the winter months but with the warm weather of late and the central heating turned off it’s fab! I haven’t had any dry patches or itchiness at all! Who’d have thought? I also love the smell. It’s perfect for this time of year. It’s a really light, fresh fragrance. Not like those smothering, Grandma type of rose smells. This one is lovely.
I love smells that recall my Australian youth and this one does that. I guess it’s because it’s full of Australian Bush Flower Essence like old man banksia, dog rose and tall mulla mulla!
It’s almost a shame that for your £12.99 you get 125ml. If it was flight sized it would be perfect for long hauls and staying refreshed!
Surprisingly, I highly recommend this and you can find it online here.
This is what I think of every time I put it on…

Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

MyPure.co.uk – Lovea Organic Moroccan Argan Brilliance Shine Shampoo

I’m one of the lucky bloggers that is taking part in a program with MyPure to review some of their products. They’re sending us products to review and have asked us all to be brutally honest with what we think.

The first thing I have to tell you about is Lovea’s Moroccan Argan Brilliance Shine Shampoo. Now, as you know I’ve been trying and loving Andrew Collinge’s range of products. (review to come very soon) It was a super big ask to tear me away from them as I’ve become quite a fan! But, for the purpose of the program and the review I put my newfound loyalty aside and tried it.

OMG! Let’s start with the smell. AMAZING! I’d happily eat it if I could! Yummm! I also like the clear, gel like consistency. It’s just a personal preference. I don’t know why. I just get a kick out of it. And on the shine front – it really does deliver!!!

A few points that are important to note… Lovea products are certified organic by the French organic certifying body, Cosmetique Bio & ECOCERT. The other thing is that everything sold on the MyPure website is paraben and phthalate free.

At £4.99 for a bottle it’s a bit of a natural bargain!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Biotherm Aquasource

I won a pot of this in a Twitter competition! Woohoo! I’ve never tried Biotherm before. I do know loads of girls with flawless complexions that won’t put anything else near their faces. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to give it a try.

On the box they say it contains the equivalent of 5.000 litres of thermal spring water. I’m not in a situation to comment on that but I can tell you that it’s got a fantastic texture. It’s halfway between a gel and a creme. It’s super lightweight, perfect for the super hot weather we’re having! It’s really cool when you put it on your face, which I’ve been finding really refreshing.

If I’ve had a spot or anything coming up the Aquasource has helped to really cool it down and take all that “angriness” out of it. I’ve had a few big nights out with friends at dinners and dancing and having a gin too many. Without fail I always manage to take off my makeup and put loads of Aquasource on before I go to bed. I always wake up looking vaguely fresh faced and I definitely put that down to this refreshing gel/creme hybrid.

It’s not the cheapest creme in the world. It’s around £29.50 for a pot but it’s worth every penny for the sea fresh fragrance that makes you feel like it’s summer every day. Oh, and the glowing complexion of course!

I’d love to know if you’ve tried it and what you think!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Closed - Giveaway! Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Cream

I’m lucky enough to have ten of these fab little pots to give away! I’ve not tried it out so I’d love to hear your opinions and see what a bunch of you think!
If you follow the blog and would like to submit a mini review of what you think then please leave your comment asking to be entered and your email address!
Kisses,
Rebecca

Dove Summer Glow Gradual Tan – I Don’t Think So

I hate giving bad reviews. I really do. But I don’t have anything good to say about this at all. I’m so sorry. Save yourself the time, agony, effort and money and stay well away!

It’s made me orange, patchy and unhappy. It’s not gradual at all! I put mine on at night time and I wake up all orange! I think it will wash away in my morning shower, but I’m still orange and patchy when I get out. A couple of weeks of regular use and that hasn’t evened out the patchiness. Yes, I’m even MORE orange! Argh!!!

It doesn’t smell overly offensive and it’s not a budget breaker but I really want to find another alternative! I so don’t want to be reflective all summer long but I’d rather impersonate Casper the Friendly Ghost than be a member of Team Tango!!!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Hannah Marshall takes over the world whilst using Sure Crystal

Now, I have to admit that I haven’t used this product. I’m still using the Sure mineral version. I also suspect that I have pondered the world of deodorants just enough for now having already done two posts about it this year.

However, I really wanted to share this video! Hannah Marshall is an amazing designer and a brilliant business woman. Her signature designs are fantastic black pices so I was super interested when I saw that she liked Sure Crystal.

Personally, watching this video and listening to Hannah talk about her passion and her label was pretty inspiring. Setting up my own business this year and going freelance as a makeup artist has been tough. This has totally refreshed me to keep toughing it out and trying to make my mark on the world of makeup!

I hope you get some inspiration out of this as well!

