Beauty in Paris: CityPharma

I finally made my way over to the left bank properly today after nearly 3 months in Paris and after spending a few hours walking around the Jardin du Luxembourg and The Most Beautiful supermarket type place I have ever been, La Grande Épicerie (Tesco take note), I figured I had to be fairly close to the infamous CityPharma and after a quick look at the map, I mosied on over. First impressions were fairly good, the layout is totally different from most pharmacies I've been to here. The shelves are high and stacked as they would in a supermarket. It was so. damn. busy.  I literally could barely smush my way through to get a look at anything and everyone in there felt the need to stand and ponder over every item for 5 minutes before adding it to their basket. 
The prices are fairly average for Paris and I saw a few bits and pieces that were a good few euros cheaper than other parts of the city. 
The second floor was really just full of 'normal' pharmacy stuff like medicine and plasters but there are another 17 tills up there if you don't fancy the queues downstairs. It is fairly large for a pharmacy but really not big enough to cope with the number of people inside. I only picked up two things because I couldn't be bothered to fight my way through when I can get everything in my local pharmacy. 
I've had my eye on the Caudalie Eau de Beauté (Beauty Elixir) for an age and I thought it was high time I tried it out. I bought this cute mini, limited edition design bottle for €7.99. I couldn't justify buying the full size when I only bought an Yves Rocher facial mist a few days ago. If I like it enough, I will invest in the bigger one. This mini is available at SpaceNK for £11.50.

I also grabbed some Rose Water face toner. I've seen some similar ones around and I thought I'd give it a go. It's literally just a 250ml bottle of scented/infused water  but it was only €2.10. I love anything rose scented so i'm thinking this will work well as a refreshing toner in the spring, especially if I keep it refrigerated. 

I'll review both products when I've had a chance to use them a few times. 
Have you been to CityPharma? What did you think?
Xo

Press Release: SS14 Fashion

Hi girlies. I've been meaning to post this for quite some time, as I actually attended this Press Day last year! But don't worry! It's still relevant as it was all about what's HOT this Spring/Summer in the fashion world!

Showcasing their clients' clothing and accessories, Coffin on Cake PR filled their offices with brightly coloured fabrics and materials in preparation for the upcoming fashion season. Based in Shoreditch, London, very close to Brick Lane, you can see where their influence comes from to pick their clients. Colourful, edgy and hipster pieces, mixed in with the more high street, mainstream pieces, makes their clients perfect for the area.       Surfdome are a sportswear online shop that sells clothing for all sorts of outdoor sports. Working with Roxy, Quicksilver and Converse who are also clients of Coffin on Cake PR, they showcased their SS14 styles.  With lots of bright neon colours; oranges, pinks, blues, greens and purples, we see a lot of palm tree graphic prints and block colours. Wishing summer would come now, I was looking through their beachwear with lust, just wishing several months would just fly by.

Roxy were also in the same room with some of their running and surf gear. Again we see bright block  neon colours.

        

