Gourmand Gifting

It's the 1st of December today, so it's officially ok to start getting jiggy about Christmas. For many this jigginess starts after Bonfire Night (5th of November for those unfamiliar with our bizarre Brit tradition), but for me it's today that marks the beginning of the festive season. I'm now 'officially' allowed bring my Nigella Christmas book off the shelf and into the kitchen, I can burn cinnamon and spice candles and incense, I can put up fairy lights, and I can dig out everything sequined and glittered which has been in hibernation for the rest of the year. Officially.

So, I'm celebrating the start of Christmas with a little dedication to all the wonderful scented (and flavoured) offerings which you may gift to your loved ones or perhaps even self-gift, which sounds a lot more philanthropic than just saying 'I bought this for me'....
'I've gifted this to myself' is simply an acknowledgment of your rights as an individual worthy of receiving wonderful things. You are asserting your self-worth.
Therefore, self-gift and be happy.

The inspiration for all this was my little unexpected visit to Godiva today.  I paused by window, captivated by the small blocks of sugar-encrusted marzipan which was so enticingly displayed on crystal cake stands. Some were plain, some had walnuts encasing them. Before I knew it I was leaving the store with two pieces of each in a little bag.

Godiva Marzipain with walnuts..... pure angel food

 I stood in the rain and took a bite....and then I tasted all that was good in the world. The sweet, comforting warmth and delicate perfume that only almonds and sugar could provide, so redolent of Christmas and all it's joys. As I walked along the road I savoured every bite and it was all I could do to stop myself from devouring Mr P's share.


So, almonds and Christmas. It's a very classic partnership,  and in fact, all nuts seem to come out at Christmas, both literally and metaphorically...

In homage to all things 'nutty' and delicious here are my favourite gourmand treats for Christmas:

First up is L'Occitane's incredible Almond (Amande) range. In my opinion the range is one of the best that they do and the products really are wonderful. Ironically my favourite of them all is the one I've never actually possessed in a full size, it being one of the most expensive body creams they do, if not the most expensive. The Milk Concentrate (Concentre de Lait) is a lush, lightly whipped body cream with a scent I can only describe as almond perfection. It captures the freshness of the almond as a fruit as well as the more creamy, gourmand quality you would normally find in almond scented goodies. It smooths the skin like no other cream I've ever tried and my skin is at it's softest whenever I've had the fortune to use the numerous samples I've been given.

 The almond shower oil (£16) is a luxurious treat for the skin, especially dry skin. It feels sublime to wash with and leaves the skin feeling silky and fragrant. Wonderful stuff. It's less scented than the body cream so you'll never be overpowered with almond if you choose to use both.

 The Delicious Paste (£26 )is a gorgeous body exfoliator which manages to be gentle yet rough enough to actually give results. This leaves me feeling like a GODDESS. I've bought this (sorry, I mean self-gifted this) numerous times. :P

For those in Italy (and elsewhere) lucky enough to have access to the amazing L'Erbolario range you're in for a treat. Their almond (Mandorla) range is incredible.

I particularly recommend the body cream and soap. The scent is that of a sweeter, headier almond than the the L'Occitane and is more of a one-note fragrance. For me this is the ultimate winter/Christmas scent. L'Erbolario bring out new fragrance ranges frequently, but this, along with the divine Narcissus range (Narciso) is my favourite.

Do I really need to mention Lush again? Well.... Snowcake, obviously. Just do it people.
All of Lush's Christmas offerings are pretty wonderful and in fact, Christmas seems to bring out the best in Lush's creative team. Take your pick of numerous bath bombs, bubble bar slices, soaps etc and make your own gift to someone. Alternatively there are some gorgeously imaginative ready packaged gifts. Here is my favourite.... someone I know will be receiving this from me ;)

Innit dinky??? Extra points for usefulness as the tin would make a super-cool trinket box.

Perfume wise, I'm totally in love with Diesel's new offering, Loverdose. It's a total vanilla-licorice overload but I LOVE it. It's a classic gourmand (sorry I keep using that word, but it basically means something that's edibly sweet, so very appropriate here) and I think that many will love it. Many will also hate it precisely for that reason, but I'll have you know that I normally don't like overly sweet perfume but this one has me hooked. Mr P loves it too. Babies also seem to like it.... (long story!)...