Kisses,

Rebecca

NOTD – Nails Inc Beach

with flash                              without flash
I got this nail varnish for free with a magazine this month. I think it was Glamour. It’s super cute and perfect for the summer!
As usual I’ve used OPI Nail Envy for a base coat. I haven’t put a top coat on here but that shine is coming from the nail oil I had put on over the top to help dry and nourish at the same time.
Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

Grey Hair Panic Attack! How I’ve Covered It Up With Garnier Movida

 

I’ve been quite smug for a little while about my hair. I had grown out all of the ends that I used to colour and was swishing around thinking I was all fabulous for having “virgin” hair. On Friday I found a grey hair in there. A proper one. One of those ones that’s really wiry and properly devoid of any pigment.

I flipped.

I mean I REALLY flipped. I was convinced it was the end of life as I knew it and that I was destined to live the rest of my short life as a spinster that would be decrepit and brutally aged.

On my way home yesterday I picked up a semi permanent hair colour to sort myself out. The reason I went for a semi to cover grey hair is because Andrew Collinge had recommended it at his event a couple of weeks back. He says it’s the best thing for greys as the semi stains the hair over time meaning you get a more even coverage as you put on your regular applications.

The other great thing about a semi is that it’s kinder to your hair and actually improves the condition of it. A semi doesn’t open the cuticle of the hair like a permanent dye so it can help lock in all that lovely natural shine.

I hope you enjoy my video record of the colouring process. The lighting was horrific so I’m not sure if you can tell just how nicely the colour came out in the end. I went for the Garnier Movida colourant in 23, Chestnut Brown. It cost me £2.88 at my local Superdrug.

Kisses,

Rebecca

Pretty Magazine Shoot

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Here is a little look at some of the finished photos from my shoot with Makeup By Katy and Pretty Magazine. The pictures were taken by @WeddingsByRyan. We had a long but fun day creating such amazing looks. It was a blast. I wish all  my jobs could be with the girls.

It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to deduce that we ate all the cupcakes at the end of the shoot as well! There’s nothing like edible props! Woohoo!

I have to say, I’m thrilled with how the “mirror” shots came out. I had no idea what I was going to do with my little pieces of mirrors, I just knew that there was something fabulous that could be done with them. I picked up a couple packets of them at a $2 shop when I was in Sydney earlier in the year.

Please let me know what you think! I hope you like them!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

(pics by PeopleByRyan)

NOTD – Nails Inc St James’

You know me, red nails, red lips, classic and Hollywood style glamour… I love it! I was in need of a little glamour lift so I went for some red nail varnish. This is a terrific shade of red and I’ve had loads of compliments on it. I didn’t have time for a top coat to dry though so it’s chipped and peeled really quickly. I have loved wearing it though.

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Katy Messer – Fenwick’s Independent Makeup Artist

I spent yesterday at Fenwick in Brent Cross being pampered and generally beautified by the brilliant Katy Messer. Hidden in one of the plush beauty rooms behind the cosmetics hall there are shelves and racks of all the products that Katy considers to be the best of the best from all the  brands on offer there.

Now, when I say “the best of the best”, I’m not talking about the usual suspects that everyone has already tried and tested or the “star” products that all the brands like to advertise and showcase on a regular basis. Katy has found all the hidden gems that we might not otherwise know about.

For several weeks before her bespoke service was launched, Katy spent time with each counter going through all that they had to offer, researching and testing. There is quite a process for a product to go through before it makes it into Katy’s beauty suite!

Each session lasts for two hours and begins with a skin care consultation. Katy will help you go through your current skin care regime and find items that will brilliantly complement the products you’re already using to bring your complexion to the next level of gorgeousness.

I asked Katy how she chooses products for each client and she told me how she spends most of the first half hour in conversation talking about your current regime, your skin and your lifestyle. It’s these kinds of things that hold the key to the best products for each individual. Katy also encourages people to bring their makeup in with them for the consultation. She can go through and find ways to incorporate your current makeup into the look she’ll create for you.

At the end of a consultation you’ll get to take away the face chart of the look Katy has made for you with all the details of the products used and detailed instructions on the techniques adopted to apply everything.

I looked more glamorous after two hours with Katy than I have in forever! I was swishing around Brent Cross for the rest of the afternoon just waiting for some paparazzi to fly out from behind a plant or some such. I really felt like a million dollars!

I loved my session with Katy. I have several items on a newly formed wishlist now! Benefit Babe Cake and Dr Sebagh Exfoliating Mask are both right on top of that list at the moment! I want to send all my friends and family along to see her as well!

To book a session with Katy just call 020 8202 8200 and ask for extension 2372. Each session is £50 for the full two hours and it’s fully redeemable against any purchases you make on the day.

