Places I would Love to Visit Friday | 3

Wow I can't believe it is my third places I would love to visit Friday already! How time flies!

This week I wanted to choose somewhere a little closer to home, somewhere relaxing, down to earth and with a spa! So I chose...

A stunning hotel in a remote part of Scotland. The Isle or Eriska, located not far from Oban airport on the West coast of Scotland.

There is something homely about this traditional hotel. It has a fabulous history in a remote location and I can imagine would make you feel very relaxed!

Serene and tranquil. No noise or hustle and bustle. What could be more relaxing than turning off your phone and enjoying the scenery and sounds of nature. Gorgeous at any time of the year!

 

Just imagine sitting infront of the fire here with a book and a glass of wine (or hot chocolate for me) It really doesn't get more traditionally Scottish than this :-) 

Looking for a luxury 5 star hotel and Spa in Scotland? I think this could be what you are looking for.

http://www.eriska-hotel.co.uk

What do you think?

NYE... No Choice But To Spoil Myself!!

Well the title says it all really. As I am having a very relaxed (and cheap) New Year I feel it is only fair to spoil myself especially after the year I have had.

So, I popped in to Peter Jones in Sloan Square and got myself this...

Ohh So exciting!

Laura Mercier La Petite Patisserie Trio Fresh Fig ♥♥♥

As you can guess I am very impressed. I saw Tanya Burr review the Laura Mercier bath and body products last year so I think this product has been on my mind since then. When I saw it I had to have it.

The 'Trio' features Crème Body Wash, Soufflé Body Crème and Eau Gourmande all with the delightful Fig fragrance.  And it was £20 reduced from £40 - an absolute steal!

The Crème Body Wash is delightful. Soft and silky. I added it to running bath water and it foamed up beautifully and smelt devine.  The Soufflé Body Crème leaves your skin feeling very hydrated and also smells lovely.  And the perfume is gorgeous and sweet, a perfect size to pop in to your handbag.

I am so pleased with the purchase.  I will definitely be buying more Laura Mercier Bath & Body products.

My Trio fitting in nicely with my favourite other products :-)

Lots of Love and New Year Wishes

Shhh it's a secret... My skin Care routine!

With all this cold and windy weather your skin may need a little bit more love than it usually does.  With this in mind I thought now would be a good time to share my skin care routine :-)

 

The first thing you need to know about My skin care routine is that is differs from season to season. I am paying far more attention to my skin at the moment as it needs the tlc. I find that the central heating (along with the weather) can make it quite dry and unhappy.

Here we go...

The products

1. Clarins gentle foaming Cleanser  | £17.50

This is my absolute favourite cleanser. It is super gentle on my skin, removes make up well, smells divine and lasts for absolutely ages. I only need to buy one every 4-6 months and I use it all the time. You only need a very small amount. Absolutely fabulous.

Application: I wet my face first then apply a small amount to my fingers and rub in gently in circular motions for a minute or so. I then use a cold wet face cloth to wipe off. If I have on a lot of makeup I will repeat this step to make sure it is all removed.

2. Garnier Simply Essentials toner | £2.99

I find this works very well. Contains no alcohol or perfume and removes any left over make up fabulously.

Application: i apply to a cotton pad and wipe over my face, I wash my face after using as I dont like to leave the residue on.

3. Aveda Botanical Kinetics Toning Mist | £17

This stuff smells lovely and leaves your skin feeling so refreshed and soft.

Application: I spray my face with 3-4 squirts, wait 1 minute then I pat any residue off with a tissue.

4. Aveda Touramaline Charged Hydrating Creme | £34

This cream is perfect for the winter. It is very thick and luxurious. Really hydrates your skin.

Application: I apply generously rubbing in circular motions making sure my whole face is covered.

These are other products which I use once or twice a week.

5. Aveda Touramaline Charged Exfoliating Cleanser | £21

This is great for when your skin is dry to get it all smooth again by getting rid of any loose or dry skin. I would say it is too harsh for me to use everyday as my skin feels quite tight afterwards which I don't like too much. So couple times a week is all you need with this one.

Application: This is a good one to use in the bath or shower. I wet my face first then apply a very small amount to my fingers which I then rub around my face very gently in small circular motions. Then wash off with a soft face cloth or simply with water.

6. Orba Originals Goat's Milk Night Cream | £12.99

I use this if my skin is feeling really sensitive or I am having a no make up day. This is really light and absorbs straight away. I love this and have been using it for a few years now. It is also fab for dry hands. Application is easy with this one. Simply apply a small amount to your face, you don't need much.

7. L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream | £6.40

I first bought this in LA about 5 years ago and I adore it. A perfect size to slip in to your hand bag. It really works on dry hands and leaves them soft for days.

8. Aquaphor Healing Ointment | Boots £6 approx

This is an amazing lip balm. You can't beat it to get those chops looking and feeling super smooth and silky. It is also good for really dry skin on hands. I use to order it online from the USA but you can now get it in larger Boots stores.

