May Favourites

Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil
My cuticles are one of my most neglected areas & the skin around my nails is always really dry. I can't resist peeling the skin away which in turn makes my fingertips red & sore. I've been trying to take better care of my nails lately & the condition of your cuticles makes a huge difference to the finish of your manicure. Slathering on a bit of the Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil every night has really improved things & has made my fingertips look much healthier. The oil is quite light in texture so it sinks in quickly & doesn't feel too greasy. It nourishes both the skin & nails plus the lovely apricot scent makes it a pleasure to use. It comes with a nail brush applicator so it's really easy to apply & it's something you can quickly do whilst sitting in front of the telly. I'll never neglect my cuticles again, pinky promise!

Illamasqua Rosepout Lipstick
This is one of Illamasqua's newer Glamore lipsticks which have a creamy satin finish. Although I do own and love quite a few of the older Illamasqua lipsticks, they were often very dry, matte & unforgiving on the lips. The Glamore lipsticks are definitely where it's at & I would highly recommend these if you're looking for something that is colour intense, long lasting & comfortable to wear. Within the Glamore range there are seven different nude shades & they even have a guide to choosing the perfect nude lipstick for your skin tone. Rosepout is a gorgeous neutral pinky brown colour & works beautifully with my cool toned pale skin. It has a modern retro feel to it & looks amazing paired with 1960s style eye makeup.

The Library Of Fragrance Mountain Air Cologne Spray*
Having never climbed a mountain before, a perfume inspired by the smell of mountain air was very intriguing to me. It's normally quite easy to imagine what The Library Of Fragrance's fantastic range of single note colognes will actually smell like but Mountain Air is a lot more complex & very unique. This breathtaking cologne spray combines together all the different elements that you would find at the top of a mountain. It's a cool, crisp & clean concoction of snow, water, flowers, trees & soil. This wonderfully refreshing unisex scent is really something quite special.

Alterna Caviar CC Cream
Hair creams have become my weapon of choice when it comes to styling my locks. After a quick blow dry I love running a few pumps of this stuff through the lengths of my hair. It helps to smooth down any flyaways & adds just the right amount of hold. Whilst CC Creams are normally for facial colour correction, the Alterna CC Cream delivers 'complete correction' to the hair. This one product provides 10 different hair benefits which are moisture, shine, smoothness, softness, UV protection, manageability, strength, anti-breakage, heat protection & light hold. It really helps to keep my bleached hair looking healthy & it smells amazing too! The whole Alterna Caviar range is simply incredible & well worth the investment if your hair is looking a little lacklustre.

BECCA Flowerchild Mineral Blush
Peachy pink shimmery blushers are my absolute favourite & this BECCA Mineral Blush is exceptionally pretty. Flowerchild has the most gorgeous golden sheen running through it that really illuminates the cheeks & gives them a fresh Summery glow. The shimmer is extremely subtle with no chunks of glitter so it won't accentuate large pores. The texture of this blusher is silky smooth & it blends like a dream. The colour can be built up without it ever looking cakey or chalky. Flowerchild adds the loveliest flush of colour to my cheeks & really lifts my complexion. It doesn't look like much in the pan but this is a truly stunning product & it would look fabulous on many different skin tones.

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The Library Of Fragrance: Mountain Air

The Library Of Fragrance Mountain Air Cologne Spray* - £15

The Library Of Fragrance has fast become one of my favourite perfume brands. The unique range of scents they have available is unrivalled & there really is something for everyone. They launched in the UK last year with a whopping 101 single note perfumes on their website plus 28 of their most popular scents stocked exclusively in Boots. More recently they have expanded on their original lineup & one of their newest additions is Mountain Air which I was kindly sent to try out. What I think is truly special about The Library Of Fragrance is that what you see is what you get. If the bottle says Cucumber, you know it's gonna smell like cucumber. I've previously reviewed Pistachio Ice Cream and have since purchased their Jasmine & Sex On The Beach perfumes. Again they all smell exactly like you would imagine (gorgeous!) & the scents are very true to life. However Mountain Air is definitely more complex than most of their other fragrances & that's down to all the different elements that you would find in nature.

