NOTD - OPI's I Don't Give a Rotterdam

Over the weekend my husbands grandad has his 80th birthday and his main wich was to have all the family together. Saturday afternoon we all gathered in one of parish's churchs (his does the accounts for them) halls to catch up, eat lots and general just have a really relaxing afternoon.

I had recently brought OPI's I Don't Give a Rotterdam from Laurzrah's blog sale after seeing it on one of my friends and fell in love with it's blue/grey tones with a silver/gold shimmer. For the party I had a dress that had been sitting in waldrobe for the right occasion, a navy blue V-neck knee length with white doves that I brought at the beginning of the year from Matalan in the sales for £10.

It was a really good day out and was great to see everyone including family down from Scotland. I ate lots of things I shouldn't really of eaten and lots of fizzy pop!

The Whole family - I'm second from the left :)

LatestInBeauty's Editor Box July

Introducing this months LatestInBeauty's editors box and what a beauty it is! We have two full sized products, a handbag sized, and miniatures for £14.95 including P&P that is valued at £43. I loved my last YOU box (read about my gushing here), and was pumping they're twitter feed for when they was revealing the next one. LIB's customer service has been brilliant, at moment I'm at least tweeting them once a week about something and unlike some companies answer back to the point of having long conversations!

The two full sized products are the Love Your Skin Cleanse and Smooth Exfoliating face wash and Mavala Liberty Nail varnish. Love Your Skin has just launched their website of products and have been finalists in the Elle Beauty Awards 2012. The Wash is a light exfoliate that can be used everyday and the scent is a soft floral wood. It contains two scrubbing actions small beads and the Willow Bark that has salicylic acid that gently exfoliates. I adore this after two uses!

Second Full sized is the Mavata nail varnish in Liberty - a creme peachy nude. It's a 5ml size that the company specialises in, a glossy professional finish that evens out easily.

Baltise Dry Shampoo in Cherry is a prefect handbag sized dry shampoo. It is a new addiction to the range of emergency hair refreshers that has a girly sweet scent of cherries that suits the sun (when it's out!). I'm throwing this one into my handbag for on the go.

The miniatures: Melvita Micellar Water - a rose scent cleansing water with a soft scent of rose that isn't over powering like other rose scented products. Have tried their moisture lotion from the previous YOU box and have liked it so far. Weleda Firming Serum and Night Cream is from their hero range of products that has won the CEW Eco Beauty award, I haven't used this brand before so this will be a perfect opportunity to. And finally, Balance Me Radiance Face Mask, I'm hoping that this will change my mixed views on the range as well as give my skin some TLC that it needs.

There are some still available here

A good mixture this time, however I'm already drooling over the next box due out on Sunday: Another YOU inspired box that I've already been told that there is going to be OPI (full size), Alfresco, Garnier, L'Oreal, StriVectin, Jurlique and many more. In total there's going to 12 items for £9.95 + £2.95 P&P, but it is limited to 2,000 boxes! People who are already on the mailing list will get a preview of the box on Friday, if you are not on the mailing list rush over to here and get yourself on there ASAP.

Masterclass - Reflexology

For someone who really didn't like feet that much, Reflexology was a weird choice of qualification I took after Aromatherapy and Indian Head Massage. My first practise model didn't increase my confidence as her feet didn't look very inviting with lumps of hard skin and general murkiness (sorry if you're eating). I had done my research before, it had ignited an interest so I ignored my fears and I am very glad I did.

Reflexology, also known as zone therapy, is done by applying pressure on either hands or feet using the therapists fingers and thumb. The belief is that the body is reflected onto the soles and palms of feet and hands, manipulating these areas can help the body into balancing the zones. It also can relief tension, and improves circulation.

The basis of reflexology was introduced by William H. Fitzgerald (ears, throat and nose specialist) and Dr. Edith Bowman in 1913, which split the hands and feet into ten zones that reflect the body. This was then modified by Eunich D. Ingham (a nurse and physiotherapist) who spilt the therapy into the 'reflexes' we use today.