The Routine

Morning

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser

Aveda Toning Mist

Aveda Hydrating Creme

Apply make up

Evening

Clarins Gentle Eye Make up Remover

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser

Garnier Simply Essentials Toner

Aveda Hydrating Creme

I hope you enjoyed reading about my skin care routine. I will update it in time when it changes.

Love and Christmas Wishes, Ashly xxx

REVIEW - UTAN ULTIMO SELF TAN MOUSSE Brazilian Bronze

It's that time again when I review a new fake tan. A very scary prospect as I never know how it will turn out.

The one I chose is Ultimo Utan.

First of all i have to say the bottle design is very nice. I like the silver on the bottle and the box. very chic.

Ultimo Utan in self-tan mousse Brazilian Bronze

 So lets take a look at what they say it does...

Utan Claims 

For a warm and exotic tan. Gives a warm and exotic bronze tint upon application as the deeper, sensual colour develops over 3-4 hours.


• Deeper, richer long-lasting colour
• Streak-free
• Guide colour for ease of application
• Moisturising with skin enhancing benefits Plus Body Sculpting Technology.


Our advanced formulation contains; Ultimo Tanning Complex, Wild Indigo Flower and Rainforest Extracts. Designed to deliver an even, longer-lasting colour, improving the appearance of the skin for smoother, firmer contours, plus assists in re-shaping and re-sculpting the body.

The application

 
After bathing and exfoliating, I was ready to apply. I decided to apply Utan with this gorgeous black velvet mit I got from Harrods.(it actually directs you to use gloves)

The texture on the mitt of the mousse is much like St Tropez but the colour is much more even (make sure you shake the bottle well before hand).

It doesn't smell much at all. In fact you wouldn't know it was fake tan you were applying, unlike most brands which tend to have at least a smidgen of a fake tan smell, this really doesn't.

So I began applying starting with my face and working my way down to my feet. Another point to mention is that I had read online Utan graps to dry patches so I made sure I applied a small amount of moisturiser on my elbows, knees, feet, ankles and to my hands before applying the tan.

My first impression was that on my face it looked very dark and I was very worried about how it would look in the morning.  The colour was a light brown everywhere else. Because of the colour on my face I wouldn't recommend applying it and then going out for the day, however if you wanted a bit more colour on your legs or arms it is a totally acceptable colour post application to go out.

One thing I noticed is that when using the mitt it is actually quite difficult to blend, if you rub it too much it crumbles very slightly.  This may be why they direct you to use gloves, I will make sure I do next time.

So off I went to bed, slightly concerned. After about 15 minutes I totally forgot I had applied it. It wasn't sticky or smelly... very smooth and absorbed incredibly well.

Straight after applying Utan

8 hours later...

Lets see how it did

I woke up in the morning expecting to look very brown and I was disappointed when the colour wasn't as deep as I thought it would be. But after showering I am really pleased with the colour. It is actually nice and dark and very even. Unfortunately I do have an uneven patch on my leg where I slept with my hand on my leg. Luckily it is a horrible day so I am wearing trousers.

Day 4 and it has faded quite a bit, I am going to stretch 1 more day out of it before I re-applying.

Day 5 and it hasn't faded much more than yesterday so I will wait till tomorrow evening to apply. I am really pleased with how evenly it has faded. No patchy parts. Normally I find fake tan comes off my chest and face first but this is about the same all over.

So lets review the claims

For a warm and exotic tan. Gives a warm and exotic bronze tint upon application as the deeper, sensual colour develops over 3-4 hours.- I would agree with this. The tan is warm and not orange at all. I wouldn't know if it developed fully after 4 hours because I kept it on for 8.

• Deeper, richer long-lasting colour

- Not sure I would call it long last at 4-5 days.
• Streak-free

- I am a seasoned fake tan wearer and I would say I found it a bit of effort to get it even but now I know how it goes on it will be easier the second time.
• Guide colour for ease of application

- Yup
• Moisturising with skin enhancing benefits
- My skin felt soft after I had applied and it has soaked in

Plus Body Sculpting Technology.

- I am not sure what this means to be honest.


Our advanced formulation contains; Ultimo Tanning Complex, Wild Indigo Flower and Rainforest Extracts. Designed to deliver an even, longer-lasting colour, improving the appearance of the skin for smoother, firmer contours, plus assists in re-shaping and re-sculpting the body.

- Surely you could 'sculpt' the body with any fake tanner by applying more in certain areas so I am not sure about this. I would say it does improve the appearance of the skin.

Summary 


Overall I am impressed and I will buy it again. A very nice colour, even and natural looking.

Next time I will deffinitely apply it with gloves like the directions stipulate.

I normally use Xen Tan or St Tropez dark mousse but I think the more I use this the more I will love this Utan Mousse!!