Along the opposing wall was an intriguing sight.. a pressure plate and a running machine.. what could this be about? Vivobarefoot. This shoe brand, un-like any other footwear, will not wear down.. each pair are handout and handmade in Portugal and when wearing them, feel like you're barefoot. Not constricting in anyway, not cramming your toes together, these shoes let your feet breathe and let them do what they do naturally;before shoes came into existence. With prices as high as £300, why are they so special? Well.. for starters they are the only shoe brand to have a puncture resistant kevlar-like layer on the sole, so nothing can hurt your feet. They are ultra thin and ultra strong. The pressure plate showed how a person would stand. First showing your footprint wearing the shoe you're wearing, and secondly without your shoes. Hightlighting how differently we stand, walk, run etc whilst barefoot. They then demonstrated how the foot would look in one of their shoes- more weight distribution on all toes, on the balls of your feet and on your heel. How it SHOULD look when we stand. Shoes over many generations have damaged our feet. If you notice a newborn, their foot is quite squared at the end, as their toes have not been morphed into shape by rounded/pointy shoes.  Vivobarefoot shoes can even help orthopaedic issues such as high arches and flat feet by training them to work perfectly on their own. To strengthen them. For example, a bridge does not need support from a large block underneath to keep it strong. It is strong all on it's own. So with high arches, if you put a support there, the arch will always be weak. If you train the foot to be strong on it's own, then you will have a very strong arch indeed. They claim that there is unfortunately no such thing as a comfortable heel just yet. But if worn in moderation, - say 10% of the time, the remaining 90%, treat your feet well, train them to be strong and heels won't be of that much bother when you do wear them, I think I might have to get myself a pair! Their cheapest pair is £35! They actually have a sale on at the moment! A designer that did catch my eye was Joseph Turvey. A menswear designer who has incorporated a mesh-like material with flower prints onto jackets, hoodies, shorts etc. But if i'm honest, I think women could wear his clothes as well, as they are quite androgynous. Roxy and Quicksilver made another appearance in their second room, Roxy is the female version of Quicksilver - for anyone who didn't know. Their idea for SS14 was to bring back some of their classic pieces, using their old 'vintage' logo. The black and grey quilted jacket and some of their other pieces do not look very sporty, nor do they look very much like Roxy clothing. And that's what I love about them. They've taken a step away from their surf designs and ventured more into the classic old school high street designs. High end mens magazines have been all over the new Quicksilver collection! Also in this room was a large table of Quay Eyewear, an Australian brand as seen on the likes of Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani, Jessica Alba, Cara Delevigne, Chloe Kardashian, Nicole Scherzinger, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Sarah Jessica Parker!. And at just under £25 each (AU$45), their affordability and popularity with celebrities makes them an SS14 must-buy! I can't decide what my favourites are! Buy yours here. In the next room were some very interesting pieces, very urban, very edgy but very cool. Makers LDN has collaborated with the graffiti artist Insa and produced a collection that will really turn heads. Using a photo of Cindy Crawford, they have managed to incorporate it into a snake print which is totally cool. Using that print on baseball jerseys, minidresses, shorts, crop tops, bomber jackets etc, I think these will be a huge hit amongst the youth of East London.

Another edgy brand were Terrible Movement, also an East London based brand dealing with guilt and sweatshop free t-shirts. Their slogan tees have been seen on the likes of Cara Delevigne, Dakota Fanning, Charlotte De Carle and Jourdan Dunn .. think I might get me a tee! Next up is CAT Footwear... a brand you'd usually associate with workmen's steel toe caps.. but not anymore.. they actually do some quite nice shoes! Grungy and Punk, most of them aren't my sort of thing, but there were a few you'd never think they were CAT shoes! The final collection that caught my eye.. not just because there were SO many colours... but they reminded me of my youth.. Living in South London, loving life, the simple life.. and summers.. but the main thing... JELLY SHOES!!!!!!! God  I loved them. Both Kirsty and I both had a pair. Mine was a purple glittery pair with a 2 inch heel.. I LOVED them. Unfortunately I think they're like a child size 13 so I'll never wear them again.. but may have to buy myself a new pair... Juju is the brand here. LOVE LOVE LOVE. My favourite by far at the moment are either the Fisherman, the Maxi or the Tinkerbelle in Jade Green.. or any colour really!  They also do a range of Gumboot Welly Boots which are super cute! You can buy them online on ASOS, Topshop, Office, Schuh, UO, AA, Bank etc. for around £15-£30. Although Topshop is the only one without any in stock at the moment.. all the rest have! Just as in SS13, Jellies are back and the emphasis on pastels and glitter is obvious.. Literally on ASOS now ordering myself a pair! I loved their display.. a whole rainbow of coloured jellies.. and then a fishbowl.. with MINI ones at the bottom. I just thought that was SUPER cute!

Also in the room.. a small dispay of JuJu's Kigu rainmacks and wellies, which were also super cute! I love the hippo!   In the hallway of the PR office, were the range of Converse SS14 pieces.. I really like the pink and grey jumpers... might have to get one of each! And I LOVED the tie dye rucksacks! FINALLLYYYY there was the BEACH collection for ASOS. BEACH is a gallery not far from the PR office in Shoreditch, just off Brick Lane that they work closely with. Since 2010, they have taken some of their favourite artists to do illustrations and paintings and commissioned them to create t-shirts and sportswear for ASOS - both women's and men's wear. Commissioning artists like Malarky who is now dealing with ceramics.. and Jean Jullien with his crude postcard-like illustrations and many others that have contributed to their ASOS collection.

Again, with graphic prints and bold colours, SS14 is going to be one BRIGHT season... lets just hope we get the weather to match!

What do you think of these brands? Do you have any of their stuff already?  

Feel free to leave your thoughts below!

February Picks// Wednesday Wishlist// Beauty Edit

I have been so very well behaved recently when it come to beauty buys, I have pretty much been on a spending ban since the turn of the new year and have bought almost nothing. Lots of things have caught my eye recently and these are a few of my favourites.

