Classic Perfumes

I have 3 favourite perfumes. Chanel No.5 that my lovely husband always buys for me, and I have loved it for as long as I can remember as my mother always wore it. (As currently being advertised by Brad Pitt).

L'air du Temps by Nina Ricci was the first REAL perfume ever bought for me, it was a present from a neighbour. That was 31 years ago and I have worn it ever since.

Rive Guache by Yves Saint Laurent was the first perfume I bought for myself when I was 18. The fragrance has now been updated and not quite as nice as the original but still a favourite.

I know perfumes are a very individual preference but I wanted to share a list by Roja Dove of "10 Fabulous Fragrances for Fabulous Older Women"

Guerlain - Shalimar, Guerlain - Mitsouko, Jean-Charles Brosseau - Ombre Rose, Lanvin - Arpege, Chanel - No.5, Houbigant - Quelques Fleurs, YSL - Rive Guache, Estee Lauder - Private Collection, Christian Dior - Diorella, Nina Ricci - L'Air du Temps.

I say no more!!!

L'oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Cream

With BB creams being the new buzz word, I was happy to be sent several from different companies to try out. I have to be honest, and say they don't really do it for me as the coverage is too sheer, but of the several I tried L'oreal Nude Magique BB Cream really is a little bit of "Magic".

This is L'Oreals first self-adjusting BB Cream and it really does transform right before your eyes. It's a light weight white fluid that's enriched with Smart Pigment Capsules which transforms into a foundation on contact with the skin. It also offers 24 hours hydration and an SPF 12.

I really like the tube which you can stand on it's cap and the small nozzle allows you to control the amount of product you want.  Just a small pea size will cover the whole of your face. Nude Magique is designed to be build-able so you can add more depending on your desired coverage.

Nude Magique comes in two shades fair and medium.  I had the medium and found it blended really well to my skin tone. The BB cream is sheer and feels really nice, I really liked the finish it gave, it softens and evens up the skin tone leaving your face looking naturally airbrushed.

Compared to other BB creams, I think the coverage is really quite good and would be great for days when you don't want to wear heavier foundations.

Now here's the best bit - after applying the Nude Magique BB cream, I decided I wanted more coverage so put my normal foundation over the top and found that Nude Magique is in fact a great primer.  It helped to control any shine, gave my face a lovely glow and my make up lasted all day and all evening!

L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Cream

Balmi Lip Balm

Here's a funky, fun and quirky packaging for a great lip balm.  Balmi Lip Balm contains moisturising ingredients such as Vitamin E, Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil.  It also, very importantly, comes with an SPF 15.

Balmi gives your lips long lasting care and is perfect even for sensitive skin, also being vegan/vegetarian friendly and has not been tested on animals - my daughter has claimed the one I was sent and she absolutely loves it.  Of the 5 fragrances available I was sent Blackcurrent which really has a great scent.

Balmi comes in a rubberised spherical mould with a small fob attachment should you wish to put it on your key ring etc.  What I like about it is that it's easy to grip and has a good strong reassuring click as you both undo and replace the lid.

It's so easy and completely fuss-free to apply, the Balmi just glides over your lips with ease and feels really smooth, not clinging to any dry bits or cracks on your lips like many other lip balms do. Not only does it soften lips, it's so moisturising and also leaves a light sheen making your lips feel truly luxurious!

Balmi Lip Balm

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm

What a lovely, lovely cleansing balm.  If you've never tried this before you're in for a real treat.  Emma Hardie's cleansing balm has such a divine fragrance and really does cleanse away all make-up, even my waterproof mascara!

It's a beautiful looking jar that you take a small amount of balm from and mix with just a few drops of warm water to melt, then massage this over your face and neck.  I love the way it glides over your skin and literally melts away the make-up.  You then use Emma's Cloth, after wringing out with warm water, to remove the balm from your face.  Emma Hardie has made the best cloth ever!!!  It's a white double sided cloth with soft flannel on one side and muslin on the other.  The idea being that you use the muslin side of the cloth where you need a bit of exfoliation and for areas around the nose, chin etc, and the softer flannel side for the more delicate areas of your face.

This balm really does thoroughly cleanse and moisturise your skin, it helps to purify and minimise the appearance of open pores.  It's also suitable for sensitive skin, my "almost" 13 year old daughter used it and loved it.  She hadn't worn any make-up and hadn't been out on this particular day and she couldn't believe how much muck and dirt it had lift from her face onto the lovely white cloth - (It's ok, it's washable!)

Emma says it can also be used as a rescue balm on dry elbows and knees or as a lip balm.  It can double as a soothing mask if left on the skin for ten minutes.