8/10

*** Update ***

I wanted to do an update as I have now re applied using gloves... it is a whole lot better and easier.  I also put moisturiser on my face before applying and it was a fab colour so I went out for the day and felt.. well very brown!  I met up with a friend who told me she had never seen me so tanned (I took it as a compliment)

So with this in mind, I am now upgrading Utan to a 9/10!!!

Ashly xx

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TUTORIAL - D.I.Y How to - Dip Dye Your Own Nails!!

For this tutorial you will need:

• Nail varnish ( you can use more than 2 colours if you wish)
• A sponge
• Cotton buds
• Nail polish remover

1. Ok first thing is first, shape your nails and make sure they are tidy. 

2. Paint your chosen nail polish on to the sponge like so

3. Place the sponge adjacent to your nail ready for application. I apply variably, so one coat I do left to right then the next I do right to left. This helps to maintain an even application per nail.

Press down on your nail with the sponge. 

4. Repeat with every nail on one hand. 

After first coat

5. Reaply nail varnish to the sponge after every coat and repeat steps 3 and 4 until you are satisfied with the coverage on your nails.

I apply slightly differently after the first coat, you might find rolling with the sponge over the nail like this easier.

After 4 coats, I am going to do one more because the tips of some of my nails are still not fully covered.

Okay I would say that is enough, 5 coats.

After 5 coats.

5. Next, let them dry 2-3 mins. 

6. Pour some varnish remover in to the bottles lid, dip your cotton buds in and remove excess varnish from your fingers.

7. Apply some clear varnish as a top coat. I find this prolongs chipping so worth doing.

after removing excess varnish

8. Done, now you have beautiful 'dip dyed' nails your friends will be envious of! So the secret it out... get painting. 

 

L'Oreal 207 & 602

Lots of Love A x

REVIEW - Maybelline 24HR Superstay Concealer

For concealers mostly I use Mac select Cover up, Laura Mercier secret Camouflage and Bobbi Brown or Estee Lauder Double Wear for under eyes.  I decided to try something new and picked up Maybelline Super Stay in no 2 for about £6.

I really really like it. It is great for the sides of the nose, any red spots/areas and especially good for creating highlights a la kim Kardashian.

I have found it works best  by dabbing some on the back of my hand, letting it sit for a few minutes to dry slightly then dabbing on.  I found it does crease a little under the eyes so I use Bobbi Brown directly under the eye then blend in the Maybelline below that. I would recommend putting it right in the corners of your eyes though.

I don't know about it lasting 24 hours, I'd say a good 6-8 hours.  It is also has a very very slightly grey undertone so while it matches my Mac Studio Sculpt in NW20 it doesn't blend in so well with my Mac Studio Tech in NC25.

Overall 8/10

REVIEW - Garnier Simply Essentials Vitamin-Enriched Toner

I bought this as I was desperate for a new toner, my old one ran out and my skin wasn't feeling so clean after a day of make up wearing. I didn't have time to scour the internet reading reviews.

I try to use products with no alcohol. This also contains no colorants and no perfume so I thought it was worth a try for £3 I wasn't going to loose out if it was bad.

I have to say I am impressed. After using my cleanser I soaked a cotton pad with the toner and wiped it over my face, I was shocked to see how much make up was left sitting on my skin and this product picked it all up. I ended up using 3 or 4 cotton pads. It really is great at taking off all the remaining make up.

My skin feels really clean and clear and quite soft.

I wouldn't say it is the best toner I have used but for £3 it really is amazing value and I would definitely recommend it for anybody who wants to make sure they have removed all their make up.

8/10

REVIEW - Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser for Dry or Sensitive Skin

I have been using this twice a day every day for 2 months and it still feels heavy like I have hardly used any. It smells gorgeous too, like marshmallows. I just love it.

It is a gorgeous creamy texture.  First I used it as described, rubbing in gently on to my face with water.  But it really annoys me when all the water runs down your arms and on to the floor so now if I am not in the bath or shower, I wet some cotton pads, squeeze a small finger tip sized ball on to the pad then wipe over my face. If I have make up on I will do this twice.  Then I wash my face with water to get rid of any residue.

 

Soft, gentle and makes my skin feel super clean.

I will definitely buy this again. I really really love it.  Worth every penny. 10/10

REVIEW - Maybelline The Smoother Skin Retexturising Primer

I have been looking for a new primer for quite a while. Having recently tried Laura Mercier foundation primer, Mac Prep + Prime, YSL Flash Radiance and Benefit That Gal.  I thought I would give this Maybelline one a try.


I have to say it is fantastic. Absolutely no skin irritation and I have sensitive skin. Lasted all day and filled in fine lines.


It feels a little odd on your fingers but smooths on very easily and has a nice silky texture.


The tub it comes in is pretty small for £10 but if you are looking for a good primer then I would definitely recommend it.

UPDATE: Maybelline are doing a promo 3 for 2 at Superdrug so grab it now :-)


Overall 10/10