"Mama Knows Best"

I love my Mum's sense of style; I would say it's classic/structured and so it's inspired me to take some photos of her while on the way to work. 

Skater Dress - Dorothy Perkins

Tights - Primark

Black Wedges -Next

Astalift Cosmetics: Bringing Photographic Film Expertise to Skincare?

When I first heard that photographic film company Fujifilm was launching a skincare range called Astalift in the UK, I thought it was a gimmick.  I assumed that, following the demise of film photography, Fujifilm had decided instead to try and make a quick buck out of the beauty industry by creating a range that made skin supposedly look ‘photo-perfect’ (I’ve obviously been in the marketing game for too long!). You can’t blame a girl for being so cynical; the beauty industry is often taken advantage of for its high profit margins and speed of consumer replenishment. 


But actually Astalift goes a lot deeper than that and looks to be a serious contender on the UK anti-ageing skincare market. And here’s the really interesting thing: some of the most advanced ingredients in skincare are actually used within the photographic film industry too, and so Fujifilm has a vast background in the research and development of these areas.


For instance, collagen – a skincare ingredient and a vital component of the skin that keeps it looking plumped and youthful, is also a key element of photographic film. Who knew?! What’s more, antioxidants, a regular on the skincare ingredient circuit to fight free radicals which cause the skin to deteriorate, are also used to prevent photographic film from fading. Finally, nanotechnology, a very targeted method of ingredient delivery deep into the skin (based upon ultra-fine particles), was also used by Fujifilm for film and data storage innovation. 


All these ingredients and technology can be found in Astalift and, going a step further, Fujifilm is also utilising a little-known super-ingredient called Astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant that is said to be 1,000 times more powerful than the popular Co-enzyme Q10 ingredient favoured by beauty giants such as Nivea. 


All of this makes for a superior skincare range and, having already experienced great success in the Asian beauty markets, I expect Astalift will not only make waves in the UK beauty market but will also bring the use of Astaxanthin to the fore.

You Got What I Need: Home Edition (1)

So I thought I'd introduce a new segment to the blog where every month, I post up things that I reeeeally want and seeing as i've recently finished redecorating my room, I thought it only be appropriate that I start off  with some home accessories that I am currently lusting over:

1.Set of 3 notebooks 2.Globe 3.Desk Tidy 4.Retro Telephone 5.Home made Cookie Cutters 6."Snow White Bedroom Mirror 7. Silk clothing hangers.

Giveaway: Win a £50 Gift Certificate with Experience Days!

Summer's here, the kids are off school and the Olympics are in full force - with all the commotion that's going on at the moment, wouldn't now be the perfect time to get away and partake in some amazing adventures? From powerboat and studio sessions to cookery lessons and creating your own perfumes, ExperienceDays UK has everything you need to create an awesome day out.

Well it just so happens that we have a £50 voucher up for grabs to put towards any experience day of your choice!

Entry is simple; If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning, follow Nerd About Town and leave a comment below with your email addressand a comment telling me what your perfect experience day would consist of. 

For a bonus entry, tweet 'I want to win an Experience Days voucher with @MacStephanton at http://bit.ly/OmSrhh  '

The competition will close on the 3rd of August where the winner will be selected at random. UK entries only and good luck!

My Skin Saviour! L'Occitane's Angelica Collection

Summer's here, Summer's here! Great for you, but horrible for me as Summer is the worst for my skin.

Over the past few weeks, my face has been fighting an ongoing battle with the elements - my demanding job role coupled with the 'will it rain/will it shine' weather has beaten my face into submission, leaving it dehydrated, dry, dull and gasping for a cuppa! I tried drinking loads of water, didn't work. I tried using some homemade face masks - it just made everything even worse. That is until a couple of weeks ago, while looking up "hydrating masks" on le Google I came across the now-amazingness that is L'Occitane's Angelica Discovery Collection.