Click to enlarge

The therapist will take a medical history before cleansing the feet, they will then either apply lotion or talc (I prefer talc a lot less slippery when your are working deeply). They will start with the head at the toes and systematical work down the foot, working a little harder on areas that they feel they need to. When I completed my Mani/Pedicure certificate I also Incorporated a pedi with the treatment, which also made my clients feel all floaty happy.

It is a interesting subject and from experience I have discovered things about the client just from their feet that they didn't inform me off. It is a recommended treatment for stress relief and has had some success (however no medically trailed) with fertility issues.

 Next week - The basis for most massage routines - Swedish

MUA's All-In-One BB Cream

I have committed a make up sin the past few months, I have been wearing foundation that is far too dark for my pale skin. It was brought when I was unemployed and broke for a pound in Poundland, but this really isn't an excuse for looking an orange freak. I even started to pile on the tan to try and make it look better, it didn't the tone of it was too wrong, I resolved that the first pay check I receive I would at least buy a new foundation.

Now normally I would of plumped for a heavy coverage as previously I was underneath bright shop lighting all day, however my new reception job means that I am in natural daylight all day. Also after using my latestinbeauty.com YOU box my skin has come leap and bounds in look brighter and nourished that I could even get away with tinted moisturiser on some days.

Everyone has now heard of BB creams, they are dominating the market because they supply everything that we are looking for in one tube. I follow The London Lipgloss's blog who is also a fellow pale person, she had tried this out and said that it genuinely surprised her.

For me the fact that it was £4.00 was a big plus, I also had been using their waterproof liquid liner (that is a £1) that has a narrow brush which I really like and is as stay put as I hoped. I have this in the palest which is light, I also have a mixture of pink and yellow tones in my skin so picking foundation is always interesting (always too pink or too yellow). This does blend in well colour wise, the texture is more of cream, and I find that will have to set it with a powder on the area I'm slightly more oilier.

It can last me a good 8 hour shift with only showing signs of wear where I am oilier. I like the fact it is not heavy and feels like I have a reasonable light to medium coverage (only having to cover a few blemishes). For the value I could not argue with it, for something that is suppose to be budget I defiantly think it could compete with the premier side.

Lush's Emotional Brilliance



High Wycombe Lush Shop Front

This is my own little local Lush shop in the Eden Shopping centre, High Wycombe, is 20 minutes from where I live. Many years ago I would had to sit on a train for 40 odd minutes and travel across London to Covent Garden where I first discovered them (and yes this was before the mail ordering started!). I love Lush, the ethics behind the brand, the products, the staff - everything, my little dream when I was a youngster was to work for Lush.

They also had another make up side - Never 2 Busy 2 Be Beautiful which I adored just as much, the Covent Garden store was a treasure trove of make up heaven. I was very sad when they decided to close that side of the business down. You imagine my joy when Lush annouched that they was launching a make up range.

Emotional Brilliance has been 3 years in development by the same people who made the N2B2BB range of products. Every product is Vegan and uses as much natural product as possible, even the mascara of the range has one preservative in it (while leaving lashes naturally coloured)

What you need for being stuck on a desert island

There are two sides to Emotional Brilliance - the colour and the desert island products. The desert island products are the ones that you need if you were stuck on a desert island and could only take a few things with you. In the range is:

• Colour Supplement - A medium coverage foundation that can be mixed with a moisturiser to provide more of a tint ( I was matched to Light Yellow and mixed mine with Imperialis to provide a even base)
• Feeling Younger Skin Tint - Can be mixed with the colour supplement to provide a glow, or used a highlighter. A lovely soft non glitter/shimmer sheen. I looked more awake after using as a highlighter, a little goes a long long way! £12.00
• Charisma - For all those lovies who like a golden sheen, perfect for pales as it is a hint of bronze colour (no orange here) and be built up to look deeper. £12.00
• Emotional Brilliance - Is a translucent face powder that does look pinkish in the pot but goes onto the skin and disappears while leaving a crease free natural finish. £12.00

Then comes the colour.....

Clear your mind, spin the wheel and pick the colours that talk to you.

Focus * Motivation * Sophisticated

The first is Your Strength/Weakness mine was that I have strong Focus (a shimmer light blue/gold cream eyeshadow), and when I want something I'll go for it, but it can mean I can be too focused one thing and forget others. The second is your subconscious which was Motivation (A strong shimmer turquoise) telling me to do what I love and keep going. Thirdly was Sophisticated (a mink coloured creme for eyes or lips) as my aspiration, my want to be or how others see me.  

