FOTD - Ikea trip

 

Face: L'Oreal Revitalift 10 Repair BB Cream (again, I really didn't like this product, but as you can see I used it few times to properly give it a go - I stand by my utter dislike!), Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF15 Foundation in Real Sand, Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in 1 Pink, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in medium, Benefit Moon Beam, Daniel Sandler Watercolour Creme Bronzer in Fiji;

Eyes: Becca Eye Tint in Vicuna, Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr in Permanent Taupe, Benefit Eye Bright, Bourjois Volume Fast & Perfect mascara;

Lips: Max Factor Lip Liner in 12 Fire, Topshop Lipstick in Hazard.

Delivery / REN

Hello lovelies!

Few posts ago - here - I was telling you about the amazing offer REN is running and last week, I received my order.

Six of the Best

This set was part of the offer and completely free with any purchase!

I've been wanting to learn more about REN so this is perfect as the samples are generous and they are a mix of everything: a cleansing gel, serum, eye cream, mask, .., ..,

It contains:

- Mayblossom Balancing Cleansing Gel

- Jojoba Micro Bead Invigorating Facial Polish

- Omega 3 Night Repair Serum

- Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask

- Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream

Active 7 Radiant Eye Gel

Travel Kit

I decided to order this because the set above already gives me plenty to try about skincare; also, it comes in a clear zip bag which is going to be useful for carrying your hand luggage allowance.

This kit includes:

- Neroli and Grapefruit Body Cream

- Neroli and Grapefruit Body Wash

- Oat and Bay Conditioning Shampoo

- Pro-Vitamin Hair Conditioner

Finally, I picked this additional samples:

- Photoactive Sun Veil SPF15

- F10 Smooth and Renew Mask

*UPDATE*

Being the serum junkie that I am, I decided to start with the Omega 3 Night Repair Serum; it smelled really fishy and the consistency didn't seem right so I read online that it could have gone off, as the normal smell is more peachy.

I contacted REN on Twitter and they offered to check it for me and to send it back freepost; apparently, it was fine but it clearly wasn't right for my skin as it's a very oily serum... so they offered to send me another serum to try: I chose the Keep Young and Beautiful SH3C Serum.

Very impressed with their friendly and prompt service! :)

Have you tried any of these?

Which one is your favourite? :)

FOTD - @ IMAX for The Dark Knight Rises

 

Face: Ginvera BB Cream, Ysl Touche Eclat in no.1, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in medium, Mac Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom;

Eyes: bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Vision, Revlon GrowLuscious mascara, Benefit Eyes Bright;

Lips: Ysl Glossy Lip Stain in no.17. 

... btw, about the film, I thought it was amazing - loved it and I would, happily, go to see it again tomorrow! Also, it was my first experience with the imax and it's great: it really sucks you in - no comparison with the sh**y 3D - it's so much better!

Delivery / Debenhams

I took advantage of the gift with purchase for Elemis and placed a cheeky order on the Debenhams website, last week.

At the moment, there's this Limited Editon: Papaya Daily Facial Essentials Kit available; I had both the Papaya Enzyme Peel and Soothing Apricot Toner on my wishlist for some time, so it made perfect sense to buy this set. In the bag, you also get the Melting Cleansing Gel - which is a bonus - and Maximum Moisture Day Cream - which I read so many raves about.

The print of the washbag is gorgeous, too - the design is from Laura Oakes for the celebration of the papaya enzyme peel 10th Anniversary; for the occasion, Elemis have teamed up with charity SOCO to provide founding for over 50.000 vaccinations for children in Africa.

I have another one of these washbag and I, actually, use it to store jewellery more than toiletry.

love the details on the plaque too :)

 For the second purchase, I got the Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser: I'm running out of the Liz Earle cleanser so I thought I try this one as It's supposed to be very similar... this one, also, comes with muslin glove.

Finally, the gift set. 

