Good morning! If you've been reading my blog for a while you may be aware that I have a slight love affair with Clarins. I don't know if I'm the only one but do you ever feel like there are certain brands out there that you just feel are right for you? Well that's how I feel about Clarins, I just love everything about this brand. I don't know if its because it's a French brand, and anyone who knows me knows that I have an, as yet unfulfilled, desire to live in France, specifically Paris or whether its just because every experience I have had of their products has been a darn good one. So, on that note, I went to my local Clarins counter last week to re-purchase my cleanser and moisturiser and was rather excited to see that there was a special offer on. On purchasing two full size products you could receive three (very generous) travel sized samples of products to try. There was a choice of ten and the lovely lady at the counter talked me through each one and I am here to show you my choices! And boy am I pleased! 

First just (another) quick rave about the cleanser and moisturiser I use, because I love them so very much! I've been using them for about a year now and have not looked back. I use the Daily Energizer range, which is specifically aimed at 18-25 year olds, and I feel has seriously improved the overall appearance of my skin and significantly reduced the amount of breakouts I get. I use the cleansing gel which claims to 'deliver fresh-looking complexion radiance' and the Cream-Gel moisturiser (there's a choice of this one and just the cream version for drier skins) which claims to 'visibly diminish imperfections to provide...a healthy looking radiant complexion'. I honestly could not recommend them enough, but obviously everyone's skin is different so what works for me might not work for you! 

Now, onto the exciting little freebies I got. First off I chose another cleanser (the Gentle Foaming Cleanser) which, with hindsight probably wasn't the best choice seeing as that was what I was buying anyway. But that's neither here nor there, I haven't actually used this yet because I just can't stop using my daily energizer one, but when that runs out I will definitely be giving it a go and I'll let you know how it goes. I am a bit dubious because I've used a foaming cleanser from Clinique before and absolutely hated it! Seriously, I don't know if any of you have used it, it's called the Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser and it leaves the weirdest feeling on your skin which I can't even explain, it just feels kind of sticky but not tacky. It's really strange (and really stung my eyes)! Anyway, here's hoping this one is better! 

Next up is this absolute beaut! I probably wouldn't have gone for a bath or shower type of product as my freebie in the beginning because I already have far too many samples to use up, but after I smelt this at the counter there was no looking back! This smells absolutely incredible! Now, I will warn you, this scent is not for the faint hearted. If you are not one for a strong fragrance or if you like your fragrances very girly and sweet then this is not for you! Seriously, this product packs a heady punch. It's got a herbal, aromatic scent with essential oils to relax tired muscles and can be used in the bath or shower. It hasn't got a thick lather, it's lightweight and I actually find it quite refreshing to use in the shower. I've not poured it into a nice warm bath yet but I can imagine that breathing in the scent of this before bed would send me to sleep pretty quickly! Absolutely love it and would recommend it for anyone who loves a bit of an assault on the nostrils now and again! 

And finally, I chose the fragrance 'Eau des Jardins'. And let me tell you, I am in love. This is everything I have been looking for in a summer scent, and so much more! It is absolutely beautiful and not only is it a gorgeous smell, it is also described as a treatment fragrance which 'moisturises, soothes and ensures beautifully soft skin'. The lady at the counter said to gently press it into your skin when you apply it  to ensure the fragrance lasts longer as well as making sure the benefits, such as the essential oils and plant extracts, really get into your skin and work their magic. The only thing I would prefer from this was that the travel size came with a spray applicator, because I'm just lazy and it's harder to dab it on from the bottle! But apart from that I cannot complain, it is the most gorgeous fragrance and a happy addition to my collection. I think the lady said that the freebies would total up to something like £61 so I was pretty darn cheery when I walked away with my bag full of goodies! 

So that's all for today folks, I hope you don't mind me ranting on about Clarins all hours of the day! Do you have a favourite brand that you love for reasons unfathomable to others? If so, let me know and I hope you're al having a great day and enjoying the sunshine (or what's left of it anyway). I'll be back tomorrow with another post, I'm having a writing day today to try and get back on track and will definitely be putting some more nail posts up soon. Speak soon and au revoir! 

This is a little post about some beauty products that I am loving at the moment, and have been for the past month or so. I'm having to get a bit creative with my hair because of my mission to not use heat on it (you can read about that here) and have found it difficult to get it looking nice enough that I don't feel like a total tramp, especially when I go to work where it probably pays off to look slightly presentable, so that's where the rollers come in. Obviously, they're not heated (would kind of defeat the point!) but I just use one in my fringe in the morning as I'm getting ready in order to give it a bit of lift and a couple at the front pieces of my hair. I find it really helps to just make it look a bit more 'done' and on days when I'm not actually washing my hair I'll just dampen it with a bit of water and pop the rollers in for about 20 minutes.