The Angelica Discovery collection is a line of products which are aimed for those with dull, dehydrated skin in need of a pick-me-up. The line includes a facial hydration mask, an eye roll on, a facial cream and a facial toner among others. I'm a mahooosive fan of L'Occitane so I decided to give them a go and bought the Angelica starter kit which includes:

- 50 ml Cleansing Gel
- 50 ml Toner
- 5ml Exfoliating Gel
- 15 ml Hydrating Cream
- I also bought the hydration mask as well, which is 75ml

After the first week of using the products, I was literally like:


Cleanser:
"Enriched with water and essential oil of organic angelica, this cleansing gel softly removes make-up and impurities, while preserving the skin's hydrolipidic film, for perfectly clean and hydrated skin. Skin feels immediately soft and looks radiant"

The cleanser has a very fresh, cucumber scent and you only need a small bit to work up a small lather. When I say it literally STRIPS your whole face?? When I washed my face the first time with it, the amount of gunk that came off into the sink looked like something out of Alien. A damn travesty - but hey, it worked! It makes my skin feel squeaky clean. 

Toner:

"This alcohol-free face toner, enriched with angelica essential oil and water, moisturises, refreshes and cleanses the skin of impurities. After use, skin is soft, radiant and ready to absorb all the benefits of your daily skin care regimen."

The toner has the same cucumber fresh scent and works well with the cleanser to remove any dirt and makeup left behind. As toners go, it's pretty good.

Hydration Cream:

"A silky smooth cream that moisturises and revitalises the skin. The skin is instantly plumper, smoother and more luminous. Use daily in the morning."

As you guys may know, I'm pretty anal about what goes on my face (I know...^_^). As a natural nut, I was a bit wary of the cream but so far, it's been okay. It has a slight greasy edge to it, but my skin does feel well moisturised and fresh thoughout the day.

The star of the show for me however, is the hydration mask:
"The Angelica Instant Hydration Mask is an ultra fresh and water-soaked gel that rehydrates the thirstiest skin within three minutes. The skin will instantly draw all the hydration it needs to provide radiance, comfort and freshness all day long. The skin will be fresh, plump and thirst-quenched."

Because the mask is water based, I can really feel my skin breathe through it and it feels extremely refreshing and cooling on my face. It's like my skin is literally drinking in and taking from the mask what it needs to feel hydrated. I use this twice a week and whenever I need a pick-me up and my skin always feels firmer but more noticeably, brighter than usual.

Now I'm not saying that this is gonna end world hunger or anything, but it's a great way of keeping skin hydrated if yours is a bit dull! I'm so happy with this purchase and it's spurred me to buy the full sized products. Some more photos below:

Below is a snap of me with no makeup on in Barcelona in May (note: I did chuck on my eyebrows thought because they were going through the wars!) *Severe boobage alert - I apologise!*

Ew. Ah! Gahh! *shades eyes*

And here's me without makeup *albeit some tinted lipbalm* now: 

No photoshop baybeh - that glow is alllll mine! I see a bit of a difference. I am happy. :D

How do you hydrate your skin in Summer? What products do you recommend?

Candy Store Silicone Accessories

I like to think that I'm quite a bubbly, colourful person, *insert goof smile here* and so when buying accessories, I love to buy pieces which reflect my awesome-ness - so imagine my utter glee when whilst browsing ASOS one day, I came across these gorgeous neon coin purses and purses by American brand Candy Store. You'll have to forgive me if I ramble; I'm so excited about this product!

Candy Store have a range of handbag accessories from coin purses to glasses cases and  have recently launched in the UK following a cult following in the US.

What Candy Store say:

Treat yourself to the sweetest 'purse candy' ever—Candy Store. The totally delicious handbag accessories devoted to function, fashion and fun. Designed in ultra-light, ultra-durable, eye-popping-bright Silicone, each style features a super-smooth texture, stainless steel frame and oversized 'gumball' closure. 

I mean I've always been a neon silicone typa gal, so I ordered an orange coin purse.

Look how pretty and bright it is! Gahh! The knobs look like bubblegum balls!

The purse is smooth to touch, easy to clean and can expand to fit all the coins. What I love most about the purse is the colour. It's bright. Really bright. I just can't get over the cuteness! Methinks this is the perfect summer addition to ones handbag. :)

There are also make-up pouches and purse mirrors in the line. They also have wallets available in 8 fruity colours.

I've definitely got my eye on that apple green wallet!

Accessories range between £9-£20 and is available from ASOS

Photo(s) of the Day.

