5 Ways I'm Reclaiming my Mojo after having a baby

Mojo, groove, sparkle - whatever you want to call it. Like many new mum's, I've felt like mine has been missing for a while now. I don't know if it's the weather (slowly) warming up or I've just subconsciously decided it's 'time' but recently I've found myself in the mood to dust off the cobwebs and rediscover myself as an individual, as well as my baby's mum. It's a bit like a personal spring cleaning mission I suppose and with it I think I'm starting to regain a bit of self confidence that had gone slightly AWOL in the past year or so. I love being a new parent (even though it can be both scary and bewildering at times) but as I've mentioned before in this post self care is so important. Personally I am trying to be a bit kinder to myself and I feel like it's paying off so I thought I'd share a few ways I'm getting my 'sparkle' back nearly one year on after having my baby.

Cleaning out my closet 
 A couple of weeks ago I'd suddenly had enough of my wardrobe. Everything was grey or black and I was still living in river island vests that I'd bought about 6 years ago when I lived in Hammersmith. Most of my tops and cardigans were pilled and faded and a lot of clothes just didn't flatter me. I was even still wearing maternity tops - you know the ones with ruched sides to account for big baby bumps- and feeling distinctly un-sexy and generally frumpy in them. I decided that something had to give and I no longer needed nor wanted the majority of tat that had accumulated in my chest of draws. So I had a clear out and ended up with two sacks for charity shops and one sack of straight up rubbish. It felt good and weirdly liberating to be so brutal with my belongings but really, what's the sense of hanging onto a pair of disco pants with a broken zipper and hole in the crotch and what purpose does a bra that's now two cup sizes too big and never properly fitted me in the first place actually serve?

Indulging in beautiful lingerie 
...Or at least matching bra and knickers. Lately I've found myself revisiting that self confidence hack I used to be quite fond of. That is, wearing matching bra and knickers underneath any clothing to instantly make you feel more put-together and weirdly more in control. I don't know why but it really is an instant confidence boost! The good old matching bra and undies hack is even more special when they're in a super cute design like this one by Promise from UK Lingerie. Just add red lipstick for a little extra boost of self belief!

Rediscovering my love of skincare
Ah, skincare. My love of skincare is pretty much what drove me to start this blog in the first place back in 2011 and I've learned so much about ingredients and formulas along the way. I used to be genuinely fascinated by the science behind cleansers and serums and loved researching ingredients I'd not heard of before and I can feel myself becoming interested again. Skincare will always trump makeup for me and with so many innovative new launches happening lately I'm loving feeling inspired again.

Mastering the art of the 5 minute face
While I've never really been one for spending hours getting ready before I leave the house, now that I've got a tiny human constantly trying to scale the furniture/ me, I've had to step things up a notch to look semi-presentable at super speed. This is where multi tasking products and easy peasy makeup bits come in very handy. To get myself looking like a better version of me, I've all but ditched the foundation and opted for a touch of concealer and Charlotte Tilbury's latest innovation - Hollywood Flawless Filter. If you've not tried this incredible product yet, you really should because it's bloody marvelous. Once I've got my face looking glowy and dewy, it's time to groom and fill my brows with Glossier Boy Brow (I use shade Brown), pat on some Lord and Berry Sculpt and Glow Cream Bronzer and curl and lengthen my lashes in one fell swoop with a swipe of Benefit Rollerlash.

Ditching the Mummy Guilt
I'm not quite there yet with this one but I've found myself starting to get better at accepting help with the baby. Sometimes I even ask for it, which is a bit shocking for me! But there have been times in the past few months that I've fancied having my hair done or just wanted a few hours on my own to do blog-related duties, and I've done it. Whenever I'm away from my little one I'm always thinking about him but it's so good to just hang out with Hannah every now and then.

So there you have it - those are five ways I'm slowly reclaiming my mojo. I'd love to know how you helped yourself feel more like...yourself after having a baby or experiencing another life changing event. Let me know in the comments!

111Skin Meso Infusion Micro Mask Review

111Skin is a brand I am very new to. Founded by Harley Street Plastic Surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides, 111Skin was developed in collaboration with two space Scientists who worked on the Soviet Space Program (!). These scientists had retained a patented formula they had supplied to Astronauts to protect their skin while they were in orbit - apparently the combination of zero gravity, exposure to radiation and varying temperature wreaks habit on one's skin!

111Skin boasts an impressive collection of products - from the Lift Off Exfoliating Cleanser to the Celestial Black Diamond Retinol Oil, the brand has every step in the skincare routine covered, and then some. Actually, and then a lot more.
While extensive research, exclusive ingredients and space-age technologies have been poured into each and every one of 111Skin's products, one of their latest products really stands out for one very good reason; there is simply nothing else on the market quite like it.

The Meso Infusion Micro Mask really is unlike anything I've seen before. Yes, the concept of targeted mask treatments is nothing new, but the technology behind the Meso Mask is truly ground breaking. I realise that I might sound a bit like I am writing a press release here but I really have been doing a little excited dance in my head ever since I read about this mask because it's just so different.
The Meso Infusion Micro Mask is touted as the closest you can get to an authentic Mesotherapy treatment in the comfort of your own home. Don't know what Mesotherapy is? Neither did I, until I found about these masks. It's a non-surgical cosmetic treatment that involves administering substances such as Hyaluronic Acid directly into the skin via a series of tiny injections. Sounds like it has the potential to be a bit painful but from what I've read, it's not particularly uncomfortable. How can a mask possibly mimic this treatment? Well, this is the fun bit.

