Archive for the ‘Elemis’ Category
I am going on holiday to Marrakech soon. It will be 7 days in the (here’s hoping for) scorching north African sun, and I am looking forward to getting my first sun tan in almost 18 months.
One thing I am determined to do is to minimise on my packing with make-up and beauty products for two main reasons: I will be flying by no-frills airline Easyjet who are notoriously difficult with luggage dimensons and weights (total size includes wheels and handles for crying out loud!). Also I want to leave enough room for any potential purchases I will find difficult to resist from the souqs.
I took a heaving bag of make-up on my last getaway and shamefully I didn’t even use two-thirds of the contents. What is it about going away that sends us into a panic that we might need several palettes and lipsticks? It’s a holiday, not a fashion shoot!
So here are the essentials I’ve whittled down to:
- Maybelline’s Volum’ Express The Rocket Mascara – my current favourite mascara (not photographed)
- Illamasqua’s Precision Liner in Abyss
- Illamasqua’s Skin Base (12)
- MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (NW35)
- L’Occitane’s Sublime Beauty Cream – BB Cream in Medium*
- GOSH BB Cream in Warm Beige
- Bourjois cream blusher in Sweet Cherry (04)*
- Nars cream blusher in Maui
- Avon Supershock Gel Liner in black
- Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Roomiest Rose and Mightiest Marschino*
- Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush (005)
- Smashbox Megatint in Punch*
- Bourjois 3D Effet lip glosses in Brun Exotic and Brun Rosé*
- Hourglass Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss in Icon and Empress
- Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm* – doubles up as a primer
- Liz Earle Sheer Gold Shimmer
I have purposely avoided products which need brushes as well as powders, and subsequently I am leaving out the eyeshadows because frankly I can’t be bothered with all that faffing around.
Bourjois’s new collection of cream blushers are not until 15th May but you can read a review and see swatches by Leanne of Do Not Refreeze. Light and slim in packaging, these are perfect for travelling so I’m popping one in the bag.
I am also looking forward to putting L’Occitane’s new BB Cream through its paces and I will be posting a review on it.
All of these fit nicely in my relatively small Bourjois make-up bag*. Honestly my make-up bag before was hand bag size!
Is there anything else I should take? I know I’ve overdone it with the lipwear but the trouble is, I don’t know which ones I will wear (depending on how I feel at the time) so I’m taking a few. Madness. I would love to know if you try to downsize your make-up when you go away or if you take more than what I am packing.
On a separate note, if you’ve been to Marrakech, please let me know your recommendations about what hidden gems I should visit or try. One thing that is an absolute must is a hammam and massage and picking up some argan oil. Can’t wait!
*PR sample
Elemis has sprung into spring with the arrival of their Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm. And it’s anti-ageing. Yay for those like me who aren’t fresh faced teens!
It’s much more than a cleanser though, it’s a luxurious balm rich in oils and waxes that melts away make-up and daily grime. Made up of precious starflower, elderberry and optimega™ oils with rose and mimosa waxes, and anti-ageing padina pavonica, the balm also deeply nourishes and smoothes for a glowing complexion. It looks like bee’s wax yet the texture is so soft and smooth, and the scent is intoxicating.
Scoop a small amount on your finger and massage all over your face, neck and décolleté, add a little water to emulsify the product and gently wipe it off with a damp face towel. Flannel Queen Caroline (Hirons) will be pleased as punch this cleanser doesn’t come with a flimsy muslin cloth.
The balm can also be used as a treatment mask – the same steps as above except don’t add water, but massage with your finger tips and leave for 10 minutes, then remove with a damp, warm flannel. Amazing stuff. It’s left my skin beautifully soft and nourished, something I am in dire need of since I suffer from a lack of hydration due to the effects of the cold weather and travelling on the tube.
Elemis is one of my absolute favourite skincare brands and they haven’t disappointed with this offering. The cost of a tub of the cleansing balm is £39.50 for 105g but a little goes a long way. This isn’t one to be whiffed at but sniffed adoringly.
You can order directly from www.timetospa.co.uk. For more on Elemis visit www.elemis.com.
*PR sample*
Hey, I’m sorry for the radio silence. I returned from Hamburg on my birthday and then endured the slowest working week (3 days, can you believe it?) before a mad dash at the weekend to the supermarket to get all my ingredients for the roast I’ll be doing on Christmas Day. It’s crept up really quickly, hasn’t it? So did my birthday, come to think of it…
I don’t doubt there will be a surge on Christmas Eve for those who have left buying presents to the last knockings. If you’re one of them, then here are a few suggestions from a few brands who have pulled together their best-selling products into beautiful sets for Christmas this year.