The key ingredients in the balm are Moringa Seed Extract, Wild Sea Fennel and Vitamin E.  To rejuvenate and revitalise the skin it contains Orange, Neroli and Mandarin Extracts also Jasmine, Cedarwood and Rose - Hence the gorgeous fragrance!

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm

Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer

I have been very fortunate to have been sent Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer to trial.  WOW, this truely is an amazing product.  It's a BEFORE shampooing treatment.  You apply it to damp hair and wrap it in the supplied plastic cap (think hotel bathroom freebie) for 20 minutes before shampooing and conditioning as normal.

To suit my day to day needs, I actually applied this product through the mid- lengths and ends of my hair before bed.  (Plaiting my hair rather than wearing the plastic cap to bed - my husband would not have been amused had I done that!).  I duly took my shower the next morning and shampooed and conditioned my hair as normal.  I blow-dry my hair everyday anyway and use some good products to help restore some shine and reduce the frizz, but OMG, after I had blow-dryed my hair, post Elasticizer, it looked like I'd just stepped out of a hair salon.  It was unbelieveably smooth, conditioned, sleek, no frizz, younger looking hair that also looked longer.  Now I have long hair anyway, but it wasn't weighed down at all, just completed restored.  All these benefits after just one use and you don't need to use loads either. 

This wonder treatment improves your hair with continued use and also provides UV protection and helps prolong the life of colour treated hair

Philip Kingsley qualified as a Trichologist in 1953 (the branch of medicine that deals with the scientific study of the health of hair and scalp), and is widely recognised  as a leading world authority on hair care. He originally created Elasticizer for none other than Audrey Hepburn.  She wanted a super-moisturising treatment that would repair her hair and keep it in great condition throughout the frequent colouring and styling done to her hair on movie sets.  Well I sure hope Audrey liked it as much as I do!

Philip Kingsley - Elasticizer

Liz Earle Naturally Active Gentle Face Exfoliator

Firstly, why does skin benefit from exfoliation?  Well it removes all those dead skin cells that have accumulated on the surface of your skin.  It's the dead skin cells that give aging skin the tendency to develop a dull lifeless appearance and this is the key difference between my skin and my daughter's youthful radiance.  Her skin reflects the light and is naturally fresh and dewy.  With exfoliation you can go a long way towards achieving this.

Older skin needs the opportunity to rejuvenate itself and exfoliation provides the stimulation and encouragement for the skin cells to renew themselves which results in a younger, fresher looking skin.  Once the old dead cells are scrubbed off the surface of the skin and washed away, the skin is left with a lovely smooth glow.  It also helps other products such as moisturiser etc. to work better as they are not sitting on top of the old skin cells.

I have found exfoliation to be an essential part of my anti-aging skin care regime and do this a couple of times a week.

Now I have trialled many facial exfoliators and come out of the shower with a bright red scratched face - not the look I'm after, but after using Liz Earle's GENTLE face exfoliator my face is now fresh and glowing, it feels so smooth and positively pampered! Not a red face in sight. It really is a gentle but very effective product.

The reason it is so different from the others I've trialled, is that Liz Earle uses tiny spherical Jojoba Beads.  You can actually feel them roll over your skin as you massage it in.  The exfoliating particles are plentiful but not as abrassive as some other exfoliators I've trialled, whose particles tend to scratch your skin and feel like you're rubbing sand on your face.

Liz Earle's exfoliator also contains Eucalyptus.  The smell is so energising and gorgeous, a real wake me up in the mornings.

All in all, a lovely exfoliator that does an excellent job and won't break the bank!

Liz Earle Naturally Active Gentle Face Exfoliator

Colgate Max White One

Think this isn't a beauty product? - Think again! 

I've tried lots of whitening toothpastes with little effect, so when Colgate sent me their Max White One, I thought "Here we go again, another broken promise", but I was so wrong.  This toothpaste actually lives up to it's claims.

It contains White Accelerator micro-crystals that it says are ingredients similar to those used by dentists.  It safely removes stains and prevents tartar build-up to help your teeth become one shade whiter in just one week, by continued use it will help keep them whiter for longer.

I don't smoke but I do drink tea, coffee and red wine, all can stain your teeth.  I like to feel my teeth are not a bad shade of white anyway but after using this toothpaste they are positively dazzling! 

The toothpaste is a blue gel with a strong minty flavour, so it not only leaves my teeth shiny white but my mouth feels really clean and fresh.  This is definately Colgate's best toothpaste so far.

Colgate Max White One

Dove Summer Glow

I like to moisturise my body daily after my shower, I also like to have a subtle tan to get rid of my pasty white skin, therefore a product that doubles up, leaving me with soft and lightly tanned skin has got to be good.

