Paris Beauty Haul!

Let's keep it short and sweet. I was in Paris at the weekend. Here's what I bought:

Yes, I went a bit crazy. Mr P was off doing his own thing and I was left to my own devices for a whole Saturday morning. See what happens when I'm left alone?

 My first stop was the pharmacy in Monoprix, followed by a lengthy stop in Printemps, the unbelievably gorgeous department store which, to be honest, makes Selfridges look like Aldi. Then I finally made it to Sephora.

In no particular order, here is a summary of the damage I inflicted:

Ella Bache skincare from Printemps

In Printemps there was a small Ella Bache concession on the 1st floor. Ella Bache is now a very niche skincare brand which is very hard to come by. My mum used to use their products a long, long time ago and swore by them. We're talking about 20 + years ago here. Anyway, I saw them and thought I would make her a little present of some skincare goodies. I also bought myself two face masks. Seeing as it's almost impossible to find these products, even online, I opted for routine 'add ons' rather than staple products. I didn't want to get addicted to a face cream only to not be able to find it again.

The nice lady also threw in free full size hand creams, one for me and one for mum. I can report so far that it's one of the loveliest hand creams I've ever used :)

French pharmacy faves ; Caudalie hand cream and Eau de Beaute, Nuxe huile prodigieuse, Melvita Extraordinary Water

 In the pharmacy section in Monoprix I bought lots of goodies. Mainly stuff that I'd always wanted to try but never justified buying. Now I found that justification, being in Paris seems to justify a lot.

I put the Nuxe golden oil in my basket first, seeing as I'll be Australia at the end of the year I'm going to have enough tan time to get through the bottle. The Caudalie Eau de Beaute has had a lot of hype in the blogging world. I bought the mini bottle to try for myself. It's to be spritzed before or over make-up to add radiance. Also for radiance is the Melvita Extraordinary Water. I'd heard a lot about the Rose version, but the Narcissus bottle called to me for it's brightening properties. I used it for the first time this morning and it smells like spring in a bottle.

The only make-up item I picked up was the lip-gloss which matched my Dior Diablotine nail polish. I also tried the lipstick version but it was just a little strong for me and preferred the lightness of the gloss. The sparkles in it are just stunning.

My only make-up purchase, Dior Diablotine lip gloss

Erborian newbies: CC Creme HD and Eye BB creme

 Also in the pharmacy I picked up the Erborian Eye BB creme which I believe is relatively new. Regular readers will know that I will not be without the original Erborian BB creme, so I had to try the eye version. Review will be coming once I've used it on a daily basis. The Erborian CC creme you see next to it I picked up in Sephora and is literally fresh from the factory, it's that new. This is my first foray into the CC cream world so I'm very excited to see how this works for me. First impressions are that it's very different from the BB cream and is more akin to a tinted moisturiser.... but watch this space.

Some Diptyque lovelies: Eau de Tarocco (roll on), and Eau Lente (spray). With samples.

 Perhaps the most beautiful part of my shopping experience was my stop at the Dyptique concession in Printemps. A very nice man explained the Dyptique ethos and experience to me and helped me to choose a scent that would be most 'me'. I had Eau Lente on one wrist and Eau de Neroli on the other and I let them live with me for a few hours. I couldn't stop sniffing Eau Lente. I was in love. And Mr P fell in love with it too, so he took my back to the counter and we sniffed our way through the other bottles before deciding on Eau Lente and Eau de Tarocco (which he can also wear). How can I describe Eau Lente? Spicy, woody, sweet and sultry. There is a subtle smokiness about it and I think it's very sexy indeed. Eau de Tarocco is spicy with a hit of oranges which makes it fresh while adding depth. Mr P totally loved everything..... a rarity, as he's very very fussy about scent!

Algenist cleanser

While I was in Sephora I got chatting to the lady at the Algenist stand. Algenist is a relatively new San Francisco skincare brand utilising something called Alguronic acid, a patent pending ingredient akin to Hyularonic acid in that it's exceptionally hydrating and repairing. I thought I'd try out the cleanser seeing as I get through cleansers like water.