Two-Tone shoes from Primark - In love! <3

New Launch: L'Occitane's Immortelle Precious Serum

Photo from DiaryDirectory.com 

L'Occitane have recently announced the launch of Immortelle Precious Serum, the new addition to their Immortelle range. The Immortelle collection, named after a flower native to the Island of Corsica and used for it's amazing anti-ageing properties currently consists of products including Divine Cream, Precious Cream and their Precious Night Cream.

The serum was created to restore firmness and to reduce wrinkles - being a serum girl myself, I'm excited as i'm an avid L'Occitane fan! I've started to include various serums and anti-ageing products in my skincare routine so by the time i'm 40, I still look 25 *whips hair* :-D Let's hope by that time, technology has developed some sort of fantastical time machine but until then, serums shall suffice!

The serum is priced at £42 and will be hitting L'Occitane stores and online from September.

Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Lipstain!

When it comes to all the latest balms and what have you, I've been a bit tardy for the party so forgive me just literally JUST hearing about Revlon's Just Bitten lip stains! Having loved their earlier Lip Butter collection, I was excited to try this out so I popped into my local Superdrug, sneakily tried a few swatches and settled on getting 'Sweetheart'. 

Now, I was going to wait and buy Clinique's version and then compare the two lipstains but honestly I really couldn't wait to use this on as it just looked so cute standing on my make-up box :) Plus the latter is way outta my 'lip stain' budget!

Revlon's Just Bitten' lip stains come in 12 different shades and what tickles me about these is how cute and crayon-like they are! I'm very easily amused. :)  The colour is a bright pink that can be used at night as well as in the day and is easily build-able for those who prefer a more sheer base. The colour stayed on for about 5 hours (which included me snacking and drinking and snacking...and snacking inbetween) and I only had to reapply once.

I'm really impressed with the strong pigmentation and "stay-ability" (it's a word SOMEWHERE damnit!) and thus will be starting a collection with this one.

Have you tried this? What do you think?

Are You Ready For This Jelly?!

Are Ya? Are Ya?

Yes ladies, it looks like the Jelly shoe is making a comeback and I for one am hopping aboard and flying the flag for this trend! Remember back in the days when some of us would collect the shoes in different colours like they were Pokemon cards? Oh, just me?

As a child, the 'jellies' were my all time FAVOURITE shoes. I used to rock them at school in the summer with my white flower socks and summer dress and i'd walk around thinking that I was the hottest 6 year old this side of the Thames. Pure swagger I had. Don't hate.

Remember these school summer dresses?!

Jelly shoes are proving to be quite the belle de jour among festival goers this Summer; as well as being stylish, they also come up quite convenient too seeing as they are uber easy to clean.

Anne Hathaway, Azealia Banks and Nicola Roberts all rocking their shoes.

Here are some of my favourites so far:

However I was in Primarni the other day and came across some simple jelly ballerina flats which I simply had to have because they were adorable! They were only a fiver but that was because they were actually beach shoes. Nevertheless that shan't deter me from taking a trip down memory lane every day; I will be wearing them as normal shoes and not one damn shall be given. 

The shoes are SO comfortable and are perfect for this bipolar weather as it dries off very easily. :) 

What do you think about Jelly shoes? Were they YOUR shoe way back in the day? 

I Love...Superdrug Offers!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Superdrug are currently holding a few offers in store which includes 3 for 4 on their facemasks and Buy One get One Free on 'I Love...' products.

                                                                             I decided to get the masks which promoted skin hydration because of the changing weather lately and the long hours at work! The Sugar and Spice self-heating mask smells gorgeous and really leaves my skin feeling refreshed and smooth.

What are you waiting for? Get down to your local superdrug to fill up on these goodies before they go!

I Love...Shower Creme 500ml - £2.00 BOGOF
Superdrug Facial Masks - 99p each
Offers available in-store only

Mandara Spa - Island Paradise Bath Soak

I don't know what it is, but up until about 3 years ago, I was never really much of a 'bubble bath' person. I always thought that they took too long and that they were a waste of time. However since I finished Uni and started working, I can now see the positives in take a long relaxing soak at the end of a long day. :-)

I was kindly sent this pampering bath soak a few weeks ago after the recent launch of Mandara Spa's new spa collection named 'Island Paradise'.  Ever since it arrived, I keep taking the lid off and having little sneaky sniffs as it smells so good, something I'll touch on a little later.