 I've actually asked for this for Christmas.... let's see if the Brothers P come up with the goods!

Another sweet offering comes by way of Zara Chocolate eau de toilette. There are two seemingly Christmas perfumes in Zara at the moment, Chocolate and Cherry.

Cherry smells like a hasty Duty Free till dash en route to Magaluf. Avoid.

Chocolate on the other hand is yummy and sweet but in a grown-up way. It's more of a milky-vanillary chocolate but warming and comforting all the same. Would be lovely spritzed onto woolly scarves and hats so you can snuggle in all it's milk-chocolate goodness :)
Best of all, it's only €4.95 for 10ml. It would make a lovely little stocking-filler. Sorry I can't seem to find a photo of this one....

I hope that's provided a little gift inspiration and brought about warm, cosy feelings of Yuletide.

If I had to choose one thing from here I'd just be really, really happy with a big box of what inspired me to write this in the first place.

Hint, hint Mr P... there's a Godiva down the road don't you know.

An Ode to Snowcake

There you sit so unassuming

Amongst the soaps and creams galore,

A giant disc so gently looming

With your scent that I adore.

A creamy guise so smooth and pale

Renders you to be ignored,

Unless perceived by scented trail 

Your hidden joy to be adored

Beneath your face of gilded white,

Which only angels maketh can,

You promise only pure delight

Of almond cream and frangipane.

Your scent which lingers from a distance

Must be pure ambrosia,

Bestowing on us all an instance

Of the most delicious rapture.

Exaggerate? Moi? I do not think.

For Snowcake I await all year

And of it's fragrance I would drink

Should it be edible, my dear!

The scent it leaves upon my hands

And blesses all my bathroom space

Is of the LUSHEST marzipan

From surely a most magic place.

Snowcake, Snowcake, so I sing, 

I raise my Christmas glass to you,

Joy to me is what you bring,

Every year forever true.

By Pandora

(Unconditionally, unashamedly, hopelessly devoted to Snowcake soap by Lush)

Beauty Buzz - Rimmel makes it to Belgium!

I can't believe I'm writing this in 2011. 2011. I mean, there have been 4 (I think) types of iPhone by now, iPads, HD-3D TVS, the first passenger space flight is imminent, everyone is tweeting left right and centre.... in other words, major advances in science and technology and major changes to the way we conduct our lives and yet.....
..... Rimmel has only just made it to Belgium, like, this week!

Kate had been putting off that trip to Belgium for a while now...

Come on Belgium, what's up with you? Wakey, wakey!! Eventually they get there.... eventually.

So there is some reason to rejoice because I'd usually have to wait months to get back to London and grab a few bits and bobs from Boots or Superdrug and now Rimmel is here I can at least feel more connected to 'home' if that makes sense.

The bad news is that (surprise surprise) the currency transition seems to have been, ahem, lost in translation.

Examples: Nail polish €6.99, Mascara €11.99, Lipstick €8.99

Hel-lo? What happened to cheap (yet reliable) and cheerful?

It pains me to buy it here knowing that it's not only significantly cheaper in the UK but also with all the 3 for 2s and various vouchers you get from Boots etc it often works out at even better value. You'd be hard pushed to find any concessions here. At best it's usually something totally lame like 20 cents off a €12 euro foundation or €1.50 off when you buy two of something you would only ever want one of in the first place.

Yes I'm ranting now, but at some point I may just cave in (just like I did with Lush.... now there's a price hike for you).

Also new to Belgium (how can this be???) is Max Factor. Admittedly the stand I saw in Di (the nearest we'll ever get to Superdrug, but without the 'drugs') looked lovely and shiny with a good selection of products on offer. But again.... those prices.

Which leads me to ask.... is there really such a thing as cheap make-up these days? The price hikes in so called drugstore brands actually lead me to buy more high-end stuff, like Chanel and Dior, just because those prices are comparable throughout Europe and the UK and therefore I don't feel as ripped off. Funny logic maybe, but I don't see why Belgian residents should have to pay such an excessive amount for products which elsewhere are half the price or less.