Supreme Glow by Elemis (£46.50)*
Elemis has got gift sets for all budgets and this skincare collection is of immense value for the supremecy the spa company has to offer. Packed with glowing beauty essentials for skin which is perfectly cleansed, moisturised and radiant, Supreme Glow includes:
- Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser (200ml)
- Soothing Apricot Toner (200ml)
- Maximum Moisture Day Cream (50ml)
- Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir (100ml)
Elemis’ Bath and Body Jewels (£29.50)
Another contender is this set which I was given by my lovely friend, Aisha for my birthday. It’s made up of bath and shower goodies to give you the ultimate spa treatment at home. For less than £30, you get:
- Quiet Mind Bath Elixir (100ml)
- Skin Nourishing Shower Cream (100ml)
- Revitalise-Me Shower Gel (100ml)
- Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir (100ml)
- Tranquil Touch Body Cream (50ml)
- Skin Nourishing Body Lotion (50ml)
These sets and other Elemis products are available at www.timetospa.co.uk or mail order via Elemis Customer Care Centre on +44 (0)117 316 1888. Selected branches of John Lewis, Debenhams and Harvey Nichols stores also stock them.
L’Occitane’s Almond Winter Collection (£45)*
Ahhh! L’Occitane know the meaning of Christmas! They have possibly the most delightful collections beautifully packaged. You can pick from a variety of scents and it’s a great way to introduce someone to the world of L’Occitane with samples of their key ranges.
Their limited almond collection is a winner and almond itself has brilliant nourishing, soothing and firming skin properties.
You get all your winter must-haves, which are:
- Almond Shower Oil (500ml)
- Almond Smooth Hands (30ml)
- 2 x 50g Almond Delicious Soaps
Best of Ole Henriksen – Discovery Kit (£29.50)*
This fantastic kit is exclusive to John Lewis and contains 7 sample sizes of Ole Henriksen’s best products:
- African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser
- Truth Serum Collagen Booster
- Invigorating Night Gel
- Sheer Transformation
- Fresh Start Eye Creme
- Walnut Complexion Scrub
- Truth To Go Wipes
Unfortunately the wipes are missing from the photo as I’ve misplaced them – sorry! I have never used Ole Henriksen’s products before so this is a great way to get acquainted with them. This collection is available exclusively from John Lewis Oxford Street and www.johnlewis.com.
REN’s Rose Experience Gift (£32)*
This year REN have based their gift sets around an Arabesque pattern derived from Islamic art and calligraphy that was inspired by their award winning Moroccan Rose range.
The Rose Experience Gift Set includes:
- Moroccan Rose Otto body wash, 100ml
- Moroccan Rose Otto body cream, 100ml
- Moroccan Rose Otto bath oil, 30ml
- Moroccan Rose Otto ultra moisture body oil, 30ml
What do you think of these collections? They’re almost too good to give away as presents, aren’t they?
*PR samples*
A couple of weeks ago, Elemis invited a group of beauty bloggers to shopping channel QVC’s studios in Chiswick, west London for the arrival of their newest addition, the Evening Blooms Dry Body Oil and also a nosey around.
Elemis is one of my favourite spa and skincare brands – I can’t fault each and every one of their products I’ve tried and fallen in love with. And the bond Elemis has with QVC is very special since it reached out to millions of homes from its launch on the shopping channel’s screens in 1995.
It was an immensely fun evening of Elemis treats (I had the Shoulder-to-Scalp massage in their Intelligent Massage Chair – the first of its kind in the world – and it’s AMAZING at loosening knots and de-stressing tension from head to toe!). We also had a guided tour of the QVC studios and some of us had the chance to record a mock presentation. Thankfully they were fine about me not going through the ordeal for a second time. Here’s why.
As well as perusing Elemis’s top products (and I was amazed at how many I actually owned), the excitement was around the Evening Blooms Dry Body Oil. Its scent will knock you for six – in a good way! The oil is a blend of ylang ylang, vanilla, jasmine and osmanthus in a macadamia and kukui oil base and evokes the feeling of being in a spa from the comfort of your own home.
Now body oils are usually messy to deal with but this one is very light and absorbs into the skin instantly without a trace of greasy residue. Massage into your legs especially as well as as your arms and you will be mesmerised by the intoxicating fragrance.
In these freezing cold months your skin is prone to more dryness and the Evening Blooms Dry Body Oil replenishes lost moisture and relaxes you at the same time. It’s a 3 in 1 body, bath and massage oil, it’s British and it doesn’t test of animals either.
The bad news? Well it’s not available from Elemis directly and QVC were selling it exclusively for two days only last weekend. My bad for not letting you know sooner. I am quietly confident Elemis will make this amazing product available because at the moment it seems to be popping up on Ebay auctions (*frowns*).
In the mean time, I thought I’d share a selection of behind-the-scenes pictures of the QVC studios.
One of the dressing rooms at QVC
Where all the products are shelved before and after going on-air
And we are live on-air!
You can peruse Elemis’s online shop via QVC here but do stay tuned to the channel for exclusive offers from Elemis.
To explore more about Elemis, visit their official site www.elemis.com. To keep up-to-date with QVC, visit www.qvcuk.com.
I’d like to take this opportunity to everyone at Elemis and QVC for their kind hospitality.
