Posh PJs ~ Charlotte & Co

I love PJs. Always have done, though to be honest they’re not something I’ve ever felt the urge to splash out on.  I’m sure I’m not the only one happy to spend a small fortune on an amazing dress and killer heels for a special occasion, yet sleep every night in something I’d frankly not answer the door in!  The older I get the more I think that these little things actually do matter… that we should love the everyday things in our lives.

With this in mind, I happily accepted Charlotte’s offer to try a pair of her PJs.  Charlotte & Co is an online boutique filled with girly gorgeousness to add a little (or a lot!) of lux to everyday life with a range of homeware, clothing and accessories ranging from pretty pure silk knickers to stylish mock croc wellies.

Meet my new PJs…

I’m a sucker for butterfly prints so couldn’t resist this very girly pink brushed cotton flannel pair.

 

They’re so soft and comfy to wear and the genius design means they’re elasticated at the back but the front can be loosened (or tightened, if you’re lucky!) for the perfect fit.  This might just come in handy after Christmas dinner!  I can’t stand tight PJs and usually size up - I didn’t this time, but these are very true to size and a comfortable, relaxed fit without being overly baggy. (ie I don’t feel like I’m wearing a sack & they don’t stretch & hang off my bum after a night’s sleep!)

It’s hard to photograph PJs - this was the best way to show you them in their entirety (much as I love you all, I’m not ready to pose in my PJs just yet - sorry girls!) The fabric is not at all transparent, despite how it looks against the light.

This pic is a more accurate perception of the colour and fabric.

The soft, pretty fabric, comfortable design and pretty finish is what makes these a bit more special than my usual High St options.  And while it’s more than I’d usually pay, I don’t think £39 is extortionate for  cotton flannel PJs - especially as they do make me feel lovely going to bed!

Oh and if you ‘like’ Charlotte & Co on Facebook you can get 25% with the code luxe25 for the next 3 days, which works out at just £29.25!

For those lucky enough to have a super generous Santa in their life, Charlotte & Co also sells Classic Silk Satin pyjamas.  As for me, I may dream on…

Chanel Paradoxal Dupe ? 2true #46 NOTD

I picked up this 2true beauty in Superdrug for just £1.99. Bargainous considering it bears a startling resemblance to the stunning Chanel Paradoxal. I thought I’d share some pics to see if you think it’s a good dupe. Sadly I don’t have ‘the real thing’ but know most of you have seen it by now!

Before I go any further, apologies for a less than perfect mani - I just painted my nails at top speed as an interlude from my work!

I took 53 pictures for this post *wipes brow* - all in attempt to catch the gorgeous duochrome effect in this polish.  I’d describe it as a dark minky-grey-auberginey shade, shot through with a bright pinky-purple duochrome. Honest, it is… and I’ll find it, eventually…

Not here of course, as this is in the shade. (20 shots on and I’m on the verge of giving up)

Oh - sunshine *grabs camera* - ok so you can’t see it ON my nails, but here it is in the bottle!

Do I spy a faint purple glimmer?  The sun is playing games with me now. Every time I’m about to snap it disappears behind a cloud.

Oh - purple glimmer in the bottle and a whisper on my nails… (in real life it’s as distinctive on my nails as it is on the bottle). The fact that I’m taking pics with my left hand isn’t helping, but the nails on my right hand were neater!

And finally… got it in 53… one duochrome thumb - nailed!

This polish applied so easily I was amazed - great pigmentation and it was almost opaque in one coat. It’s supposed to last up to 5 days… we shall see about that! 2true nail polish in Shade #46 is £1.99 at Superdrug and is much prettier in real life than my camera can capture! Do you like?

Pai Geranium & Thistle moisturiser

I had planned to incorporate this into another post on my daily skincare routine, but as a few of you were interested in Pai’s buy one get one half price offer, which ends tonight (!!!) I decided to do it early.

Sorry that I didn’t photograph the bottle before I started using it… but at least you can see that it’s been well tested!

I’d wanted to try Pai skincare for quite a while.  I first heard about it on twitter and through other bloggers who found it really helpful when their skin was feeling particularly sensitive.  Pai contacted me after I posted about my skin flaring up a bit and gave me some excellent advice about my own skincare routine…. which I’ll do a separate post about another day.  They later offered me the chance to try one of their moisturisers and I’ve been hooked ever since.

