Author: Vicki

Beauty Product Empties June 2023

- Vicki Leave a comment

Sharing the products I’ve used up in the past few weeks. It is always interesting, I think, to see what people completely use up. I hardly ever use up makeup items, simply because I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis, so these posts tend to be predominantly skincare.

Diptyque Philoskos EDP

I adore fig scented products and this Diptyque perfume is gorgeous. It is a fragrance with richness and depth and smells like warm summer evenings. I used to live in Cyprus and this is what it reminds me of. Yes, it is an expensive product, but the quality and intensity of the scent makes it worth every penny. It smells so rich throughout the day, people always compliment me when I wear it, it is a perfume I recommend time and time again. I think it is a lovely fresh Summer scent, I am sad I’ve used it all up, hoping to get another bottle for my birthday, it is such a treat.

Top notes – Fig Leaf and Fig
Middle notes – Green Notes and Coconut
Base notes – Fig Tree, Woody Notes and Cedar.
Nip & Fab Salicylic Fix Serum

This was quite an intense serum, not ideal if you have sensitive skin. I used it at night and thought it was good at smoothing out textured skin. I don’t suffer from breakouts, but this would be a great addition to your routine if you want to reduce pores, control breakouts and help reduce uneven skin tone. I do like that it contains aloe vera to sooth skin and purple ginseng to help control oil. Nip & Fab have an entire Salicylic Fix collection, great if you want to help control oil, breakouts and get a healthy glow. I wouldn’t repurchase it, but I used it up and enjoyed it.

Wake Skincare Brightening Eye Gel

This is the second bottle I have used up, Wake are a skincare brand that you might not of heard of but that you should 100% check out. They have revamped their branding this year and introduced quite a few new products. I really rate their skincare and have enjoyed everything I have tried from them. The eye gel has a lightweight consistency, it is not tacky or greasy and sits well under makeup. It is great for soothing puffy, tired eyes and helping to combat dark circles. Cucumber and elderflower awakens and soothes puffy eyes, while Aloe Vera cools and moisturises. I really like it.

Garnier Anti-Age Super UV SPF50

This is an absolute gem of a facial SPF! Like most people over the past few years, I have become aware of how important it is to wear sunscreen on a daily basis, especially a facial SPF. Garnier Ambre Solaire do lots of variations, I like this anti-age one, but they also do an anti dryness, sensitive or anti-dark spot option. This sun cream offers advanced protection against immediate sun induced skin damage, caused by UVB rays, as well as protection from long-term damage and premature skin ageing caused by UVA rays. I recommend the Garnier sunscreen, it is affordable, easy to get hold of and gives you a high level of protection.

*Erborian Ginseng Super Serum

Korean skincare experts Erborian are a brand that just deliver incredible skincare, time, and time again. I love their BB & CC creams, which are always in my makeup bag. This serum was such a joy to use, It is instantly smoothing, lightweight and hydrating. This serum is pretty impressive, I have learnt after using a few products that this Ginseng collection from Erborian is up there with the best skincare I have tried, especially for my age group. Great for both morning and evening, this serum will keep your skin looking naturally radiant, serum is one of my favourite skincare steps. I love the added hydration this serum gives my skin, how plump and healthy it looks after applying it.

80% Ginseng extracts, 90% natural origin ingredients

White Ginseng Extract – prevents the appearance of the signs of ageing and helps to smooth wrinkles.
Fermented Red Ginseng – helps to preserve the youth of the skin.
Ginseng Aqueous Extracts – obtained through a process of steam maceration of Ginseng, they contain minerals necessary for the balance and the hydration of the skin.
Hyaluronic Acid – plumps up the surface of the skin
Peptides – maintains collagen levels for a firming and smoothing effect
Complex of Tara fruit and Red Algae extracts – smooths and reduces wrinkles

& Other Stories Arabesque Wood

This is a gorgeous fragrance, more affordable but equally lovely as the other two scents. This perfume is layers of woody, warm citrus notes that are light but rich. I wear this mostly in the day, as my everyday scent. The rich notes like ginger, citrus and amber make it feel indulgent and luxurious. & Other Stories have a such a wonderful selection of fragrances, they have something to fit everyone’s tastes.

The bottle is dainty but weighty, so it looks minimal and classy on your vanity. These fragrances make incredible gifts and the scents come in a body spray, handwash and hand cream, so you can go wild with your favourite scents!

Top notes: Lemon, Ginger and Watery Notes
Middle notes: Petitgrain and Tangerine
Base notes: Agarwood (Oud), Oakmoss and Amber

Sunkissed Gradual Tan

I do love a gradual tanner, there are so many on the market now and some really good quality affordable options. You just don’t need to spend a lot to get a nice one, I have used this one from Sunkissed for a good few years now, and I am always happy with the results, it gives a nice even, natural coverage. I like that it makes me look healthy and that gives me confidence to show my bare legs/wear shorts & dresses. Not only do you get a nice healthy glow, your skin is also nourished and hydrated with hydrating Shea Butter, Vitamin E and Aloe Vera whilst being free of nasties like parabens, alcohol, silicones, sulphates and phthalates.

*Decleor Clove Post-Hair Removal Cooling Gel

This is a product that isn’t overly exciting or one that is a must-have, but if you are someone that suffers from irritation after hair removal, then this is a great product for you. It took me a while to use up, mostly because it is a huge tube, but I did use it all up and actually enjoyed it. Post wax or shaving, I liked that the blend of Clove and Chamomile Essential Oils helped soothe and hydrate, as well as delaying regrowth and preventing ingrown hairs. One of those products you didn’t know you needed until you try it.

Products marked with an * are PR samples.

Amsterdam Long Weekend March 2023

- Vicki Leave a comment

This was our first visit back to Amsterdam since 2019, in fact it was my first time travelling outside the UK since all the madness of 2020. It was so nice to be in an airport, on a plane and back to exploring one of my favourite places in the world. Amsterdam is my happy place, I feel so calm when I am there. We had never visited in March before, I did miss the tree’s being lush and green, but Amsterdam is pretty no matter the time of year, or the weather.

It is safe to say it we picked the coldest week, it snowed for 2 days, and we had temperatures as low as -4. I just used it as an excuse to stop for more warm drinks and yummy pastries. My friends opened up a Vegan café 2 years ago, and to say I was excited to visit was an understatement. The café is called Margo’s (named after Margo, the owner) and is 100% Vegan. Margo bakes everything each morning, all the pastries, bread and cookies, she is so talented. You have to pop by if you are ever in Amsterdam, even if you are not Vegan, the food is delicious, the BEST croissants, and cakes you will ever try. After 11.30 they have fresh sandwiches and toasties plus coffee, tea and matcha all day long. I am so proud of them and what they have achieved, the café is a delight, and they have built such a lovely, friendly community.

If you have read any of my other Amsterdam Diaries over the years, you will know that I just enjoy exploring, finding new areas to walk in and take photos of all the beautiful buildings and streets. Amsterdam is simply the most extraordinary place to visit, it is charming, pretty, and so easy to explore on foot. Despite the snow and cold temperatures, we were lucky that March was a quiet time of year to visit.

I have eaten at The Vegan Junk Food Bar a few times and always enjoyed it, I had never been to the Reguliersdwarsstraat location and I think this might be my new favourite. I had the kebab and John had the bacon, cheeseburger and chips, delicious, highly recommend. Good-sized portions, friendly staff and very reasonable price.

Spotting the flower bikes that are dotted throughout the city is a fun thing to do, there are not as many as they used to be. They are created by a Dutch man called Warren who started by decorating his wife’s bike, you can see some of his work on his Instagram & his story is inspiring and sad in equal measure.

I have already written a post about where we stayed this time, so if you want to read that, just click here. We usually stay at the same hotel, but decided to try somewhere that has been on my bucket list for a while, it was a treat. I have a few more photos to share, as well as some café and restaurant recommendations, so keep can eye out for that post.

If you have visited Amsterdam, let me know what you love about this City.

No7 Future Renew Skincare Collection

- Vicki Leave a comment

#gifted Unless you have been living under a rock or on a social media detox, then there is no way you could have missed the latest release from No7. Their Future Renew Collection has been hyped all over the internet, and I was very excited to try it out. The collection is made of of 4 core products, eye cream, serum, day cream and a night cream. It’s so fantastic if you like a simple but robust routine, covering all bases.