Elancyl hydrating body lotion and toning shower gel

Last but not least, I had to mention Elancyl body products as they have the most divine scent of any range I've ever tried. I used to use them while i was staying with Mr P in Rome and I remember how much I loved them. The shower gel in particular is addictive. Imagine you're a wood nymph taking a gentle shower underneath a waterfall and you can smell the sweetness of the flowers, trees and leaves which surround you in your grotto. That's right, it's sweet and 'green' smelling at the same time.... utterly blissful. I urge you to try the shower gel next time you're anywhere that stocks Elancyl. In the UK I believe they have it at the Garden Pharmacy in Covent Garden. In France and Italy it's pretty much everywhere.

Phew, so I guess that just about wraps up what I bought. I didn't talk about everything because you have lives to get on with, but I hope you enjoyed me sharing this you anyway.

Let me know if you've picked up anything nice recently!

Blog Birthday/Valentines Giveaway!!!

I can't believe it's been a year already...
This blog was born on the 8th January 2011. I'm a bit late in celebrating but better late than never, right?
I originally began to write about things that inspired me beauty-wise in my life, and it really had been a long time coming. I began with a notebook full of memories waiting to be committed to Blogger and in jotting down these titbits of nostalgia I also found my way into the beauty present, joining the ranks of other beauty bloggers with reviews, beauty updates and a lot of 'nails of the day'....

I love writing about the present, but even more than that I love taking voyages back into the past where you can practically smell the wax in lipsticks and the talc in face powders. I hope that I can find more time to write about these treasures in 2012, along with continuing in the vein of current beauty trends and painting my nails all the colours of the rainbow.

I'd also really like to thank all of you who have taken the time to read my ramblings and who have supported and encouraged me. I didn't even know what it was to have 'followers' when I started, but now I know and I like it very much indeed. It gives me the impetus I need to continue and believe me when I say that every comment counts and that I love hearing what each and every one of you has to say.

So, now the fun bit.

By way of thanks I'm holding a small giveaway competition just in time for Valentine's Day.
One lucky reader will receive a Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, perfect for puckering up to kiss your beau ...or just for the pleasure of having gorgeously soft, plump lips!

This lip balm has saved my lips and I absolutely cannot be without it. To read more see my post here.

Obviously your prize will be brand spanking new and not my manky old pot as pictured above!

So, to be in with a chance of winning this all you have to do is:

1. Be a follower of this blog, via Google Friend Connect (GFC), Bloglovin', or email.
2. Tell me how you follow in the comments section below and leave your name (GFC name if necessary) and, very importantly, an email address where I can contact you if you win.  

The competition closes at 12pm on Wednesday 8th February. 

I will contact the winner by email and I must hear from you by 12pm on Thursday 9th February or else I will have to select another winner. (This is all due to posting logistics... I will be in London from Thursday-Sunday and so will be sending your prize from there as I would like it to actually reach you rather than sit in the limbo of Belgian postal system...)

By the way, I will use Random.org to pick the winner so it will be completely, well, random. 

Good Luck!!!!!! 

Travel Make-Up Bag - London weekend

Mr P and I are off to London for the weekend, not just for the usual slob around at my parents' house, but also for a swanky night on the town on Saturday night. Finally get the chance to glitz it up a bit so this is a more upgraded version of my usual travel staples.

The bag is an old orange mesh Body Shop one that I've had for yonks but somehow it's always been my bag of choice. The mesh makes it practical and pretty and the size is just about right.

 My Effaclar K and Cicaplast are still my skin carers of choice. The Cicaplast is a must these days as I have a particularly nasty mark on my cheek which needs healing pronto and this accelerates the healing like nothing else. Also included are my Clinique All About Eyes which I've been using for the last 5-6 months or so and my new love, Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm. Can't. Live. Without.

I picked up this little brush travel case in Muji and it's fab for carting about make-up brushes and keeping them separate from the rest of my make-up bag. Inside are my Real Techniques Detailer brush (for concealer), my MAC 224 brush (for 'airbrushing' concealer), Ecotools blush brush, and an old Body Shop foundation brush.

Eye stuff includes my Shu Uemura lash curlers, Laura Mercier Eye Basics primer, Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara (review to come soon), Kiko Long Lasting Stick shadow, Le Metier de Beaute eye pencil in Sequoia Brown, Benefit Speed Brow, and last (and perhaps least), some individual false lashes by Sephora which I may or may not use. 

Base stuff: Erborian BB cream, still going strong after almost 7 months of constant use, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, Garnier Tinted Roll-On for eyes, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer, and samples of Armani foundation.

Other: Nars Orgasm blush, Armani 400 lipstick (just in case I'm feeling brave and because GG wants me to ;)), and Viva La Juicy mini perfume (because Mr P likes it).