If you’re not familiar with the brand, the main thing you need to know is that Pai are experts on sensitive skin - so every product is suitable for sensitive and allergy-prone skin. My skin isn’t normally particularly sensitive, but I’m more than happy to use products that I know won’t irritate it!

‘We carefully select ingredients with proven remedial and skin soothing properties and keep our products free from irritating chemicals and alcohol.’

The product comes in a chunky, slim glass bottle with a pump mechanism - my favourite as it’s the most hygenic in my opinion - and even better, this one locks really easily so it’s perfect for travel.

But what I love most of all about this moisturiser is that it’s so completely pure.

‘Sensitive skin requires ultra-pure ingredients packed full of high-performance actives. That's why we only use concentrated and premium-grade certified organic botanical extracts that support the skin's natural functions. Our quest for product purity means we never use synthetics, alcohol denat, parabens, phenoxyethanol or other skin irritants.’

Pai moisturisers are free from:

• All synthetic and natural Parabens
• Alcohol (dries & irritates skin)
• Skin irritants including Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Formaldehyde (incl. Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate)
• Beeswax (comedogenic & pore blocking)

After an in-depth consultation, Sarah Brown, founder of Pai, decided that Geranium & Thistle for combination skin would be the most suitable for me.  My skin is actually normal to dry, but can be prone to congestion and enlarged pores in the T-zone (nice!).  This cream is designed to clear and re-balance congested or combination skin.

This product feels like a little layer of velvet on my face.  Unusually for an organic product it is mattifying. The first time I used it I was quite shocked… it almost looked as if I had applied a light dusting of powder on my face! My skin wasn’t dry - it just looked like it was in soft focus - always a bonus!  The addition of Jojoba works to clear congested pores while high levels of GLA in Borage oil keep skin soft and supple.

‘Packed full of Essential Fatty Acids and a host of natural-active skin soothers, this moisturiser rebalances the skin and evens out skin tone.’

It absorbs quickly, feels lovely on the skin, creates a matt finish and a perfect base for make up. I feel no need for an additional primer when I use this.  Now that my skin has settled I feel that I may need a little extra moisture for the winter and have my eye on Pai’s Rosehip and bioregenerate fruit & seed oil blend to use with the moisturiser.

Normally I’d say that every skin is different and while Pai moisturiser has worked for me it may not suit you, but this is one rare occasion on which I’d be shocked if anyone tried this product and wasn’t happy with it.  I’d 100% recommend it to my friends - and that includes you!

Pai moisturisers range in price from £19-26 and are available in four formulas for different skin types. If you purchase before midnight GMT tonight (13 Nov 2011) you can avail of the buy one get one half price offer!

Irish readers, Sarah Brown of Pai will be in Dublin next week, 17-18 November - check out the venues on her blog at paiskincare.com

Make up haul - NARS, L Mercier, Bourjois, Max Factor, 2000

As I haven’t done a make-up post for a while I thought I’d share some of the items I’ve bought over the past month or so.  I started off with two or three items, then kept remembering another purchase I hadn’t added - oops!

I wish I’d taken the pics a bit earlier today but it got dark before I knew it, so apols that they’re a bit ‘flashy’ (must brush up my camera skills!).

Starting with the Bourjois blusher, this is what I got, clockwise…

• Bourjois Blush in Cendre de Rose Brune - a deep pink matte blusher
• Orly nail polish in Nite Owl, AW Fall 2011 Collection - nude taupe with very fine metallic glitter shimmer
• Nubar nail polish in Verde - dark graphite green with lots of shimmer - love this!
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Khaki - beautiful soft crayon eye shadow stick that lasts forever
• NARS Larger Than Life Long-wear Eye Liner in Via Appia - copper brown long lasting liner. This just arrived today and I love it - wish I could afford to get it in every colour! (was reduced at ASOS if you’re interested!)
• Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara in BrownBlack - used this ages ago and loved. Now I remember why!
• Collection 2000 Lip Definer in Cappucino - I’m always on the lookout for the perfect nude lipliner and Collection 2000 does some great ones. Cheap as chips, lovely and soft and twist up mechanism so no sharpening (big plus in my book!).

So do you like the look of my purchases?  If there’s anything you like the look of I’m happy to do reviews and swatches - just post a comment below.

Thanks for reading!

Nic x

Pai Moisturiser - November offer

The above link isn’t live, so click Pai Moisturiser Offer

I will soon be reviewing the very lovely Pai moisturiser in detail, but in the meantime wanted to give you a heads up that it’s on special offer at the moment. If you buy any Pai moisturiser before Sunday 13 November, you can get a second at half price!