I'm, mostly, looking forward to try the Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash - which was also on my wishlist; the Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Serum sounds, also, exciting... and for the bath, you get a Tranquil Touch Creamy Body Wash and a Quiet Mind Relaxing Bath Elixir. I will save these for the winter months: perfect to unwind in a relaxing, warm bath!

Have you tried any of these products?

Any like/dislike?

Introducing / Penhaligon's

Recently, I've started getting more interested in luxury perfumes - I've come to realize how precious these little bottles of nectar are; the first name which comes to mind, when thinking about indulging, decadent scents, is Penhaligon's!

The founder - William Penhaligon - first opened his barber shop in 1870 in London, starting a tradition of blending the finest, rarest ingredients to produce fragances with emotive power to wrap you in lost memories and elegance... there's nothing more evocative than a smell.
The perfect perfume is, also, the ultimate accessorize: it is an art, the ability to create an olfactive concoction that oozes elegance and individuality.

Today, Penhaligon's boasts a portfolio of 34 unique fragrances and the perfect way to start discovering them is the Scent Library*!

look at this gorgeous wrapping... when you see that, you know you're in for a treat!

The Scent Library is a collection of the most popular fragrances, both for ladies & gents;

I got my husband involved and asked him to wear 'his' side of the library... which is only fair as I am the one smelling him all day so I am the one which need to like it, right??! ;)

I need to say that some of them could easy be unisex.

the library also comes with a guide to the fragrances

Artemisia is relatively recent, created in 2002 - with head notes of nectarine which gives it its sweetness, reined down by warm amber and musk.
Malabah is more exotic and follow an imaginary journey along the East Indian spice route; we got ginger and aromatic spices but with zisty citrucy top notes.
Lily & Spice is floral and edgy; saffron, the world's most expensive spice, gives it a unique earthy dimension which marries perfectly with vanilla and, as the name is giving away, lilies.
Lily of the Valley was created in 1976 and considered by expert of the field as one of the finest lily of the valley fragrance; the predominant notes are lilies, bergamot and it's a classic white flower scent; we, also, have sandalwood to strengthen the composition and staying power.
Bluebell is a pure distillation of bluebell woods that evoke woodland with dripping leaves and moss; a fresh and young fragrance.

Endymion is a strong and deep, nocturnal fragrance; very manly and leathery but smoothed with mandarin and sage notes.
Blenheim Bouquet was created in 1902 and the innovation was in the citrus base (instead of heavy floral notes); you're suddenly hit by the lemon and lime mixed with black pepper and musk; yet, remains discreet and contemporary.
Quercus is the most unisex of the lot; you have the lightness of the citrus fruits and greenness of basil. It's the perfect invigorating cologne.
Opus 1870 is the heaviest and comforting, ideal for winter months; extremely woody, smoky and fiery with the black pepper, incense and sandalwood.
Douro is an intensive, deep take on a cologne; we have sharp and garden fresh geranium and limes, at the bottom but it's the oakmoss and the musk which assert themselves with robust notes.

What a pleasant journey that was... and so much to discover still!
My favourite, so far, is Artemisia but Night Scented and Orange Blossom are already making my imagination run wild and going on my wishlist... plus, how can you resist the regality of these beautiful bottles??!!

Do you own any Penhaligon's fragrance?
Which one is your favourite? :)

Etsy Purchase

I have been looking for some  multi-faceted gemstones jewellery for some time... in the style of  Monica Vinader, for example, but something cheaper.

So, I decided to have a look on Etsy!

  I have never paid much attention to Etsy before because the majority of the shops are based in US and I can't be bothered to incur in custom, really.

Having said that, I will need to retract now as I found some true gems and really affordable; plus, the shipping costs are always reasonable (5/7 dollars)... so I will, definitely, shop there more!

Here is what I got:

I got a necklace and earrings - they came at $40 but you can also buy them separately (which is about 13quid each... and personally, I think that's a bargain!)