The look I'm going for on Saturday is a simple bronze-y smokey eye (with the Kiko shadow stick), and hot red lips. I have a plethora of lipsticks in my handbag so if the red lips don't work it's not the end of the world.

What are your weekend must-haves?

Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm and hand cream review

Nuxe is one of those niche brands that I always used to hanker after when I was living back in the UK. It never used to be that easy to find and it kind of added to the allure of the products. The famous Huile Prodigieuse was hyped about no end and I remember snapping it up at the Sephora in Paris when I took a trip there many eons ago.

Now Nuxe is much more readily available, not least here in Belgium where it is literally in every pharmacy on every corner. Now that I'm surrounded by it it doesn't have that same pull that once had. Funny that.

Still, the other day I was out shopping and I spotted the Nuxe shelf in the sadness that is Galeria Inno, Belgium's answer to John Lewis (and may I just say, what a weak answer). Anyway, I quickly scanned the shelf and remembered that I'd recently heard praise lauded upon the Reve de Miel lip balm. Genuinely needing a new lip balm I thought I'd give it a go and while I was there I also picked up the Reve de Miel  hand cream.

I've been using the lip balm for only a few days now but I'm so in love with it I don't want to use anything else. I was seriously in love my my little green Vaseline tin before this, but now I realise that while the Vaseline grants instant comfort and a lot of lip slip, it doesn't really provide long lasting comfort. The Nuxe balm on the other hand is a strange creature. It's like a dry waxy balm which is not greasy or oily at all. It smooths onto the lips without a hint of shine but provides instant relief which lasts and lasts and .... lasts. My lips feel so comfortable, but like they are naturally comfortable and not just lubricated which is essentially what most lip balms do. This is the only lip balm I've found which leaves me with soft, matte lips and as such it's the most perfect base for lipstick I've ever come across.

My lips have always been in a pretty sorry state, cracking and flaking all the time. Vaseline helps but I have to keep it in my pockets at all times because it just wears/slips/gets eaten off. Since I have the Reve de Miel I can just put it on in the morning and I'm pretty much set. I'm not sure if it's possible for this to happen, but it feels like it just sinks into the lips. Relief at last.

I expected it to smell overwhelmingly sweet like honey, but to my nose I can just pick up a light orange smell, perhaps with a hint of honey but very slight. It's a very light scent which doesn't get in the way of eating (although not much could get in the way of me eating).

I can see myself re-purchasing this time and time again. It's not cheap, I paid about €10.70 for my little pot but I'm sure it can be found cheaper online, I've seen it selling for between £7-£10 so definitely shop around.

Highly recommended. Score 10/10

I get through A LOT of hand cream. Just like my lips my hands tend to get very dry, and often crack and bleed at the knuckles. I think it's partly because I'm a bit OCD about hygiene and I'm constantly washing my hands. I can't help it.

Anyhow, I always need a few tubes/pots of hand cream about the house. I'm actually thinking of doing a future post on the various ones I've tried and listing my favourites. 

Nuxe Reve de Miel Hand and Nail cream contains honey, vitamin E, sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, shea butter, and all sorts of lovely stuff. It's indicated for dry and damaged hands so I expected it to be thick and very rich, a bit like the L'Occitane Shea Butter hand cream. In actual fact it comes closer to a lotion than a thick cream and is a lot lighter than I would expect for a cream meant for cracked and damaged skin. Having said that it leaves my hands feeling very comfortable, soft and non-greasy. At the moment my hands are not in the worst condition and this cream serves me very well so do not be put off by the 'dry and damaged hands' indication. It's a great hand cream all round. 

Again, like the lip balm, it doesn't smell of honey, but the smell of this is quite strong. I can't work out what it smells like exactly, but if you know L'Occitane's Shea Butter hand cream (the really famous one) then it's like a stronger, fresher version of that. I kind of wish it did smell a bit softer and honey-like as I'm not a fan of strong smelling hand creams. I've been using this before I go to sleep and the smell lingers on a bit too much for my liking.

I paid €11.25 for my 75ml tube. Again, prices will vary but I've seen it online for between £10-£11. 

I'm happy to use this up as it leaves my hands feeling lovely and smooth, but due to the scent I'm not sure I'd want to buy it again. Score 7/10

Have you tried Nuxe products? Any recommendations?