I have the Geranium & Thistle, but it’s available in four different formulas:

Chamomile & Rosehip for hypersensitive and Rosacea prone skin

Avocado & Jojoba for dry sensitive skin that needs a regular moisture top-up

Geranium & Thistle for combination sensitive skin that needs T-Zone control

Macadamia & Rose, our deeply hydrating cream formulated for mature and very dry skin types.

These moisturisers are made of the very purest organic ingredients and are perfect for sensitive skins. Prices range from £19-26 depending which formula suits your skin type, so you could potentially have two top quality moisturisers for just £27.

My review will tell you about this product in more detail, but I have no reservations in recommending it to just about anyone! This isn’t a paid promotion and Pai don’t even know I’ve blogged about it (yet!)… I’m just sharing a bargain with my girls!

For more info, please visit PaiSkincare.com

Enjoy your weekend everyone… I’ve been up to my eyes with work this week but you’ll be seeing a lot more of me next week as I’ve heaps of brilliant stuff to share with you all!

Nic x

On the Beach

While most of Belfast was buzzing in preparation for last night’s MTV EMAs, a few miles up the road we were doing this…

It was such a beautiful crisp, sunny day.  I’d love it if the whole Autumn-Winter season was like this. Cool enough to wrap up in gorgeous boots and a cosy scarf, but not biting cold.

And of course blue skies and sunshine always help… my favourite kind of soul food.

I only managed to catch a few quick shots, so thought I’d share them with you.  I hope you like them…

When we got back my sister got a call from a friend who had got hold of some last minute tickets for the VIP Reception at the EMAs, so we had a mad rush to get her glammed up!  I did her nails and will post some pics of how they turned out in the next few days.

Beauty Lust List

 

I’ve been experiencing some serious product lust while browsing online recently and these are a few of the things that jumped out at me… I could go on and on and on, but I had to draw a line somewhere!  I love the palettes that come out at this time for year and always keep an eye out for them as I think they allow you to get a lot more for your money.

NARS

images

 

L to R:

Nars Danmari All About Cheeks Palette £45 - a collection of NARS’ most loved blushers. Apart from the lilac I love all of these shades.

Douceurs de Paris Palette £37 - a mix of matt and shimmering eyeshadows, perfect for day to evening looks.  I have a couple of NARS eyeshadows and the quality is beautiful.

Yorokobi Super Orgasm Set £29 - nail polish, blush and lip gloss in the infamous Orgasm shade.  I love the blush already and have always wanted to try the nail polish and lip gloss. These are mini sizes of the products, but a great way to experiment with them!

 

LAURA MERCIER

image

Laura Mercier Luxe Colour Portfolio £65

6 eyeshadows, 2 blushers, 3 cake tightliners, 3 brushes.

I love this a lot, but would love it more if there were 2 lip colours + 1 eyeliner. Three seems a lot, no? The eyeshadow colours are very wearable and include a couple I already own.  My Laura Mercier colour wardrobe (featured in my first ever blog post) still has a fair bit of life in it, so I don’t *need* this by any stretch of the imagination, but I do think it’s beautiful and like the fact that it includes brushes as I use the ones I already have a lot.

 

BOBBI BROWN

all images

Bobbi Brown 20th Anniversary Lip Palette £43

10 original Lip Colors launched by Bobbi in 1991, plus 10 bright, ultra modern options - wear alone or mix & match. 

I adore almost all of these colours and it would carry me through every season.  It’s a lot of money but I think you’re getting a lot in exchange - 20 lip colours!

 

YSL

YSL Rouge Volupte Perle (#4 + #1) £22.50

I think these are just too beautiful… I haven’t even seen them in the flesh but they’re so pretty they almost look like ornaments and I’ve heard the texture is gorgeous - I want and I will 100% have one!

 

OCC Lip Tar

images

I’ve been researching reviews of these a lot on other blogs lately and am dying to have a play!  Swatches below show the colours I like the look of most…

Pretty Boy             Trollop               Memento               Grandma              Harlot

*Awaits funny comments on how these reflect on my character!*

 

CLINIQUE

Clinique Chubby Colour & Shine Set £27

I think these colours are more Spring than AW but they are very pretty and wearable.  It wouldn’t break my heart not to get these but I do think they’re cute and would make a lovely gift.

 

BUTTER LONDON

I’ve wanted to try Butter London nail polishes for ages and think the AW colours are gorgeous.  I particularly like Toff, Knees Up and Wallis. They cost £12 each.