Take Sinful Colors nail polish. Stateside it's an uber budget drugstore nail polish that retails for $1.99 (about €1.47 according to today's exchange rate).

Here in Di it retails for €5.95 (roughly $8.00). Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's a 400% mark-up. No amount of shipping costs or customs tax could possibly justify that.

My problem is that I'm just too informed. Maybe ignorance is bliss.....

What's your take on this?


Both Rimmel and Max Factor are available in Di stores but not all of them will be stockists. Will have to double check if Inno stocks them too.  

NOTD - Hello Kitty 'Violet Salome'

Hello Kitty - Violet Salome

I thought the weekend would be a good time to dig out this little gem by Hello Kitty. I picked this up a few weeks ago and hadn't had the chance to showcase it's juicy gorgeousness yet. For more on Hello Kitty (yes, it's a brand and not a collection) see this post.

I couldn't resist the magical molten elixir contained within the cutesy bottle. Plus, it's called Violet Salome, a suitably lascivious name for such a wanton purple glitter! Salome was a very very bad girl after all....

This is two coats with top coat. One coat is a little streaky, but could be wearable if applied with more care. The one coat colour is softer and more lilac.  This polish applies so easily and the brush is neither too wide or too slim. As with the other Hello Kitty polish I have the texture is on the watery side but this does not pose a problem with either application or wear time. These polishes dry relatively quickly too.

I've included lots of pictures with this one. It's so pretty.... kind of a hybrid between a foil, a glitter and a frost. The glitter is very fine and leans more fuschia pink. The base is purple so the overall effect is quite complex. It's like Cadbury's on acid! 

Blurry photo to show the sparkle....

By the way, you can click on the photos to enlarge them.... (just in case you didn't know!)

I hope to get a little dressed up this weekend to do this justice. Sitting here in my manky old pajamas does not do Violet Salome any favours whatsoever.....

What do you think? Yay or nay?

Lancome Hypnose 'Doll Eyes' Review

Hypnose Doll Eyes

You know those dolls that close their eyes when you lie them flat? They have great lashes.... long, shiny, glossy, thick and black. In fact most dolls have beautiful lashes, so I can kind of see where Lancome are coming from. They launched a small range of products to make you look pretty wide-eyed and oh-so kawaii (that's Japanese for cute/sweet/darling don't you know).

Before this mascara (which was a lovely birthday present) I was using the original Hypnose mascara which I consider  to be the classic little black dress of the mascara world.

I'm kicking myself for not taking a photo of the original Hypnose wand to compare it to the Doll Eyes one because they are very different. Doll Eyes looks like a little fir tree whilst the original has a regular looking brush which is slightly concave in the centre.

Christmas tree shaped wand.... well, almost.

I'll tell you straight up that I much prefer the original over Doll Eyes, but that's because I want my mascara to do everything at once: lengthen, volumise and curl. Doll Eyes does a lovely job of lengthening but I have to go over the lashes multiple times to get the amount of volume I want. It's not a dramatic mascara, it gives a fluttery, pretty effect and when used on the bottom lashes too you really do look a bit dolly like, but in a good way!

Two issues that may bother some girls are the fact that it is overwhelmingly fragranced with a rose perfume, so sensitive eyes may have a problem with this and it doesn't hold a curl that well. I don't really understand how the unusual brush makes 'doll lashes' compared to any other brush but I'm not a mascara scientist so there probably is a highly technical and ground-breaking reason why this particular wand makes you look like a dolly.

Flutter flutter :)

Overall though, I can't really complain about this mascara because at the end of the day it actually delivers the lashes it promises and I do enjoy using it, but I've had to switch to something more volumising when I want a more defined look in the evenings. Therefore, it's a good daytime option or just a nice option in general if you just want some fluttery definition.

Score: 7/10

The Ten Commandments - Foundation for beginners

The first foundation I ever tried was an old jar I found in my mum's make-up bag one day. I was 13 and just started reading Mizz, Just Seventeen and Looks (not to be confused with Look magazine). They were filled with makeover pages. Sweet, puffy faced teenagers were transformed into sleek, sexy starlets ready to be taken to the Odeon to see Kevin Costner in Prince of Thieves by their perfect boyfriends with curtain hair and a leather jacket.