Launched in Bali in 1995, Mandara Spa has since expanded into some of the world's most exotic locations including the Maldives, Phuket and Hawaii and has re-vamped it's at-home products into four collections inspired by these destinations. The latest collection is inspired by the Maldives and features an assortment including a hand lotion and wash, body lotion, shower scrub and the bath soak above.

Now as I said earlier, I absolutely love the smell of the bath soak - it's a fresh citrus scent that left the whole bathroom smelling amazing for at least 30 minutes. The fresh lemon and grapefruit scents took  me back to this time last month when I was beaching it up in Barcelona. Ahh...happy days. *happy and sad face*

Uhh-Mazing smell aside, I (and my Mum..somehow she found it even though I'd hidden in ¬_¬) found the soak to be incredibly relaxing and invigorating and leaves me wanting the rest of the collection!

Island Paradise Bath Soak £12 (500ml) and the rest of the collection are available at Sainsbury's.

Have you tried the Mandara Spa products before? 

June Favourites

Happy 1st of July everyone!
I swear June has been the most bipolar month ever- what with rain, wind, sleet and the occasional sunny day, it's just about worn me out! Let's hope that July brings us continuous warm weather and good days ahead.

Below are the products that I have been using the most all of last month:

1. MAC lipsticks in 'Rebel' and 'Touch': Touch is my all time favourite rose- nude lipstick and this is actually my second one! The creamy formula matches my skin-tone exactly and its uber moisturising and lasts about 4-5 hours. Rebel is a current favourite of mine also. Balancing between a deep magenta and purple, the creamy lipstick can be gradually applied on to work up a stronger colour if need be.
Max Factor False Lash Effect: I love how thick and voluminous the mascara makes my eyes look - it's non flaky and I love that I don't need a curling wand for it. For £10.99, it isn't bad at all! Available from Boots.
Maybelline's Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner: I don't/can't use liquid eyeliner normally because my hooded eyelids make it difficult/messy to apply so I was thrilled when Maybelline released a 'felt-tip' version of their eyeliners. It makes the application so easy and precise. Available here.
Burberry Touch:  This fragrance is soft and casual with a hint of freshness in the top note which include blackberry, cranberry and pink peppercorns. It also includes warm notes of vanilla, cedarwood and oakmoss. Perfect summer scent!
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap: Which I have talked about in a former post.
Mandara Spa Island Paradise Bath Soak: A gorgeous refreshing bath soak which I will talk about more thoroughly in an upcoming post!

What have been your June favourites?

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap

As of last week, I ran out of my Neals Yard Orange Flower face wash and so while in Debenhams, I thought I would try Clinique's facial soap.  Now as someone who predominantly uses natural/organic products, I thought i'd live on the 'wild side' and try something different. The facial soap is aimed for those with dry skin so I assumed it wouldn't be as harsh.

The liquid soap is the liquid version of Clinique's popular facial soap and is step 1 of the 3-step skin care system. It claims to cleanse the skin without stripping it of its protective oils. 

It comes with a handy pump to dispense the product easily and is designed to be used to prep the skin before the Clarifying lotion and the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. In this case, I've stuck to step 1 as I wanted to see how my skin would react to the chemicals before purchasing anything else.

I've been using the soap for about 10 days now and I haven't really seen any change in my skin tone in regards to my face being clearer. I will say that it's been excellent for removing my make-up but that's about as far as it goes for me personally. 

Another thing is the scent.

If I could describe it, I would say that the scent is eerily similar to that of bleach/ammonia. I've had to hold my breathe while lathering the soap as the smell is far too intense for me! Maybe it's because I'm so used to more earthy smells in my skincare products that the overly-clinical scent came as a shock to the system. In any case, I think i'll just stick with the natural products and keep the facial soap limited to removing my makeup at the end of the day. 

The Facial Soap is £14 and is available at Boots, Selfridges, on the Clinique website and Amazon.com.

Click here for more information on the 3-step program.

Have you used any Clinique products recently? How do you find them?