 

BRUSHES & TOOLS

Shu Uemura Brush Set £35

I’ve always wanted to own some Shu Uemura brushes as I’ve heard so many great things about them… I’m thinking this set is probably as close as I’ll get as they are very pricey and I love this very portable little kit!  If any of you use Shu Uemura I’d love to know your opinions on this and if you think it would be a good investment.

Bobbi Brown Party Deluxe Travel Brush Set £80

Includes seven brushes: Dual Ended Concealer/Blender, Foundation, Face Blender, Eye Sweep,

Eye Shadow, Eye Definer and Dual-Ended Ultra Fine Eyeliner/Eye Liner.

I think this is just beautiful and while it’s doubtless great value for money, it’s sadly way out of my budget.  *sigh* … a girl can dream!

image

Real Techniques Core Collection & Starter Set £20.95 each, Stippling brush £10.99

I’ve been drying to try some Real Techniques brushes, designed by Sam Chapman of Pixiwoos fame.  These kits seem a great place to start and I’d also love the Stippling Brush as I’ve heard it’s amazing for applying foundation with a flawless finish.  Again I’d love your feedback on these.

Shu Uemura Lash Curler £20

I haven’t curled my lashes for years (shock horror) though they are naturally quite curled and would really like a set of these cult curlers.  The ones I used many moons ago were by Body Shop… I’ve no idea in what way these are different but they look quite curved to me and I know I used to nip my skin on the Body Shop ones, which is probably why I stopped using them!

So that’s it (for today!!)… what do you think of my lust list - and what’s on yours?

Label.M & Giles Deacon Collaboration ~ Hair Style

label.m professional hair care products has joined forces with British designer, Giles Deacon, for a festive collaboration featuring a specially designed bold print clutch bag and gift boxes. Developed by TONI&GUY, label.m has been the official backstage range at London Fashion Week for 15 seasons. Despite the high profile, it is new to me, so I thought I’d share my experiences of using it with all of you.

The Mini Stocking Filler Giftbox costs £12.00 and allows you to choose any four mini products from the prescriptive label.m range from each of the  ‘4 Cs Collection’: Cleanse, Condition, Create, Complete.  It’s a massive range with 53 products to choose from.

My Giftbox included 60ml each of:

• Gentle Cleansing Shampoo
• Daily Shine Conditioner
• Protein Spray
• Shine Spray

As you know, I’m a sucker for packaging and love this little black glossy bag, fastened with ribbon and embellished with Giles’ print at the sides.

So how do the products perform?

Rather impressively.  I’ve been using these for a few weeks now and these are my thoughts…

Gentle Cleansing Shampoo is a daily cleanser with an amazing fragrance, which zoomed me straight into salon territory.  It’s fresh and herbal - and I could really smell the rosemary in it.  Combined with the Daily Shine Conditioner my hair was clean, soft and shiny. 

As the names suggest, these two products are designed for daily use, so while it was passable by day two, my hair wasn’t as fresh as I like it to be.  I have a lot of hair - and honestly don’t have time to wash and blow-dry it daily - so I do prefer to do it every other day, or even 3 days at a push (ponytails & messy buns to the rescue!).  If you’re a daily washer and like a moisturising shampoo and conditioner, I’d definitely recommend giving this a go.

The Protein Spray is amazing.  It can be applied to damp or dry hair, gives UV protection and guards against fading.  I used it before blow drying with my Babyliss Big Hair and found it worked really well - I didn’t need any additional styling product and my hair was soft and not frizzy.  I also tried it on naturally dried hair and again my hair sat better and was less Worzel than normal. (I’m cringing at the thought that some of you may be too young to ‘get’ the Worzel reference.  If that’s you, just imagine a strawberry blonde Russell Brand on a bad day).

For a perfect finish the Shine Spray comes out in a lovely fine mist and didn’t make my hair sticky or heavy as so many styling products do (I have a shameful amount of rejected styling products in my drawer. Sticky weighed down hair is not my friend).  This made my hair look shiny, but not greasy.

The ingredients list includes some lovelies and some less than lovelies, including SLS and Parabens, as  in so many products.  I do prefer hair products without them, but like this range enough not to be put off by them and would definitely like to try other label.m products which aren’t designed for daily use. It’s a new brand to me, so if you have any recs I’d love to hear them!  See the full range at labelm.co.uk

Thanks for reading, Nic X