I have spent the summer trialling out moisturising lotions that include a fake tanning element.  After getting through bottles of the stuff, there is a clear winner that is head and shoulders above the rest.  This is Dove Summer Glow.

So why is it the best?  It is the same price as the others for a start, but it is definately a thicker cream and I have found it to be more moisturising.  It has a better smell than the others, a nice soft fragrance that doesn't have that tell- tale fake tan smell. It gives a nice soft brown colour not an orange tinge to the skin, so is more natural looking. Also I have found that some of the other lotions have tended to bring out patches of melanin in my skin making it look like I have loads of liver spots, but Dove Summer Glow doesn't give me this problem.

As this is such a good product I shall be using it daily throughout the year - that way, when I go to any Christmas parties, I know I can wear any sort of dress and feel confident that my skin looks great being nicely moisturised and lightly tanned - Perfect!

Dove Summer Glow

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - Skin Protectant

This has got to be the ultimate multi-purpose product.  It's a beauty classic that soothes and restores a multitude of problems.

It was created in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden to soothe the skin by an effective combination of petrolatum, beta-hydroxy and vitamin E.

It's an apricot coloured balm with a scent that I really like.  I use it to soothe razer burn, relieve chapped lips and it's great to care for noses when you have a cold, helping to reduce the redness with it's anti-inflammatory benefits and helping to relieve the soreness from constant nose blowing. I've also used it for sunburn where it takes away the sting and itching.

As it's a fairly thick and sticky balm a little will go a long way, but it really is perfect for all those little emergency skin moments.  Definately worth adding to your bathroom cabinet!

You can get Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream from a larger Boots and Department Stores.

Inika Mineral Lip Liner

I have just trialled a terrific lip liner - INIKA Certified Organic Lip Liner. (All INIKA products are vegan, certified halal and certified cruelty free - It's just me that's the guinea pig, and I love it!)

The shade I have is 04 Nude Delight and it is the perfect colour to match my lips.  Being a creamy blend of cold pressed plant waxes and oils it glided on perfectly without any drag, gave a great outline and the natural mineral pigments created a really long staying power.  Even when my lipstick wore off the lip liner was still there, but as it was such a great colour match, it doesn't leave you with the dreaded visible lip liner outline from the 80's.

It certainly stays in place and stops lipstick feathering into any verticle lip lines.  I have also used it all over my lips with just a touch of gloss and it really helped the gloss stay on longer too.

Each INIKA lip Liner comes with a complimentary sharpener lid which is great as you just push the lid on and twist for a perfectly sharpened pencil.

This has now earned a well respected place in my make-up bag.

Inika Mineral Lip Liner

Weleda Skin Food

I absolutely LOVE Weleda's Skin Food, it smells gorgeous too!  Skin Food is delicately fragranced with refreshing essential oils including sweet orange and lavandulae and is the natural choice for everyday care of the face and body.  It is a nourishing and hydrating treatment especially good for the hands, feet and elbows.

My Husband used to say I had "sand-paper feet" - not any more! This cream has totally restored my feet and heels.  I have tried many heel creams before but they have never really solved the problem of dry, cracked heels - this cream does!  Also my hands (which are also quite dry) are soft and silky smooth.

Skin Food is a very thick cream so a little goes a long way and as it contains all natural ingredients, you're not putting anything nasty on your skin. It is made with organic sunflower seed oil, and extracts of wild pansy, chamomile, calendula and revitalising rosemary extract to perk up tired skin, it is a great rescue remedy for lack-lustre or generally undernourished complexions. It can be used as a protective cream in harsh weather and is excellent for anyone regularly out of doors, so should suit me well on my regular morning 3 mile Power Walks!

This marvellous intensive moisture cream is a backstage beauty secret and been around since 1926.  It has a big celebrity fan base - well now it has me too!

Weleda Skin Food

Pears Soap

As I am still a “bar of soap” kind of shower person, I have used Pears traditional transparent soap for many years.

Pears soap was first produced and sold in 1789 by Andrew Pears at his factory in London.  It was the world’s first transparent soap, the world’s first registered brand and therefore the world’s oldest continuously existing brand.

So, why change something that is so great?  Well in October 2009 there were changes to the quality of ingredients used in the manufacturing process. These have resulted in a noticeably different shaped bar (flatter rather than concave) and a difference in scent. The aroma, which used to be a characteristically mild, spicy fragrance, is now a very strong, almost like coal tar and with a reduction in the moisturizing properties.