I'm sooo pleased with these! they're exactly what I wanted: the aqua blue stone, kinda groovy, rough metal setting... now I want more in every colour!!

No, actually next I'm gonna get a ring... I've already started the scavenger hunt in the Etsy world to find the perfect one! ;)

Btw, this shop is called Gojo Design (I'm not affiliate), delivery took about 10 days which isn't bad at all.

The goods came in this cute green box and I love the details on the chain, too.

Do you shop on Etsy?!

x

FOTD - @ Cinema

 

Face: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foudation in 52 Vanilla, Ysl Touche Eclat in 01, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in 3 medium, Neal's Yard Remedies Mineral Blusher in 54 Peony, Guerlain Meteorites Perles in 01 Teint Rose' ;

Eyes: Neal's Yard Remedies Eyeshadow in 76 Oat, Chanel Ombres Perlees de Chanel (purple shade in the outer corner), Soap & Glory Thick & Fast mascara;

Lips: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 001 Honey.

Wedding Post - Venues & Car

Richard and I had a church wedding - Richard is not catholic so we had a mixed ceremony, meaning we couldn't do the communion but for the rest was pretty similar to a traditional catholic wedding.

I think everybody enjoyed it - the priest, which married us, is quite funny and It went quite fast so I think people didn't get bored. Also, he invited one of his friends (other priest), which spoke English, to 'co-host' so the ceremony was a mix of both languages and everybody could get involved.

outside of the church

me arriving with my dad, in the main square

 There are, actually, 2 churches in the main square of my hometown; we picked the smaller one because we're having a small wedding, but also because it's the same church my parents got married, 33 years ago.

The car... yeah, you may have spotted it: I knew, from the start, that I wanted a vintage Fiat 500, which is my favourite car of all time -I want one!!!
People kinda tried to change my mind or advised that it was too small... but other brides used it before and in the end, it worked very well!
On the way there, I was sitting in the front and after the ceremony, on the way to the restaurant, me and Richard could fit fine in the back and had a driver.

getting in the car, outside my parent's house

After the wedding, we moved to the restaurant which was only about 10 minutes from the church, in the countryside.
The restaurant is called Tenuta Canta and it's an old converted barn, refurbished in a rustic style.
They, also, have their own organic products and grow goats, chickens... plus, it's a mini B&B (only 6-7 rooms), ideal for some of our out-of-town guests.
It looks very pretty for photos, too. :)

source

Inside:

source

Next week... last post: bits &bobs :)
xxx

Delivery / Super by Dr. Nicholas Perricone

This morning, I received my parcel from Cocosa.

I have few products that I'm trying atm, so I'm not sure when I'll get around to do a proper review; anyway, I thought I'd share this with you now as these products are still available on the website - and you can get a better feel, if you're interested in buying them...

So, what did I get?

- First Blush Brightening Serum

- Night Recharge Retinol Treatment

- Lush Lips Conditioning Balm

green commitment statement

Ok, I admit it: I'm a sucker for a pretty packaging... and I love these - I, also, love the frosted glass of the bottles.

The Night Recharge comes with a separate pump and First Blush comes with a dropper applicator, instead.

Lush Lips comes in a pot... and what can I say, it smells like coconut (obviously) equals perfection! Did I mention that I love EVERYTHING COCONUT??!

It's pretty thick but melts with the heat and reminds me of Nuxe Reve de Miel, minus the grittiness.

 

that is definitely a FULL jar

For what I read around, these products seem to deliver instant results - especially the Night Recharge, where the astaxanthin (from the red algae) is a potent antioxidant that gives shrimps and salmons their pinky colour and should mimic the same on your cheeks: we'll see... but I'm excited to give it a go!

 

Finally, I'm very pleased with the service from this website: it's similar to BrandAlley and I have ordered only once from both but the Cocosa' order arrived in 2 days, whilst the BrandAlley took over a month - so kudos for that!

Have you tried anything from Super yourself?

xxx