I can’t wait to hear if you go along and how glamorous you feel afterwards!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

I’ve got a Facebook Page

Come play with me on Facebook! Just click here and “like” the page and you’ll be able to read all the latest LSDB posts no matter where you are and when! Yay!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Top Hair Care Tips from Andrew Collinge

As I mentioned in my post last week, I was lucky enough to be part of a small group of bloggers invited to spend some time with Andrew Collinge to talk about all things hair related. The evening felt like it absolutely flew by but we gleaned LOADS of amazing tips, tricks and techniques on how to deal with our locks. Armed with so many pieces of information I have decided to split it all up into a few separate posts rather than one long diatribe.

You can see my post here on the AC styling products that have been amazing on the shoots I’ve worked on since the event.

Today I’m going to turn to a subject that AC was very passionate about when he was talking to us. Looking after your hair! According to AC, if you start the hair styling process with how you tend to it then styling will become easier and more natural. You won’t need all those shine sprays weighing down your hair if you’ve used the right cleansing products in the very beginning of the process.

So what were his top tips, I hear you cry?

• Look at the kind of hair you have and get the appropriate shampoo and conditioner to match. For example, I have very fine, flat hair that has a tendency to get quite dry through the ends and mid sections. For that reason, I am now alternating between the AC Purity Volume range and the AC Moisturise and Protect salon range.
• It may not be the cosiest plan during winter but your hair will gleam if you use a cold rinse on your hair at the end of your shower. It will help to smooth the cuticle of your hair back down and that’s where that lovely shine will come from.
• Don’t wash your hair every day! It’s just going to over stimulate your scalp and create more oil and grease at the roots. It might take a little while to “re-train” your hair to like being washed two to three times a week but it will be worth it. At the very most wash it every other day.
• Don't rinse your hair till your scalp is “squeaky”. That’s when you’ve stripped your scalp of all it’s natural oils and it will just start over producing to compensate and that’s when you get greasy roots. No one wants that. Stop rinsing just before that and you’ll have a very happy head of hair!

Watch this space for more detailed reviews on how I’m finding the new shampoo and conditioner combination. So far I’m loving it!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

New Favourite Brand – Andrew Collinge

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I’m experiencing some serious technical difficulties! Hopefully I’ll have them resolved super quickly!

Meanwhile, I’ve been dying to share my latest exciting news with you! I was lucky enough to be one of a group of bloggers that went to meet Andrew Collinge on Wednesday evening! AMAZING!!! He really is one of the loveliest people I’ve met in a long time! We all got to meet his gorgeous wife, makeup artist Liz Collinge as well!

Andrew told us tons of fabulous stories of his time as a brilliant hair styling genius. Like one of his earliest days washing a client’s hair and it happened to be Baroness Thatcher. When he told her that he wasn’t sure he could be bothered to vote in an upcoming election she spun around so quickly in her chair to tell him he MUST VOTE that he didn’t have time to move the water nozzle and splashed her directly in the face!!! I love stories like that!

Watch this space for some video tutorials on techniques that Andrew showed us on blow drying and styling hair for maximum impact. He had some absolute gems that I’ve already been using on photo shoots and the like!

To top off a terrific evening we were each given a few items to try out for ourselves. I decided to bring some styling products on a shoot with me today and have been loving the Weightless Volume Body Building Whipped Mousse and the Prefect Endings Heat Defence Spray. Life savers and real volume creators! It’s been about big hair all day and I couldn’t have done it without the mouse! I also love that it looks just like dairy whip out of the can!!!

Get thee to a Superdrug, Tesco, Boots or the like asap to try it out for yourself! If you’re not conveniently located near to one of these then try here.

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Star Light Star Bright – Search For A Simple Star

OMG! I’m sooooo excited about this post! Simple are offering two people the MOST AMAZING OPPORTUNITY!!!

Like me, have you always dreamed of being a part of a skincare brand and coming up with loads of ideas for them? How about being the face of a skincare media campaign?

All this and more is going to happen for two amazingly lucky people thanks to Simple skincare. Follow this link to find out all the details of how to enter. The prize package is unbelievable and perfect for someone with a real passion for skin care!!!

Did I mention that part of the prize is an uber glamorous holiday to the Dominican Republic in your own private villa? OMG OMG OMG!!!

Get your entries in! I’ve got my fingers crossed for any of you that enter! You must leave me comments to tell me when you do!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Makeup By Katy – Brilliant Blogger

Katy is an incredible makeup artist and general makeup genius. Whatever you need to know about makeup and looking stunning just ask her!

She’s only a few people away from 200 followers and I can’t recommend enough tat you start reading her blog! Just tell her that Le Salon De Beaute sent you!

Read her latest NOTD post here.

Enjoy!!!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx