Luxury skincare

YSL Beauty Travel Minis

- Vicki 6 Comments
YSL Products in Travel Miniatures

YSL Products in Travel Miniatures

OK so not much gets me more excited than beauty minis, I know it is an exciting life I lead but you have to admit they’re just so flipping cute. When this bag of YSL Travel Minis * arrived on my doorstep I was ecstatic. I have a birthday trip booked for September and this set will be perfect to take with me, so I am saving everything for that.

For me when I was growing up, YSL was so well-known for its Black Opium scent, it is such a cult perfume and I’m sure everyone knows at least one person that wears it. Well included in my oh so sweet bag of minis is that iconic Black Opium fragrance and also their latest addition to the Opium family, Black Opium Floral Shock.

YSL Beauty Gift Sets

Black Opium Floral Shock Eau de Parfum 

I would say it is a modern more youthful twist on an iconic scent. Not only have YSL updated the scent but the pretty black glitter encrusted bottle has also had a revamp. The bottle is just as luxurious as the classic version but it now has subtle frosted pretty pink hues but it still looks just as glam rock!

  • Top notes – Bergamot Essence, Pear Accord, Freesia Accord
  • Heart notes – Orange Blossom Absolute, Golden Gardenia Accord, Solar-floral accord
  • Base notes – Coffee Accord, Sandalwood Accord, Vanilla

The fresh mix of fruity and floral scents work really well together and the addition of coffee is unusual but gives the scent a warmth that is quite sexy, while the vanilla and sandalwood offer both sweetness and luxury. I am in love with it and I think if you find the original a little too heavy and heady, this Floral Shock version will feel more fresh and youthful but still with that edginess you expect from YSL Opium.

YSL Beauty Travel Gift-Set

YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer Blurring & Illuminating Primer

This is a lightweight primer with a nice gel consistency, formulated to smooth and blur pores and wrinkles which I have to say is a pretty accurate description. It is such a nice base for your foundation and is enriched with four nourishing oils—corn oil, apricot kernel oil, passiflora oil, and rice bran oil—to leave skin feeling incredibly soft without a greasy residue.

Not only does it help give your skin a soft focus finish but it also has subtle, tiny golden shimmer flecks which gives your skin luminosity and radiance. This is such a good product for people like me whose makeup tends to start looking a little dull after a while or whose makeup sinks into their fine lines. This is a really good primer for a special event or night out as it keeps your makeup looking fresh, flawless and in place for hours.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick

How sweet is this mini YSL Lipstick! The packaging is beautiful and has the YSL logo embossed on their iconic gold packaging. The shade is 52 Rosy Coral and it is a vibrant pink, it’s a lovely flattering shade and it brightens up any makeup look. It’s the perfect Summer holiday shade. It’s a lovely lightweight, hydrating formula which feels very comfortable on the lips and has an easy to wear satin finish. I also really like that the Rouge Pur Couture range has SPF15. I’ve never tried a YSL lipstick before so this is a very exciting addition to my makeup stash. With this in my makeup bag I feel like a sophisticated woman who has her shit together.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick Swatch

YSL Top Secrets Lip Perfector

This is a product I’ve also never tried from YSL. It is a 3 in 1 product and can be used as a primer, lip treatment or a lipbalm. It has a really comfortable non greasy formula and it gives the lips a nice glossy finish. It is clear and works well both under your lip colour as a nice smooth base which helps prolong the wear time of your lipstick or on top to give it a subtle glossy finish. I am for sure taking this away with me to Amsterdam as my fancy lipbalm!

What are your favourite mini products and do you have a drawer full of them just incase you need them for a trip?

To shop for your own YSL Minis and Gifts head to www.yslbeauty.co.uk

*This post contains PR samples

Daycol Derma Face Polish

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daycol face scrub

I love trying new skincare and there is nothing more satisfying than discovering a small, more indie brand which really blows you away and that is how I feel about daycol. This is a brand that a friend of mine introduced me too and she has incredible skin so I was excited to see how it would fit into my skincare regime.

Daycol are a British skincare brand founded by Annette Heard and she has developed a range that focuses on using lovely organic ingredients to ensure our skin is well taken care of.

“There’s nothing more precious than our skin. Its condition affects our mood, feeling of wellbeing and emotions. I have created a range with natural organic ingredients, free from sulphate, paraben and alcohol to help you look great. And when we look great, we feel great.”

Daycol Derma Face Polish

daycol Derma Face Polish £25

I have been using the daycol Derma Face Polish for a few months now and I’m quite tough when it comes to reviewing face scrubs because they’re my favourite step in my routine. I like how a scrub can leave the skin feeling smooth and give it a healthy radiance but that said I also hate a scrub that is unnecessarily abrasive so this product had a whole checklist it had to meet.

daycol skincare

This face polish has a cream-like consistency and the scrubbies are tiny pieces of Volcanic Rock which are fine enough to exfoliate away those dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling smooth and promote a healthy radiance. I like that it’s not at all rough or abrasive on the skin (so it well and truly ticks that box).

Formulated with daycol’s own infusion of Bioderma3 Complex to include;

  • Apricot Kernel Oil- Apricot Kernel Oil is also high in vitamins B1, B2, B6 and beta-carotene. It has a luxuriously rich texture and is used to soften delicate and dry skin
  • Coconut Oil – Naturally high in vitamins A and E coconut oil will protect against the harmful effects of free radicals.
  • Avocado Oil – A rich source of omega-3 fatty acids (similar to those found in fish oil) it is also high in sterolin which has been shown soften skin and help prevent age spots. Avocado oil is also rich in the antioxidants vitamins A, D and E, making it useful for healing sun-damaged skin and lecithin and potassium.

daycol face scrub

So this lovely creamy face scrub feels really luxurious and after using it my skin is soft and radiant. It really feels like it makes light work of removing dead skin and you do not need to scrub your face – just gently massage into your skin allowing all the cocktail of skin loving ingredients work to their magic.

I am so pleased to have discovered a brand I haven’t heard many people talking about. Daycol has a small but well-rounded selection of products and next on my must-try list is their Ultra Rich Marine Collagen Moisturiser which sounds wonderful.

Let me know what smaller brands you have been loving.

Samaya Skincare Review

- Vicki 1 Comment
Samaya Skincare Review

Samaya Skincare Review

Samaya Skincare*

This is a ‘all natural’ brand based on ancient Ayurvedic principles (one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems) which focuses on maintaining balance through the health and wellness of your mind, body and soul.

SAMAYA is the perfect antidote to a stressful, busy and hectic lifestyle as it allows you to incorporate balance and wellness into your daily skincare routine. By answering a few short questions about your lifestyle and skin concerns SAMAYA will match you to your ideal dosha and the skincare range that will work best for your skin. For each dosha type the range includes three luxurious products, a rich Hydrating Cleanser, a powerful Anti-Ageing Cream and an indulgent Anti-Ageing Treatment Oil, all of which contribute to healthier, younger looking skin.

  • Vata –  Dry skin
  • Pitta – Sensitive skin
  • Kapha – Oily skin

My dosha was identified as Pitta which tend to be:-

Well-proportioned and compact build, with a focused mind and a love of order. Confident and passionate, enjoying challenges. Prone to anger and impatience when out of balance. Benefits from gentle skincare as skin can be sensitive and irritable, susceptible to wrinkles, sunburn and inflammation.

Which I have to say is a damn good match for me & my skin concerns.

Samaya Skincare Product Range

I’ve been testing out the Anti Ageing Cream from the Pitta range* (£89) and it has been such a lovely addition to my skincare regime. This moisturiser is absolutely jam-packed with fantastic skin loving ingredients which leave my skin feeling soft, soothed and radiant. It does have a very strong botanical scent which I found to be quite relaxing but just to be aware it is pretty intense.

This cream has such a lightweight consistency, it felt instantly hydrating and throughout the day my skin continued to feel really soft. To me this product does feel more like a serum than a moisturiser because it is so fluid and almost disappears on the skin. So you don’t get that greasy, slippery feeling that a heavy moisturiser can often leave behind.

The list of Ayurvedic botanicals and clinically proven anti-ageing ingredients included in this product is so extensive. It is easy to see why my skin felt and looked amazing whilst I was using it,

  • Jasmine Flower Extract – Beautiful aroma with proven mood-boosting effect; improves energy; reduces anxiety and stress; helps to balance moisture levels and increase skin’s elasticity while soothing mind and body; antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties help protect skin.
  • Neem Oil – Promotes skin healing; helps reduce itching and roughness; purifies skin; neutralises damaging free radicals to help skin achieve a radiant glow.
  • Lotus Seed Extract – Sacred anti-inflammatory ingredient; contains zinc and anti-ageing enzymes which can repair damaged or sensitive skin while soothing and calming the mind; beneficial for blemish-prone skin.
  • Sodium Hyaluronate – Salt form of hyaluronic acid, this naturally derived anti-ageing ingredient has intense hydrating qualities (can hold more water than any other natural substance – up to 1,000 times its weight in water) which help boost skin’s elasticity, contributing to smoother skin with decreased wrinkles and a fuller appearance.
  • Gotu Kola Oil – Anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing herb; helps fight chronic skin conditions by repairing damage done to the skin; stimulates collagen production in the skin.
  • Saffron Extract – Valued for its skin toning abilities; can impart a natural radiance as it helps to reduce pigmentation; has mood-enhancing properties; is considered to be an aphrodisiac and is often used as a tonic to improve general health.
  • Shatavari Extract – It has long been used as a tonic for female health concerns and as a means of reducing stress and tension. Shatavari also has nutritive and rejuvenative properties for skin, contributing towards a renewed, youthful appearance.

  • Ribose – Naturally occurring corn-derived pentose sugar; promotes skin cell metabolism; helps alleviate wrinkles and fine lines; helps keep skin toned, firmer and more radiant.

I really like that the Pitta skincare focuses on healing, repairing and soothing which is so up my street and exactly what my skin needs. Over the past 7 weeks not only have I seen my uneven skin tone improve but my skin looks and feels radiant, smooth and dare I say it well-balanced. So this Anti Ageing Cream gets a thumbs up from me – I just wish the price tag wasn’t so steep.

Samaya Pitta Cream

SAMAYA are a premium skincare brand and they use key, concentrated ingredients to ensure it delivers results. I’m not 100% convinced by the dosha side of things although I think that is more because I don’t fully understand it all, but In terms of quality and results, the skincare is fantastic and well worth looking into.

Click here to find out your Dosha

All SAMAYA’s products are free from, parabens, sulphates, phthalates, petrochemicals, mineral oils, silicones, synthetic fragrances and colours.

*This post contains PR Samples

5 Beauty Products From Jurlique

- Vicki 5 Comments
Five From Jurlique

Five From Jurlique

Jurlique Activating Water Essence

I discovered this product last year and it was the first Essence I had tried. I’d heard using an Essence was a very popular step in Asian skincare routines but was dubious as to whether I needed to add another step to my already quite rigorous regime. After using it for a while I realised that it was that perfect step for refreshing and hydrating your skin before going in with your serum. Just to be clear, an Essence is not a toner, nope it’s used after both cleansing and toning, it can replenish moisture, balance skins PH levels and help skin look glowing and it is now one of the steps in my routine that I look forward too.

At the centre of the Jurlique Activating Water Essence is their star ingredient – Marshmallow Root Extract, which is great for deeply hydrating skin and improving its ability to retain moisture. If you have yet to try an essence I highly recommend trying one.

Favourite Jurlique Products

Rose Moisture Plus Balancing Serum

Jurlique are well-known for their incredible quality rose products, they have an Organic Farm in the Adelaide Hills of Australia where they grow many of the herbs, flowers (including their roses) and plants for their products. This serum is part of their Moisture Plus range and it is fantastic at reviving tired, dry skin. It combines rosehip fruit oil, evening primrose oil and green tea extract to protect the skin’s barrier and provide extended moisture to keep skin cushioned, fresh and looking radiant.

PurelyAge-Defying Firming Face Oil

LOVE this product, in fact, I really like the whole Purely Age Defying range, if I was pushed to name my must-have product from Jurlique it would 100% be this Face Oil. I have used up so many bottles and always have one on the go. I use it at night and it performs nothing short of a miracle because when I wake up my skin looks well rested and healthy, it also works to even skin tone and keeps skin looking plump. It is infused with a trio of potent anti-ageing ingredients; Blackcurrant Seed Oil helps to improve elasticity and firmness, Buriti Oil reduces fine lines and wrinkles and Rock Samphire Extract helps to support collagen synthesis and promotes a firmer complexion. So your skin is in good hands with this and my skin always feels incredible after I have used it.

Favourite Jurlique Skincare Products

Jurlique Rose Silk Finishing Powder

Most people are unaware that Jurlique does finishing powder, I think it is the only makeup product they stock but it is one of my absolute favourites. This loose powder is so fine & lightweight that it never feels heavy or drying on the skin. It’s a translucent powder so it’s not going to add coverage or leave a white cast on your skin. It is great for setting makeup and keeping that oily t zone in check. I like to apply this with a big powder brush & sweep the product across my t-zone & chin, it has a really nice floral scent and my go to powder for eliminating that dreaded shine but leaving the skin with a slight matte velvety smooth finish.

It contains the key ingredients Corn Starch & Rice Starch which act as natural substitutes for talc, while Silican imparts a smooth texture on the skin, Glycerin helps to moisturise and prevent moisture loss and Arnica helps soothe and cool the skin. If you like your setting powder to leave your skin with a slightly matte finish without looking flat then this would be a great product for you.

Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Ultra Firm and Lift Cream

This moisturiser does feel quite thick and rich when you first apply it but give it a minute and your skin will have absorbed it to leave you with a velvety soft finish. It’s so nourishing and instantly smoothing. It contains powerful natural ingredients such as Yeast Extract to help promote collagen synthesis, Amino Acid Lipid Complex promotes skin remodelling and contraction of collagen fibres, Rock Samphire Extract supports skin density while reducing the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles and finally Beech Tree Bud Extract accelerates the production of fresh new cells. For me, the one thing I noticed almost instantly from using this is my skin looked smoother, which is why I think it makes the perfect base for foundation. It helps give you that flawless base.

Have you tried any products from Jurlique that you would recommend?