1- Real Techniques Sam's Picks Collection, FeelUnique £29.99 I like the look of all of these brushes and the fact that one of them is a set exclusive has piqued my interest. I have been MAC faithful in terms of brushes but after months of lusting after these I thought it was high time I gave them a go. They have been raved about online so i'm excited to see if they live up to the hype.

2- Kardashian Beauty Touch Tones Gradient Shadow in Echo, FeelUnique £11.95 I haven't heard much about Kardashian Beauty, other than the fact that it exists and this palette contains some great colours and is very reasonably priced. Keeping Up With The Kardashians is a guilty pleasure of mine   and the girls' make up is flawless so hopefully this palette contains some quality, pigmented shadows.

3- L'Huile de Leonor Greyl, Sephora €33.50 This is cult product in France, and not one I often hear much about from UK beauty bloggers which is surprising. It's an after-wash oil for super dry hair and I really want to put it to the test. 

4- Gimme Brow, Benefit £17.50 This brow gel is seriously tempting me, i'm a bit fed up with the Sleek Brow Palette that I use daily and want to try something a little bit different to give my eyebrows some definition. My eyebrows are thick and dark but bizarrely still quite sparse and I am convinced that they are not symmetrical so this looks as if it would be ideal for evening them out until they grown in. 

5- Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, This Works £16 This was recommended to me by Sarah after I tweeted asking for lavender pillow spray recommendations. I used to use pillow spray religiously in my early teens and I found it so calming and relaxing which would come in handy these days. Lavender is a wonder plant and i'm hoping this spray will help me sort out my horrific sleep pattern. 

What beauty products are you lusting after this month?

Xo

Yves Rocher Mini Haul

On my way to the supermarket yesterday, which just happens to be in huge shopping mall, I couldn't stop myself from popping into Yves Rocher. It's not a store I've bought much from in the past and I've not been particularly impressed with the products I have tried. For me, Yves Rocher is a little bit like a French Body Shop, with a little bit more of an emphasis on natural ingredients. 

The Pink Grapefruit Vitamin Face Mist was at the tills and I bought it expecting it to only be a couple of euros because it is so mini. It turned out to be €4.90! I have learned my lesson and hope I get along well with this product. First impressions are good, The spray is very refreshing and invigorating- my main issue is that the mist it sprays isn't very fine and it's concentrated to a small area. 

They had tonnes of different shower/bath gels and they all smell completely edible. I went for the mini Organic Raspberry Shower Gel because I've never tried a shower product from Yves Rocher and I wasn't sure whether I'd like it very much. I think this was around €1.50. It smells divine and I think I actually prefer it to the Sephora Strawberry Shower Cream I'm currently using. 

This is actually what I went in store to have a look at, I always see the teeny tiny nail polish bottles in the window display, and at €1.95 I thought it would make a lovely addition to my collection. I stupidly left all my pinks back in the UK and i'm getting tired of alternating between red, white, nude and mint green. I'm quite impressed with the formulation, it was more or less opaque after 1 coat but I used two thin coats to even it. I really like the colour, it's a very dusky pink that reminds of the Seche Vite pink that came in a Glossybox last year. This one is called 14. Rose and I'm keen to try a few other colours from the range. 

Have you tried anything from Yves Rocher?

Xo

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream

I've been a huge fan of Soap & Glory for years and there are very few products I haven't fallen in love with. I am obsessed with the Sugar Crush range, specifically the Body Buttercream. The main boxes that need ticking for a body moisturiser are scent, effectiveness and whether it leaves a greasy film behind. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream ticks all of these boxes and gets bonus points for on-point, cute packaging. 

The scent reminds me of Mojitos and it's not overbearingly sweet and sickly and isn't so strong that it "interrupts" my perfume. After applying the cream the scent lasts a few hours but I wouldn't say it was really noticeable.

 The fragrance is called freshly-squeezed sweet lime, which is pretty accurate. It's zesty and light and invigorating which makes it ideal after my morning shower. 

It contains Shea butter, Cocoa Nut Balm, Lime and Almond oils, Kiwi juice water plus Lime tree blossom extract to soothe. These ingredients make a very luxurious-feeling rich cream which is the ideal finishing touch after using the Sugar Crush scrub, especially on my legs. 

I love the whipped texture of the Body Buttercream, it makes it easy to use and quick to sink in and I cannot stop sniffing the pot. 

It's available at Boots for £10.50

 What do you think of the Sugar Crush range?

Xo

Secret Santa - Delayed Post!

