Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil - Review

Bonjour!

A few weeks ago I found myself at the Clarins counter in Debenhams (of all places) and had a chat to the lovely assistant about the Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil - she very kindly gave me two sample sizes bottles to try - told you she was lovely ...!

Applied at night under moisturiser and described by Clarins as ...

"Moisture care for Dehydrated Skin. 100% pure plant extracts. This best-selling oil contains extracts of Rosewood, Patchouli and Blue Orchid to tone, revitalise and restore radiance to moisture-depleted skin. Hazelnut Oil helps prevent moisture loss and the formation of fine lines." (source)

Blue Orchid Oil has a most distinctive herbal aroma - smells to me like a medicinal potion put together in days of yore by a medieval practitioner! The scent hangs/wafts around for a while and I find it quite therapeutic - gets quite addictive!  It has a denser consistency - almost syrupy - than I was expecting and you literally only need a couple of drops - a little goes a very long way. You can apparently use on it's own (so the lovely Clarins assistant told me) or under moisturiser.  I've been using each night with a little moisturiser over the top - I say 'little' because the oil is so concentrated you really do use much less moisturiser.  How many more times can I say 'moisturiser' in this paragraph!

I'm loving this facial oil and my skin seems to do too. It's not broken me out and given the fact that I'm pretty stressed at the moment and definitely not getting enough sleep it's nothing short of a miracle that I don't resemble an old witch from the coven!  My skin feels hydrated, plumped, rested and soothed (even if my body doesn't!). It's my overall facial expression, posture and dark circles that give the game away!

So my obsession with facial oils continues. I'm hooked (told you it was addictive!) and will definitely be investing in a full size - think it will also be a superb product to use over winter. You can pick it up from various beauty websites as well as Clarins direct for between £26/£32 per 30ml.

Have you tried the Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil? What's your favourite facial oil of the moment?

Jen x

Let's Get It On with Marvin!

Bonjour!

I am cream crackered, absolutely cream crackered ...!  Work is positively mad, we are so busy and all working overtime, everyone has headaches - literally.  My job role has also been changed so I've been training on different procedures, rules, calculations, I'll get there eventually (she says!) but at the moment my brain is ready to 'do one' I can tell you!  Kids events are picking up with the end of term coming up, don't even talk to me about housework (I should be ironing instead of typing this post!). Have had to force myself out of the house down to the gym after work and blogging has had to take a bit of a back seat - which is doing my head in - but you can't let the house go to wrack and ruin whilst you take blog photos (so many photos I need to take) and write posts ... or can you??

So ... tonight I need to stop juggling all those sodding plates just for a  few hours and chill out - with pizzas and salad and red wine (maybe the latter in large quantities) and a bit of our Marvin ...

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On ... 

Oh my goodness, what a tune, what a tune ... can't you feel your shoulders dropping as (some) of the stress leaves your body, whilst you listen to Marvin getting it on? Can't help but sing along ... 'Don't you know how sweet and wonderful life can be?' - yes I definitely need to remember this as I sit at my desk at work in a perplexed state ...!

Are you chilling out tonight? What's your favourite relax track?

Jen x

Bourjois Cream Blush in Pink Sunwear - Review

Bonjour!

This is my first little round pot of Bourjois Cream Blush ... I chose Pink Sunwear ... in keeping with the season and all ...!

A golden salmony pink in colour when swatched, with an acceptable level of shimmer (but not in a glitterball way!) - it's like an all-in-one blush/highlighter.  It has a silken texture and glides on easily with fingers or brush over the old apples to give a sun-kissed and healthy glow - exactly what I'm after at this time of year! A little goes a long way - it works over a BB or full foundation and lasts really well throughout the day without going patchy - it even passed the 'sweaty office' test the other week! Definitely one for this year's holiday!

Here it is 'in situ' ... and please try to ignore the shiny conk in the foreground which is threatening to take over the entire universe - black hole style (and that's only half of it...!) ...

I must admit I am a little smitten with my Pink Sunwear!  A super-easy Summertime product that takes seconds to apply and helps me to look more 'human' and less 'zombie' (been having quite a few 'zombie days' - must be my dratted age!). As I said this has been my first delve in the world of Bourjois Cream Blush ... somehow I don't think it will be my last ... mark my words!

Have you had a bash at a Bourjois Cream Blush? What's your favourite Summertime blusher?

Jen x

Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine ... !

Bonjour and Happy Midsummer's Day!

I had a Twitter conversation last week with someone who is the exact opposite to me - loves the cold and darkness of Winter and hates the current light evenings and 'vile heat' - as she put it! Each to their own and all ...! I always feel a little melancholy when the longest day is over.  I am definitely a Summer-lover and don't want the days to shorten.  The sun, the warmth, the light, the long evenings ... seems appropriate to be playing this Summertime track today ...


Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze ....

Totally captures the atmosphere of Summertime for me this one - if I didn't have bad hay fever and a general fear of creepy crawlies I'd just want to lie on my back in a field - (without cowpats mind!) - gazing up at a cloudless blue sky (SPF on of course) - listening to Summertime music, winding down for a long, lazy, warm evening ... don't get many of those I can tell you!

What's your favourite Midsummer track?

Jen x

Maybelline Big Eyes Volum'Express Mascara - Review

Bonjour!

I bought the Maybelline Big Eyes Volum'Express Mascara (in black) a while ago - not long after it was first launched actually as it was on offer with a couple of quid knocked off.  Not sure why really as I've never really 'got on' with Maybelline mascaras and therefore delayed opening it up! It boasts a double-ended brush - the upper brush is designed to volumise and push the lashes up whilst fanning them out with a quick-drying formula. The lower 'micro-brush' is meant to grab and coat all those elusive lower lashes.

I don't think you can see from the above pics but the top brush has a twist to it so the bristles almost spiral around the wand (reminds me of Bare Minerals Lash Domination in that respect) - maybe it's that ol' twist that's the secret weapon?  The top brush is just the right size for my lashes - not too fat - not too thin and works (for once!) with the formula, which appears to be the right consistency. It fans the lashes out well and provides length, volume and definition.  It's smudge and flake proof and managed a whole day in the office last week during our '33 degrees office heatwave' without moving - so proper result there! I tend to apply two coats as quickly as possible as it does dry in no time and you have to work fairly quickly if you want to layer. You need to scrape excess mascara off the brush well, especially if you do come back for another coat later on - otherwise it will clump and you'll need to comb lashes through. It's easily taken off at the end of the day with a decent remover.  I have to say that although I can see the reasoning behind the lower brush, it doesn't really have the desired effect for me and I get far better results using the top brush on the bottom lashes. If anything, I've just been using the lower brush to add a bit of extra definition once my mascara is on just because it's there and I don't want it to feel left out!

Two quick coats here on usually non existent lashes (no idea what's going on with those mammoth frown lines - good aren't they?).

I'll admit this is my first success with a Maybelline mascara - 'Big Eyes' is great for everyday wear. It's been a pleasant surprise and if it sported just the one upper brush I'd readily repurchase at the full price of of £8.99... I may well do anyway and just ignore the micro brush!

Have you tried Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara? What do you think of 'bottom lash brushes'?

Jen x