This cologne was inspired by a trip that the CEO of the company, Mark Crames, took to Alaska last year. Scent is strongly linked to memory & he wanted to create something that would capture his memories of that trip forever. I'm not really one for hiking up mountains & so I was very curious as to what Mountain Air would actually smell like. It's a wonderfully fresh scent that is crisp, clean & cool. It encapsulates the wild outdoors with light hints of flowers, trees, grass, snow & crystal clear water. Mountain Air evokes the feeling of being up a mountain & lets you imagine that you're on top of the world. It's as invigorating as a breath of fresh air & hits your nostrils just like the cold air at the top of a mountain would. I was really surprised by how much I like this scent as I tend to go for intensely sweet or floral perfumes whereas Mountain Air is the complete opposite. This cologne will be especially appealing to those outdoorsy types & it works extremely well as a unisex fragrance. It's perfect for the Springtime & is a great refresher if you live in a congested city.

I'm very much into aromatherapy and I believe that scents can have a powerful impact on the way you feel. As someone who suffers from anxiety I often do deep breathing exercises to calm myself down. I can get a bit claustrophobic & like to go on long walks to relax. Mountain Air instantly transports me to another place & gives me that inner peace that comes from being outside in nature. It also encourages me to breathe deeply as I love to savour it's pure exhilarating scent. I think the price of these perfumes is excellent as you can get one for £15 or two for £25 in Boots. The longevity isn't that great as they're only colognes but at least it gives you an excuse to keep on misting yourself & your surroundings with the stuff. If you want something that smells really clean & fresh then I would highly recommend picking up a bottle of Mountain Air from The Library Of Fragrance. I'm very fond of this scent & I think a lot of other people will be too.

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November Favourites

Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in Medium Brown
I love love love the Anastasia Beverly Hills products and her DipBrow Pomades are one of the best things to ever happen to my eyebrows. Now that I have this in Medium Brown instead of Blonde, the colour is spot on for my natural brows. The formula is just incredible. It's very creamy and easy to work with which means that you can sculpt your eyebrows into any shape you desire. You only need a teeny tiny amount as it is super pigmented. I like to use it with the Anastasia #12 brush as it doesn't lay the pomade down as thickly as other brushes. Once applied it won't budge all day long, it is totally waterproof & smudge-proof. I especially like that it adheres to the brow hairs and not just the skin underneath. The result is a very clean & precise yet natural looking pair of brows. This stuff will revolutionise your brow game forever. Read my full review here.

Lush Charity Pot
This moisturiser is called Charity Pot because 100% of the price goes towards a good cause. Each pot comes with a different label on the lid showing who you will be donating to by purchasing this moisturising lotion. I went for the Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting pot because I think badgers are cute & it's wrong to cull them. It's really great that Lush are doing this & it's a such a lovely moisturiser too. You can use it on both your hands and body. The texture is quite thick & features a plethora of hydrating oils so I mainly use it on my hands or any dry areas like my knees & elbows. It makes my skin feel silky soft & has such a beautiful scent. It's a mix of moringa, geranium, rosewood & ylang ylang oil with a hint of vanilla - so good! They also sell samples of this in their little lip balm tins for £1 so you can just try it out. It's well worth investing in a bigger pot though as this is a brilliant moisturiser for the Winter & you're helping out a good cause at the same time!

Label.m Texturising Volume Spray*
I'm really into these dry texturising sprays. They're like a cross between a dry shampoo and a hairspray but without any gross residue, stickiness or crispy bits. Label.m products are a staple backstage at London Fashion Week and this Texturising Volume Spray is one of their best creations. I like to use this when my hair is looking a bit flat for an instant burst of volume. It feels lightweight yet the hold is impressive, leaving my hair looking big & bouncy all day long. It adds some sexy texture and definition to my locks whilst absorbing any excess oils. It's a great choice if your hair feels too soft after washing & lacks the grit to do anything with it. I'm not too keen on backcombing my hair as it can be quite damaging so I always spritz this in my hair instead when it's needed as visually you get the same effect. The price is very reasonable too in comparison to the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray or the Bumble & Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish.