All the colours and word have been created by using colour therapy as its base, but also had word matching by Lush staff and customers. The titles fit the colours perfectly, Lush's intention is not to follow trends but to let customers follow who are are or want to be. It's very much leaving the customer in control and I embrace this.

All the colours are £14.50 each with 30 colours in total, but they can be used on any area so there is the ability of using colours on more than one area.

Who's that in the mirror?

I spent an hour with the Lush staff on a quiet Saturday morning so I can have a good play with all the range before they got really busy. I did fall in love with my colour Motivated, it a stunning turquoise teal shimmer that I wore as a liner for the rest of the day. There was also Fantasy - a true gold shimmer liner which was just breathtaking. Out of the whole experience I one thing I really really want is Feeling Younger Skin Tint, added a gentle glow that seemed to perk up my skin as soon as it went on.

The whole experience was fun, and that what buying make up should be - fun. I think Lush has once again pulled a range together that not only keeps it's holistic and cruelty-free ethics, but brings something to cosmetics that has been missing for a long time - joy and fun.

Thank you to the High Wycombe store for making the whole experience a really great one and welcoming one; Not only were they informative, polite, and honest, but made the whole hour fly by without realising.

Emotional Brilliance launched today in Lush shops across the country and online at www.lush.co.uk where you can also play the colour wheel.

So how are you feeling?

Masterclass - What Is Champissage?

In my whites from last weekend, ready for action!

For the regular readers who tuned into last weeks Aromatherapy Masterclass, will already know the answer to this weeks question. The belief in Champissage is that energy channels are unblocked by the head, face and shoulders massaged. Champissage is also known as Indian Head Massage, and originates as the name suggests from India. The therapy was brought over to the west by Narendra Mehta.

The key benefit of Champissage is that as it's a focused massage therapy it can be used in smaller amounts of time like 15-30 minutes. It can also be done fully clothed for people who feel uncomfortable undressing to be massaged, a massage oil/cream it not also necessary to perform this treatment as well (however it does make it easier). It can also benefit people in offices as it can fitted into lunch breaks and helps tense muscles that can come from slouching over a keyboard.

The treatment usual takes place with the client on a chair, the therapist will start from the upper arms and shoulders. Then would work the neck, scalp and lastly the face. For the face the client is asked to lean their neck back (if possible) and a support is put there while the therapist works.

I learnt about this therapy just as I was completing my aromatherapy training, I did mine in a week long course. I think out of all the massage therapies this is one of the best to start with as it the course prices are reasonable (mine was about £100 in 2002, compared to about £500 for a body course) and is the most simplest to pick up.

Next Week: Reflexology

Feeling Spotty? This Might Help

My current skin care hero amongst its new family

As you call know I hit my thirties in April, however this message hasn't quite got to my skin yet as I still break out like a teenager. Not small ones either, the ones where wearing a paper bag becomes the go to accessory.

Witch Skincare a while back asked for bloggers to join the Flawless Friends club, I didn't in (however a lot of blogs I follow did so congratulations to them). As a thank you for applying they sent the hero product - The Blemish Stick. Now I used one when I was around 14 and found that it didn't work, that was purely because I used it once rather than multiply times.

Didn't get much opportunity to use it until a little raised area was coming up on my forehead by my eyebrow, you know the ones it's red swollen and incredible sore. I used this in the morning and evening with putting moisturiser on the area and let the witch hazel do its work.

Witch Hazel is a natural astringent that tightens pores, soothes and supports the healing process of skin. The Blemish stick not only contains this but alcohol to tighten (not for drier skins as this can dry you out further), and Glycerin that calms the skin.

Within a couples of days the redness and swelling was gone, even better the spot that threatened never developed. It goes on like a clear light balm and can even have make up put on top of it. I really like the fact that after 46 years that this still works like when it was originally created, as well as not being animal tested. They're latest release is a anti-blemish BB cream as part of their increasing make up range.

Read about it here http://www.witchskincare.com/