The transparent amber soap was altered from the original to become 'Gentle Care' wrapped in an inner cellophane covering. The new soap was slightly softer in texture and lasted half as long. The "Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic" claim was dropped because of the new ingredients. Furthermore, the 3-month aging process described on the original box does not appear on the box of the 'Gentle Care' formula, suggesting that the "improvements" were made so that the soap could be produced more quickly and with cheaper ingredients, therefore increasing profits.

The old bar contained just eight ingredients:- Sodium Palmitate, Natural Rosin, Glycerine, Water, Sodium Cocoate, Rosemary Extract, Thyme Extract, Pears Fragrance Essence.

The listed ingredients of the new soap are: Sorbitol, Aqua, Sodium Palmate/stearate, Sodium Palmkernelate, Sodium Rosinate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, PEG-4, Alcohol, Glycerin, Perfume, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Meta Bisulfite, Etidronic acid, Tetra Sodium EDTA, BHT, Cl 12490, Cl 47005, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Cinnamal, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool.

It was reported in the media that Pears would not abandon the new formula but "make further improvements, by delivering a scent that more closely resembles the original formula”, however, this has not occurred.

So I’ve just recently tried the Green Pears Oil-Clean Soap Bar, and that’s even worse than the amber bar.   I shall no longer be buying Pears Soap and will be looking to hunt down a pure new soap! – Watch this space!!

W7 Lip Lights Lip Gloss

Now I'm not a lip gloss kinda girl.  I don't like the sticky feel they leave, HOWEVER, I have found a real beauty steal here for well under £5.

W7 Lip Lights Lip Gloss is long lasting and non sticky.  It comes in a 6 ml tube with a very handy mirror on the side and the lid lights up when you take the wand out.  This makes it perfect to apply in the back of a taxi at night (or whatever)!

My favourite shade is 03 which is a soft nude beige, which I wear over the top of a similar coloured lipstick, but this lip gloss has enough sheer colour that it can be worn on its own.  A fantastic budget buy!

W7 Lip Lights Lip Gloss

Eyesential Under Eye Enhancer

Eyesential under eye enhancer is my No.1 Beauty Must-Have! 

It temporarily diminishes lines and puffiness for a more youthful appearance. This effect lasts for up to 10 hours.  It was developed for the Hollywood film industry, this secret weapon has been used by top make-up artists to the stars for over 30 years to give them an instant eye lift. This miracle in a bottle is essential for that special occasion when you simply have to look your best, yet gentle enough for use everyday for the same dramatic results.  It provides the best eye care for the removal of eye wrinkles.

You only need a very small amount under your eyes so it will last ages. I use mine daily and a bottle lasts about 3 - 4 months. Make sure the under eye area is completly clean, dry and free of moisturiser.  (Save your eye creams for night time). Then allow to dry for approx 2 mins.  Eyesential recommend only using a mineral power foundation on top (they have their own make which I have yet to try - but one is on it's way).  I have managed to apply liquid foundation over the top by using a cosmetic sponge and VERY lightly dabbing the foundation on top.

It can be tricky to start with, but perserve - it really is worth it!

L'Oreal EverPure Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner



Initially I was confused as to which type of this range would be most suitable for my hair, then I tried the pink - for coloured and FRIZZY.  More expensive than the usual shampoos you can buy in the supermarket  buy definately worth the extra few pounds.

The first thing I noticed was the gorgeous smell, not floral but more essential oils, infact the conditioner is much stronger smelling than the shampoo.  After rinsing each product off in the shower I could feel that my hair was smoother.  When blow drying my hair it was not so heavy and styled much better, keeping it's style all day - a real bonus.  Highlights in my hair were also more vibrant and NO FRIZZ.  Having just tried the Aveda Smooth Infusion, I think the L'Oreal EverPure is far more superior and less than half the price of Aveda. 

So far L'Oreal EverPure Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner are the best I have tried and are currently my favourite!

L'Oreal EverPure Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner

NUDE ProGenius Treatment Oil

This facial oil is from the range developed by Ali Hewson (Mrs Bono).  It has a blend of active oils, including macadamia, raspberry and cranberry seeds, apricot kernel and kukui.  It is also super rich in omegas 3,6,7 and 9.  It has a dropper inside the eco-plastic container.

So how was it - WOW!  You only need to use about 3-4 drops, so although pricey it will last a long time.  The oil was easy to apply and was absorbed by my skin immediately.  It felt smooth and smelt really nice too.  The next morning I was amazed at how even my skin tone was and fine lines and wrinkles had either reduced or the smaller ones even diminished.  My skin felt lovely and soft with a plumped up look.  My make up goes on easier too.

With such radiance from a few drops of oil, I'm sure Nude ProGenius will become a beauty classic.

NUDE ProGenius Treatment Oil