Swapsies.

A few weeks ago, the fabulous Lily and I were talking on twitter and decided to swap some bits that weren't getting the love they deserved. I always feel guilty about the amount of unloved stuff I have sitting in drawers, so this was the perfect way to try some new bits and pieces guilt free! 

I asked Lily to surprise me and she came up trumps! 

I'm already in love with the cheek products she sent me, Illamasqua Sob has been on my wishlist for ages and I was really pleased to see it nestled amongst the generous bits of pieces she sent. 

I'm pretty sure she has special powers too as I've been craving some glitz on my nails, the Topshop orange polish is exactly what I've been looking for to do some fun Halloween nail art, watch out for that soon.

Thanks again Lily!

Laura xx

Molton Brown Valbonne: May Contain Joie de Vivre.

When Molton Brown launched 'Navigations Through Scent' last year, It ticked all the right boxes. Bold but wearable and devilishly exotic. As a committed wearer of the fresh and punchy Alpuldre I was thrilled to find out they were adding another scent to the collection. 

Like all the Navigations Through Scent fragrances, Valbonne takes on its own story and identity. Described as London via Provence, Molton Brown want to evoke...

"Spring, a small château just outside Grasse. A pop of rosé. Air heavy with mimosa. Lazy days, filled with laughter. Tipsy evening linger from sunset to sunrise. Spontaneous. Elegant. Chic."

Ah, le sigh. 

Valbonne is a sumptuous blend with bergamot and orange flower playing at the top, supported by provençal mimosa, rose and deep purple orris and anchored by a base of vetiver and leather. 

Undoubtedly this is a Molton Brown fragrance, the entire range has a similar stream of conciousness running through it which in my opinion, makes for a superb range.

I almost wish Valbonne had been released in mid to late summer, as it evokes the feeling perfectly and would have been even more of a treat to wear as right now, it leaves me slightly mournful for such an evening. At the moment, I'm more drawn towards the spicy Singosari to warm me up as the nights draw in. 

Nevertheless, yet again the perfect cord has been struck to create a lovely unisex fragrance that I will happily wear but could easily see it on a man who wants something slightly out of the box. 

Valbonne does an excellent job of settling into a delectable fragrance on my skin, and once spring comes back around, I can imagine I'll reach for this incessantly.

RRP £65 

Available from HERE.

Laura x

*provided for consideration.

Painted Lady Textured Nail Wraps.

You all know I'm a sucker for a bit of nail art, so I was pretty excited to give the Painted Lady Talons by Umberto Giannini a whirl. 

One of my favourite things right now is very simple colours but with a little edge, so these textured nail wraps tick all the right boxes. As far as sizing go I think they give you a fair range, although I would have liked one more medium nail size.

But here is my problem, as much as I tried, I just couldn't get the nail wraps to well...wrap. 

The instructions sound simple enough and I've used wraps before without much difficulty but these just wouldn't stay on my nails. I have a feeling it's because they're slightly thicker than regular wraps to give you the texture. 

I'm disappointed as I love the actual concept and design. 

Better luck next time! 

RRP £7.00 

Laura xx

*PR Sample.

This Week I'm Mostly Craving...

I'm a sucker for the Paradisiac Pink Pepperpod from Molton Brown, so I'm definitely craving a few more of the their brand new range. 

I'm particularly drawn to the Eau Fraiche scent, I always use that little bit extra of the shower gel so I can get another sniff, so I'm seriously considering making a cheeky purchase and picking this up!

RRP £31.00

What are you craving this week? 

Laura xx

Faking It: Illness Edition.

I've been struck down with the 'Black Lung' (read chest infection, I like to be dramatic) and consequently have felt like rubbish for about a week. I've realised that to still look somewhat passable when you're on deaths door but still need to function, you seriously have to up your game with the old make up and beauty tricks. As we're heading full steam into cold and flu season, I thought this might be useful... 

Skincare. 

If I'm feeling under the weather or generally run down, my skin will let me know. It will either go quite dry and dull, or do a complete 180 and unleash the mother of all breakouts. 

My favourite products to combat dry/dull skin are currently the NSpa Melting Gel Cleanser* for a fresh but non-drying cleanse and I simply couldn't live without my Origins Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturiser  to quench my skin overnight.

Before bed I'll try and slap on some serious moisture, enter Connock Wonder Balm & Kukai Oil Hand Cream to save the day. 

Don't forget a good eye cream either, my bags look practically like holdalls if i'm feeling poorly...I'm alternating between Sk:n Brightening & Firming Eye Cream and Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream, both do a decent job. 

If my skin is going a bit mental in the old blemish department, I like to use Dermalogica Gentle Cleansing Gel to wash my face with, then just add a light sheen of Perfect World, with a dot of Origins Super Spot Remover for good measure on anything concerning. 

Easy Cheats.

No1. Stay Groomed

I'm not talking about breezing out of the door with a bouncy blow dry or a full body polish, but the little things will make you feel better about facing the world. Keep your eyebrows in check, nails neat and try to avoid schlepping out of the house in head to toe jersey cotton. If you're feeling like utter rubbish, by all means embrace the lounge wear but if you're teetering on the edge, if you look a bit more together, you start to feel it too. 

No2. Don't Overcompensate.

If you feel sick, but have to get out there, the temptation will always be to keep slapping it on until you resemble a human being again. Wrong. You won't look healthy, you'll look cakey, strange and a little bit drag. Throw in a drippy nose and it's a disaster waiting to happen, you'll just end up with a supremely orange tissue and a redder nose than before. 

I like to keep things to a minimum. Origins Vitazing is always a winner, it gives you a little bit of colour but will moisturise any dry patches without clinging for dear life, 

Concealer is also your best friend, I'll just try and cover and redness and always do a comprehensive job under the eyes. I love the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection as it's liquid formula blends well and doesn't cling. I use shade 1 under the eyes and shade 2 for any blemish or redness. 

No3. Cheat a Glow.

I'm a big fan of a bit of blush and a tinted lip balm if I'm feeling under the weather. I'll stick to more pink tones if my skin is feeling dull but try a more peach hue if you're sporting a red nose. Cream formulas always work better on me if I'm just trying to look healthy. 

My favourites are: 

YSL Creme de Blush in No2 

Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Emerge 

MAC Cremeblend Blush in So Sweet, So Easy

However, 

Sometimes you just have to knock up a Lemsip, crawl back into bed and admit defeat! 

What are your tips for when you're feeling less than tip top? 

Laura xx