The Library Of Fragrance Pistachio Ice Cream*
This new range of single note fragrances is simply amazing. If you've not checked out The Library Of Fragrance yet then you're really missing out. These perfumes are such good quality for the price and along with the regular floral scents they also have some wonderfully strange ones in the collection. I'm really into their foodie scents. Who wouldn't want to smell like fresh waffles, apple pie or marshmallows? The Pistachio Ice Cream perfume smells exactly like real pistachio ice cream - sweet, creamy & nutty. It's utterly delicious & a whole lot cheaper than the Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache perfume. The best part is that you can mix and match these to create your own bespoke scent. Is it bad that I pretty much want to buy every single one? Read my full review here.

MeMeMe Long Wear Satin Lip Cream in China Rose
This beautiful soft pink lipstick is basically a drugstore dupe for MAC Creme Cup. Not just in colour but in texture, scent & finish too. Due to the inclusion of shea butter & vitamin E, this lipstick feels really moisturising on the lips & applies very smoothly. Long Wear is a bit of a misnomer as the texture is too creamy to stay put all day. I'd say it lasts about 2-3 hours before needing a touch up but that's fine by me! The pretty pink colour & glossy finish make this my ideal everyday lipstick. Read my full review here.

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The Library Of Fragrance: Pistachio Ice Cream

The Library Of Fragrance Pistachio Ice Cream Cologne Spray* - £15

The Library Of Fragrance is an exciting new perfume brand that have just launched in the UK. Known as Demeter in America, the brand started almost twenty years ago with the aim of capturing all the beautiful scents that surround us in the everyday. The result is a truly fantastical collection of single note perfumes with everything from Lavender, Neroli, Vetiver & Sandalwood to Play-Doh, Sushi, Pizza & Snow. If you can imagine a scent then The Library Of Fragrance have pretty much got you covered.

28 of the most popular scents from The Library of Fragrance are now available to buy from 400 Boots stores nationwide and via the Boots website. However there is a total of 101 fragrances available directly from their website & that's where you'll find the amazing scent that I was sent to try, Pistachio Ice Cream. It's one of my favourite ever desserts but is strangely difficult to find in UK supermarkets. I normally have to seek out a traditional ice cream parlour to get my pistachio fix. A few years ago I became obsessed with the Laura Mercier Crème de Pistache range which just so happens to smell exactly like pistachio ice cream. Such expensive bath & body products are a rare treat for me so I've had to make do without that gorgeous scent in my life... until now, that is! This perfume reminds me so much of those Laura Mercier products. The cool sweet scent lingers on my body for hours & I can't get enough of it. I noticed that Laura Mercier actually make a Crème de Pistache perfume but considering The Library Of Fragrance version costs just a third of the price, I know which one I'd rather pay for.

Whenever I decide to buy a new perfume it's always down to whether I instinctively like it. I'm not terrible at detecting different fragrance notes but I'm certainly no Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (watch Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer if you have no idea who I'm on about!). Anyone who has ever reviewed a perfume on their blog will know how tricky it can be to accurately describe a scent other than 'it's fruity/floral/sweet/spicy/musky'. What I really like about this wonderful collection of scents is that each perfume is incredibly simple & smells exactly how it is supposed to. This perfume smells just like real pistachio ice cream, it's not synthetic at all. The scent encapsulates that creamy nutty sweetness that I love so much & gives me one heck of a gelato craving. At just £15 per bottle this line of fragrances is very affordable & I will most definitely be picking up a few more. I had a quick sniff of them in Boots when I was in Halifax last week and they all smell so good! Jasmine is next on my list as it's so refreshing to find a floral perfume with just one note. Of course part of the fun of this product is that you can combine several of the fragrances to create your own signature scent. There's literally something for everyone here. You won't find a greater olfactory treat from any other brand.

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