Hi Girlies, I can't believe it's been so long since my last post! Third year is really what it promised to be.. a very busy year.. non stop assignments!

We took part in a bloggers secret santa, run by the lovely Jess and Char. We had the privilege of buying for Siobhan of The Beauty Baker and we're glad she loved her prezzies. For the life of me I cannot find the card that came with our presents, telling us who sent them, but as soon as I find it, I'll give her a big shout out and a massive thank you :) Update: It was Lauryn who was out secret santa- Thank you Lauryn!

So here are our gifts!

In her cute little card, she explained that she tried to get two of everything so, as sisters, Kirsty and myself didn't have to argue over anything... obviously with Kirsty in Paris, I got first dibs!

First of all, this wrapping paper that covered everything was adorable! cute little santa and snowmen! cute! and it's pink! even better!

 All wrapped up, I discovered two sparkly nail varnishes! WE LOVE sparkly nail varnish! so this W7 polish was great! The bottle on the left is a sort of blue/purple colour and goes great with a deep purple or even black polish on other fingers, The silver ones is also great to pair with any colour really! We love the coloured ring finger look!

Next to unwrap were the face masks and the fake eyelashes. As students, we love going out and partying and it's our skin that tends to suffer the most. Now I actually used the Tropical Cocktail Peel- Off Mask the other day and separated it half and half with my little brother - he's at that age where he's beginning to get blemishes so I promised him this would help.. and said "it's really fun to peel off!" so he reluctantly agreed, but stayed quiet once he smelt it! It smelt of coconut and mango and made us want to eat it! Now any product that can smell nice enough for a man (okay 15 year old boy in this case) to try it, its certainly a winner. You can find masks like this for around a pound or so in Superdrug. He even asked me if he could peel off mine as well to see if he can do it in one piece! He didn't. ha fail.  Another going out must-have would be fake eyelashes. I never really feel like I'm dressed up until I've got a pair on, it really brings attention to the eyes (away from the boobs) and makes me feel more girly. They look great either on their own or with a smokey eye or simple liner flick. I had lash extensions put in a few months ago and loved not needing to wear make up during the day, but as extensions can be quite damaging, it's better to wear adhesive strip lashes. Even if they are a hassle to apply. I never wear them in the day time as I think it can look tacky, but with the right pair - natural, just giving a little more volume and length - not looking cheap and trashy.. they can look really nice. 

We also got these fluffy socks - I've been complaining how cold I am.. like ALL the time so I actually got bought around 10 pairs of fluffy socks for xmas, and these are a lovely pair to add to my collection.. now I know I'm supposed to share these with Kirsty, but I kind of have worn both of them now... whoops!

Also in the parcel, were a pack of 3 nail files, which have come in useful as I never have one handy when I need one! So I've slipped one in my handbag for those nail emergencies and put the others aside with my ever-growing nail polish collection!

And FINNALLYYY in the parcel we received a pedicure kit, containing nail scissors, a nail file, toe separators, a foot buffer and a pair of cotton slip on socks for night time use with a moisturiser. I've used these little sockets about 20 times now as my feet were getting a little dry, so whacked on a load of cream and slipped these on and slept. In the morning, woke up and my feet were smooth and fully moisturised. I love them! and they're so cute!

When Kirsty finally comes back from Paris, maybe she can have her pick of what I haven't yet used (not a lot).. but until then, I shall continue using them!

What did you get for christmas? Did you do a secret santa?

Let us know in the comments :)

 

NIP+FAB Glycolic Fix Cleanser

I've been using the NIP+FAB Glycolic Fix Cleanser on and off since the beginning of July and it's taken me quite a while to really get to grips with it. I tried using it day & night every day but that seemed to dry my skin out and I have figured out that for the best results for me, I need to use it every 2/3 days just one per day- the same as I would with a traditional exfoliator. 

It's a foaming cleanser that contains 2% glycolic acid to gently exfoliate and strip away dead skin cells as well as apple amino acids to cleanse and purify skin. Olive oil is supposed to hydrate and smooth skin but for my combination skin, this wasn't really enough and I had to go for a heavier-than-normal moisturiser after use. 

I'm quite squeamish at the thought of using actual acid on my face but this is so mild and is much friendlier for the skin that using a traditional scrub, which can do more damage than good. Exfoliators with little exfoliating pieces will forever have a place in my bathroom cabinet because they really feel like they are doing something to my skin. The fact that this cleanser foams goes quite a way to make it feel effective and doesn't leave my face red-raw after use. 