No7 is a market leader in skincare, their products are purse friendly, effective and top quality. I always think of No7 as skincare I can trust which has simple packaging, is easy to understand, and they have a collection for every age group. I have tried and loved quite a few products from them over the years, their makeup is also incredible quality. This Future Renew collection is science lead and has been 15 years in the making, using research from the University of Manchester and their breakthroughs in peptide technology (pepticology).

Peptides occur naturally in the skin and aid the skin’s natural repair process. Exclusive to No7, this breakthrough technology supports skin’s natural self-repair. With damage reversal skincare products for both your day and night skincare regimes to reverse visible signs of skin damage, fine lines & wrinkles, uneven skin tone, dryness, and loss of firmness.

Sounds exciting, now let’s see what that means for the actual products.

In addition to world-first pepticologyTM, Future Renew also includes niacinamide to help fight off environmental stressors & hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump the skin. An antioxident blend of vitamin C, E and mulberry extract to help protect the skin and give your skin radiance.

No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Eye Serum

If you like a lightweight & smoothing product around your eyes, this is it. Not your typical heavy eye cream but a lovely light consistency serum. Think velvety smooth skin and noticeably hydrated. Along with the super peptide blend, this eye serum contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C and rice proteins, so it packs a punch. It’s hydrating, locks in moisture and brightens too. It wears well under makeup and helps keep your concealer from clinging in fine lines. Very impressed.

No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum

Very smoothing, I like it, it wears well under makeup so thats an added bonus for me. Alongside the peptide blend it also contains, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, hydrolysed rice proteins, mulberry, and vitamin C. This serum adds a nice boost of nourishment for your skin as well as working hard to at brightening, and reducing hyperpigmentation. Much like the eye serum, it has a lightweight texture and feels comfortable on the skin. It is a step that when you miss it out, you notice it’s missing.

No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Night Cream

Now this is a night cream you all need in your routine, it is rich, nourishing and works magic whilst you sleep, well my skin did look refreshed and plump when I woke up, so I call that magic. Whilst you sleep, this cream helps reverse uneven tone and texture, dryness and loss of elasticity with its line up of skin loving ingredients alongside the peptide blend it has shea butter, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. So great to quench skin, reduce fine lines and even out skin tone. This really is a fantastic night cream, I have been enjoying it a lot as we come into the warmer months.

No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal SPF40 Day Cream

This is my favourite product from the collection, it was a tough call as all the products are quite special. This day cream feels like it coats your skin in hydration and after the cold long winter we just had, my skin needs all the quenching it can get. This day cream contains SFP40 which is fab, I love it when my moisturiser offers an added layer of protection against UV damage, there is no point in spending ££££ on wonderful skincare if we do not use SPF on a daily basis. Am I right!

This cream protects from harmful UV damage and as well as skin damage, like, fine lines & wrinkles, uneven skin tone, dryness, and loss of firmness. So this is a morning step I have not been missing out.

Each product has the new No7 peptide technology at its core, which in short is, ‘An essential ingredient in the battle against the visible signs of ageing. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as building blocks of proteins such as collagen, elastin, and keratin’ so they are helping support your skin’s natural self repair.

The peptides alongside some really fabulous ingredients which together help your skin look brighter, more plump, hydrated and protect it from natural aggressors (including UV damage). I like to put more of a positive spin on this collection and think of it more of future proofing my skin from more damage. As that is what it feels like is happening with all these rich skin loving ingredients and technology.

I really enjoy science led skincare which don’t rely on frills or gimmicks, just products that target specific concerns with visible results. I highly recommend this entire range from No7, the price point is spot on and the products are exceptional quality. My skin does look and feel healthier. If you are only able to buy one product I have mentioned, it has to be the SPF40 Day Cream!

 

You can learn more about the No7 Future Renew Collection at www.no7beauty.co.uk & they have some deals on bundles, so you can try the range for a great price. Or pop into your local Boots store.