I wanted a makeover so desperately so I asked a friend from school to come over to my house one day so that we could make ourselves beautiful. Cue the contents of my mum's make-up bag and along with it the sad realisation that her abandoned cosmetic relics were no more suitable for her than they would be for me. I figured back then that mum really didn't care for these frivolous things which I so hankered for.

So out came this glass jar of Max Factor cream foundation in a shade called 'Warm Almond'. It was dark. A deep, burnt caramel waxy cream.

Friend: "Are you sure this is the right colour for you?"
Me: "Well, mum and I have the same colour skin" (which is very pale olive FYI)

My friend carefully rubbed the beautifying foundation over my puffy face. I looked at her expectantly with big hopeful eyes as she stood back to admire her work.

Friend: (doubled over in fits of laughter) "You look like me!!"

My friend was Indian.

Thus I learned (humiliatingly) the cardinal rule of colour matching. I later asked mum why she had such a dark foundation. She told me that she just bought it without trying it and didn't seem to care much. To her credit she never wore it so at least she didn't commit the sin of dark brown face, white neck.

The bottom line about foundation is this:

YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEE IT. 

If you can see it sitting on your skin it's not making you look good, it's just making you look caked in make-up. Fair enough if that's the look you're going for, but most women just want to look like they have great skin naturally.  Every day I see so many women with very obvious foundation 'masks' due to the following:

• Wrong colour (too pale / too dark / too orange)
• Wrong texture/consistency (too oily / too drying)
• Foundation not blended (obvious streaking / patchiness)
• Foundation applied to thickly ( hence 'mask-like' effect)

 My mission? To spread the glosspel. Here are my ten commandments:

1. Thou shalt not buyeth a foundation without trying it first.
   
2. Test not on thy hands. The colour must matcheth thy neck therefore test it there. If it blendeth completely and you cannot see it then the colour be right.  
3. Sales assistants cannot always be trusted (particularly in Belgium and Italy!). Use thine own eyes to determine if the colour matches or not. 
   
4. Though shalt knoweth thy skin. Be it oily, dry, combination, sensitive, thou must select an appropriate formulation. e.g. Dry skins should avoid more drying, matte formulations.
5. Thou shalt procure testers if at all possible to trial at home. Beg, borrow or steal.
6. Thou shalt not steal. (Just in case thy took me in the literal sense)
7. Applyeth thy foundation with a light hand. Less is more. 
8. Blend, blend, BLEND! So important I sayeth it thrice. Most don't blend enough. Even a slightly too dark/too pale foundation can be rectified by blending in really well. Use thy fingers, a brush, a damp sponge, whatever-eth. 
9. If thou wish to take photos then thou shalt be aware of SPF. Too much SPF photographs WHITE.
10. Thou shalt change foundation shade when suntanned. Pale face - Bronzed body: Just say no! 

So there you have it. Basic rules for your base. Now go forth and apply.

:)

NOTD - OPI Dim Sum Plum

I love dim sum. I particularly love going for dim sum with my little brother (Brother P the younger) in Chinatown.

And I would be very very happy indeed to wear this lacquer next time I pick up a steamed prawn & pork dumpling.

I believe it was part of the Hong Kong collection but I found it lurking on its ownsome on the lookfantastic.com website. I was busy putting much needed shampoos and whatnot into my basket and this baby flashed up next to the checkout at only £4 something, which is less than half the price. In it went.

OPI Dim Sum Plum

I know I say I love a lot of polishes, but I really really do love this one. Love at first stroke. I gave a girly little gasp when the first line of vibrant fuschia glazed my little finger and I couldn't stop smiling.

So here are lots of pictures. I need to share this goodness!

OPI Dim Sum Plum

It's quite a thick formulation but not difficult to work with. It was completely opaque in one coat and I could have happily left it at that, but I want this manicure to last me so I gave it two coats. Funnily enough two coats give a deeper but slightly paler colour.

I feel like my nails are be-jewelled with colour. The perfect deep pink for autumn.

Would you be partial to some Dim Sum Plum?