My Clarisonic is (at the moment, anyway) my all time favourite beauty gadget. It is seriously amazing. I know there has been a lot of hype about this for months and months now and I got mine for Christmas (after a bit of persuading on my part because my Mum couldn't seem to get her head around the concept of using a giant toothbrush on your face!). If you haven't got one, you should! Honestly, it is just incredible. I don't have particularly problem skin anyway but this has just made it even better. It feels so soft and smooth and looks the best it has ever done. In the past couple of weeks I've actually had a few comments on how good my skin is looking and I would definitely put that all down to the Clarisonic and it's ability to work wonders! I know it is a little on the pricey side but it is worth the investment and will last for years and years, so you will get your money's worth.

Miss Dior Cherie - absolutely loving this at the moment it is such a sophisticated scent in a gorgeous bottle.


Estee Lauder DayWear - have been wearing this almost everyday since the weather has been getting warmer and sunnier. I love it. I'm sure you will all have heard lots about it but it is worth the hype as it gives a gorgeous dewy, sunkissed glow.


Umberto Giannini Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm - yet another hair care product which I've been using to bring my hair back to tip top condition. I like it and it smells divine but I'm not completely convinced that it does that much for my hair. 


Blistex Lip Brilliance - really great product that I have re-purchased many times. Gives lips a lovely rosy tint with the slightest hint of shimmer whilst making them super soft and moisturised. It's only £2.49 and something I always opt for if I'm in a bit of a rush or feel like my lips need looking after. 

Do you use any of these products? What do you think of them? Let me know what your faves of the moment are! 

Well, I'm sure most of you will have probably read a review of it somewhere else but just thought I'd share with you what I thought about it and give a little review of the products I got. I have been getting increasingly more disappointed with the boxes I've received, I don't know if I'm just expecting too much or just becoming bored with the idea but I am considering cancelling my subscription.

When I first signed up, which was last May (?) I was ridiculously excited and I'm sure the first few boxes I got were so much better than ones I've got recently, but I can't decide if that's just because I'm looking back with rose-tinted glasses. I can't quite bring myself to cancel it just yet, I keep saying I'll just see what the next one is like but then I don't want to risk missing out on a really good one!! Anyway, here's what I thought of this month's offering.

Firstly the packaging, as always, was lovely. The white box was gorgeous and there was Harrods ribbon inside which, if like me you have a weird love for ribbon of all shapes and sizes, was probably one of the most exciting things in it!

So, first product was a Narciso Rodriguez 'For Her' perfume sample. I have liked this fragrance for a while when I've smelt it in shops but I just hate getting perfume samples in the box. It seems like such a cop out and is always disappointing. The only good thing is that, yes, they are good to carry around in your bag instead of a huge bottle of perfume, but I have a ridiculous amount of tiny little samples now and I just DON'T. WANT. ANY. MORE! 

Next up was the Molton Brown 'Heavenly Gingerlily Moisture Bath and Shower'. This smells lovely and was one of the best products in the box. Obviously, Molton Brown is a very well-respected and loved brand and the sample was a decent size and the packaging is lovely. I haven't actually used it yet but I imagine that, like the other Molton Brown products I've tried, I won't be disappointed. 

Another exciting product was the YSL 'Forever Youth Liberator Serum'. Now, I'm guessing I'm not in their target audience for this as I think I'm a bit too young but I can't help being excited about trying out luxurious skincare even if it's not aimed at me. The little bottle is made of glass which makes it feel expensive (and it is)  and luxurious and having a pipet to dispense it rather than just a squeezy tube or something similar, makes it all very exciting (do other people get excited over really small things?). The actual product feels nice on the skin, I've only used it twice so far so I can't really say if it's done anything, but it makes a good make-up base. 

Next was another exciting one (it doesn't actually seem too bad overall does it?!) - a Burberry Lipstick sample in No.04 'Rosewood'. Once again, gorgeous packaging, especially with the Burberry print on the bullet of the lipstick. The sample is pretty small but the colour is nice, a kind of brown-red colour and the consistency really is very moisturising. And who wouldn't love a Burberry lipstick in their collection?

The final product is the Clarins 'Extra-Firming Body Cream' which claims to "Lift, Tone and Comfort". A very thick consistency which makes it feel luxurious and, although I've only used it once, I can say that I really like it. Don't know about the lifting and toning (need to use it a few more times to give a legitimate review of those effects), but it was a very good moisturiser and made my skin feel very soft indeed. The sample size was also pretty decent and I was happy with this because I'm a huge Clarins fan anyway. 

Having just reviewed each product on it's own I actually think the box is better than I did when I started this post! The only one I wasn't really pleased with was the perfume sample but actually, overall, the products were pretty good. I think maybe because I knew it was the Harrods Special Edition box I got myself a little too excited and that's why I might have been slightly disappointed but my mind has been changed. So there we go! Let me know if you got the box and what you thought of it and whether you loved it or loathed it!

Have a marvelous day!