*This post contains PR samples

The Hoxton Hotel Amterdam

- Vicki Leave a comment

I have been to Amsterdam countless times over the years, if you know me you know that it is joint number one (with Berlin) as my favourite cities to visit. Amsterdam has such a special place in my heart. Before Brexit, we were all set to move there but as a result of leaving the single market we would not be able to take our business with us, so sadly a move is off the table for us. Instead we try to visit as often as possible, and we recently came back from a visit in March (it was FREEZING)

Until my most recent visit, we have always stayed in the same hotel (creature of habit) we liked being in a quieter area of Amsterdam, a little off the beaten track, out by the Tropenmuseum at The Manor Hotel. Surrounded by parks, nature and fewer tourists. We (still) love it out there, it’s relaxed and leafy it has nice restaurants, good travel links, and it is a beautiful walk (if you wanted to walk) into the more central areas.

Over the years, we have popped into The Hoxton Hotel for drinks and dinner (or just a cheeky wee). I always wondered what it would be like to stay there, right on the Herengracht Canal, in the centre of the 9 streets. I have heard so many people rave about this hotel and The Hoxton Hotels in general.

So I bit the bullet, and booked 5 nights (for early March). I was so looking forward to it, after my husband had lost a close family member over Christmas, we really needed a holiday. That was not the case, sadly my dad passed away suddenly 2 weeks before we were set to go away. I was torn between going and staying home. Knowing I wouldnt get a refund, and it was a pricey trip, (my dad would have been annoyed at me loosing all that money). I decided to go and try to make of it what I could.

We stayed for 5 nights in a Cosy Canal View Room on the 2nd floor, the room was small but had everything you might need. Lovely big window overlooking the Herengracht Canal, this view was worth every penny, so beautiful, and we loved seeing and hearing all the goings on out there. We have never had such a grand view before, and it really made me very happy to sit in bed with a cuppa and look out the window.

The bed was very big, comfy and with it being -5 degrees one day & snowing it was very warm too! We slept very well, even though I was pretty stressed and emotional. There is a desk in the corner and a desk chair, I used this space as a vanity. You get tea & coffee in the room, as well as daily bottles of water & milk (if you require it). The mugs in the rooms at The Hoxton are fab, very big, and perfect if, like me, you enjoy a nice cup of tea! There is also a fridge, we kept our Almond milk in there & some bits & bobs.

The bathroom had a rainfall shower and lovely products, shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I loved the white subway style tiles in the bathroom, it was a cool looking small bathroom. The wardrobe big enough for us & the huge drawers under the bed were great for our stuff too, for a small room there was plenty of storage.

The bar, and lobby is very, very busy at all times. We found that getting a seat was like a game of cat & mouse, it is a popular place for people to work out of (like a co working space). People would arrive when I left the hotel at 9ish, and they were still there when I came back in the late afternoon. It’s great that you’re able to do that, but if you want to use this space as a hotel guest, it is challenging. On the odd occasion we managed to get a seat, the light bites bar menu was great, coffee very good and the cocktails were even better. There is a great atmosphere here in the evening, and they have lots of live music in the evening.

So all in all, The Hoxton was a treat, I booked it in January and my wonderful Dad passed away in February, so I didn’t have the relaxing trip I had envisioned, but I am glad I went. I want to go back, so I can really appreciate it, with a calmer mind and more energy.

If you want to stay here, I would say sign up to their newsletter, or keep an eye out on Expedia for deals, otherwise (in my opinion) it is on the pricey side. The location is amazing if you want to be in the thick of it, in a nice area of Amsterdam, with shopping, restaurants and the hustle and bustle on your doorstep. Everything in Amsterdam is pretty much within walking distance, and what I love most about this city is that it is incredibly beautiful no matter what time of year you visit. Walking everywhere is the best thing to do, the way to discover cafés, bars, and shops tucked away.

There is also a Old school B&W photo booth in the hotel, we didn’t use it this visit as there was a constant queue of about 20 teenagers waiting to use it. We took these photos 3 years ago in 2019.

I will do another post about all the places we ate & cafés we visited. I just wanted to do a post about staying here, at The Hoxton, as it was such a small dream of mine, even if the circumstances were emotional.