The benefits of this cleanser really outweigh the drying effects for me, after consistent use every couple of days, I noticed a huge difference. My pores are a lot less visible and my skin feels a lot tighter and toned as well as smoother. I have noticed that i'm getting far fewer blemishes since using this and i'm chalking it up to the deep cleaning properties of this face wash.

It smells like grapefruit to me an reminded me a lot of the Neutrogena Grapefruit Scrub that I used to use. It is a very refreshing cleanser, which is why I tend to use it in the morning when I can benefit most. Overall, I do really like this and look forward to trying other products from the range.

Available at Boots for £7.95.

Xo

L'Occitane Hand Cream Trio

L-R Shea Butter Dry Skin Hand Cream, Cherry Blossom Hand Cream & Pivoine Flora Hand Cream.

L'Occitane hand creams are fail safe, you really can't go wrong with them. The 'travel size' tubes are 30ml which is the perfect size to slip into my handbag and I usually keep one by my bedside, one in the bathroom and one in my handbag.

The creams are rich and leave my hands incredibly soft without a greasy residue. They all contain different natural extracts and scents which are not at all overpowering. 

The packaging is cute and practical, its very easy to get every last scrap of cream out of the tubes and they tend to last me quite a while as I don't need much for each application. 

Contained in my trio were the original Shea butter dry skin cream, the Pivoine Flora hand cream and the Cherry Blossom scented cream. 

The Original hand cream with Shea butter is full of anti-oxidants and vitamin E to slow signs of ageing and sweet almond oil to smooth the skin. When my hands are feeling particularly dry I stick with the Original as it is very effective at sorting out my winter beaten mitts.

Peonies are my favourite flowers in all existence so naturally I can't help but love the Pivoine Flora cream, it too is enriched with Shea butter, bringing the same rich nourishment as the original hand cream. My favourite scent has to be the Peony too, as it is subtle and fresh.

 I think the Cherry Blossom cream is the most delicate of the 3, it has a light texture and scent but is still packed full of Shea butter to combat dry hands. 

Not all of the creams have the same texture or are equally moisturising. From top-bottom: Shea Butter, Cherry Blossom & Pivoine Flora. As you can probably tell from the consistency, the Shea butter is the most intensively moisturising with the other two coming in at a close second. The consistency of the Cherry Blossom and Pivoine Flora creams are  quite gel-like which helps the cream settle into the skin.   They all smell fantastic and would beat out my all time favourite Hand Food if L'Occitane were a little more purse-friendly. 

A similar hand cream trio is available from L'Occitane here or individually for £8 each.

What do you think of L'Occitane hand creams? Xo

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré has become a skin care routine staple for me. Recommended by make up artists and industry giants, I was itching to get my hands on this highly coveted cream after reading about it everywhere. I had very high hopes for this nourishing moisturiser and I am pleased to say that I have not been disappointed. 

My skin is sometimes very dry, sometimes oily and I have not found this cream to be too rich at all. At first, after seeing the consistency, I thought I would have to only use this on dry skin days or at night but it sinks in super quickly and doesn't leave any oily residue. I think it is well suited to all skin types but ladies with persistently oily skin might disagree. I found that it had a mattifying effect on my face and truly created the perfect base for make up. 

A little of this creamy lotion goes a long way and I only use a pea -sized amount to cover my face and neck after cleansing. My skin feels considerably smoother after application and my foundation sits better on my skin, as well as lasting me all day long. What I love most about the product is that it has multiple uses, as a primer & moisturiser, as a soothing mask and as a cleanser for stubborn make up. My husband even used a little after shaving as it surprisingly soothing. I have used a cotton pad with a dollop of it on to remove gel liner and waterproof mascara, it did the trick and wasn't irritating on my eyes but I think I'll stick with my micellar water in future. In a pinch or for a weekend away this will cover most bases and I don't think I'd need to take a primer or a night cream with me. 

It's packed full of skin-calming and softening ingredients like Shea butter and Aloe Vera and, in my opinion, has earned its' Holy Grail status. 

Prices for the Lait-Crème Concentré vary quite a bit, even within France. I saw the 75ml size for sale at €16 and for only €9 a few streets away. If you find yourself in Paris, I recommend visiting a pharmacy in a more residential area, where they are not catering specifically for tourists. Avoid the store if it is blatantly advertising cult products because they know most tourists will not know the usual price. If you want to get ahold of it from the UK, it is available here for £10.50.

Have you tried Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré?

Xo