The Meso Infusion Micro Mask consists of four sachets. In each sachet are two mask patches, with an adhesive border to ensure the masks stay in place while the formula does its thing. The masks feature self dissolving micro structure technology. The micro structures are made up of 94.5% Hyaluronic Acid to plump up fine lines and diminish wrinkles and 4.5% Vitamin C to tackle pigmentation and discolouration. These micro structures - there are 150 on each mask - administer the ingredients by penetrating deep into the skin. The micro structures are basically teeny tiny, very fine 'spikes' that literally prick the skin, delivering the Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C directly into the targeted area. After around 40 minutes, the micro structures dissolve completely, leaving you free to remove the patch, though you can leave the patch on overnight for a really intensive treatment.

The patches can be used pretty much anywhere and so far I have used them on my eyes, to plump out my crows feet. I know I am 30 and I am still relatively wrinkle-free but I grew up in sunny Queensland and you're unlikely to find an Aussie my age who doesn't have any tell tale signs of years of squinting in the sun!

111Skin Meso Infusion Micro Mask

Around my eyes, the masks didn't feel unpleasant but they did feel active- as if they were really doing something. I did press down gently on the masks a few times in an effort to send the micro structures further into the skin (which I'm not sure is advised!) and still it was not a painful experience. I removed the masks after a couple of hours and had a bit of redness where they were placed (and also probably as a result of me applying pressure). The redness subsided very quickly and I was left with smooth, plumped-up skin where my wrinkles once were. OK, the wrinkles were still there BUT the lines were much, much softer and less noticeable to my toughest critic - myself.
As I've only just used the masks today, I can't comment on how long this effect lasts but I will say that before a special occasion or on days when you just want a boost, these are a fantastic treat. Besides the fact that I have genuinely noticed a difference, I think the Meso Mask is a brilliant product because it feels like a proper treatment and is in a whole other league to the usual pre-special occasion prep of applying a more traditional mask.

At £100 for a box of four pairs, the 111Skin Meso Infusion Micro Mask is an investment beauty buy but if you love your skincare and like trying new products and concepts, this is something to get your hands on. The 111Skin Meso Infusion Micro Mask is available at Space NK.
I'll be keeping the remaining three sets of masks stashed away for very special occasions.

Pumpkin Beauty Products to try this autumn

Pumpkins and beauty - who'd have thought? The only pumpkin related beauty products that sprung to mind when I first thought about it were the cult Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask and Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, but as it turns out, the goodness of the gourd can be found in a whole range of bath, body and beauty products.

Pumpkin enzymes are an effective exfoliating ingredient in skincare, but as any fellow PSL enthusiast will agree, that sweetened, artificial pumpkin fragrance is pretty darn appealing too.

Here are the Top 5 pumpkin beauty bits I found most intriguing (so far!):

Mychelle Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser
For dry skin, the Mychelle Creamy Pumpkin Cleanser contains pumpkin to exfoliate and honey to soothe. The cleanser also features Blue Green Algae powder (which for some reason I always thought was toxic, but I guess I was wrong!) as well as sugar, coconut, lime, cinnamon and nutmeg oil and many other delicious sounding ingredients. I'd love to know what this smells like. Available at healthmonthly

Ilcsi Pumpkin and Orange Gel Mask
The only Ilsci product I'd actually heard of was the Sour Cherry Mask so I was intrigued when I came across the Pumpkin and Orange Gel Mask from the brand. Designed to smooth and hydrate, the orange coloured gel mask contains organic pumpkin, orange, honey and herbal oils. Preservatives include Salicylic Acid. I'm more than keen to try this one.
From Love Lula

Philosophy Pumpkin Pie Shower Gel
I first fell in love with Philosophy shower gels back in Australia when I used to frequent Mecca Cosmetica (think Space NK) because they were literally the only shop to stock Philosophy products. Cinnamon Buns was and probably always will be my favourite one to sniff but I can imagine Pumpkin Pie will have the same sweet, spiced fragrance. It looks like Boots aren't stocking this (online anyway) but I've found it on Amazon at a disturbingly expensive price point.

Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient Rich Facial Mask
Designed to make skin 'glow', the Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient Rich Facial Mask contains 5% Glycolic Acid (the same amount as Pixi Glow Tonic), pumpkin and aloe vera. The addition of sugar cane and maple extract aid in deep cleansing and reducing the appearance of enlarged pores, making the mask recommended for dull and acne prone skin. Once again, I want to know how this one smells as I imagine it's nicely scented.
From Beauty Bay.

Too Cool for School Pumpkin Sleeping Pack
Korean skincare lovers are probably familiar with the Too Cool for School brand and their cutesy packaging. Just like Origins Drink Up or Ren's Wake Wonderful, this mask is designed to be the last step in your evening skincare routine and promises to do all kinds of lovely things to your complexion as you slumber. Pumpkin enzymes exfoliate as you snooze while Hyaluronic Acid does that hydrating thing it's so good at. The mask is somewhere in between a gel and cream in terms of texture, so I imagine it wouldn't feel too heavy on the skin. I've found it at Cult Beauty.

I've also heard many great things about the Bath & Body Works pumpkin ranges - when will they open a store in London? Please tell me it's only a matter of time!

L'Occitane Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream

So I'm pretty certain I've found the perfect body moisturiser to see me through the autumn in the form of L'Occitane Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream.
I am just a little bit infatuated with honey skincare products so when L'Occitane recently introduced their Melting Honey range, it was only a matter of time before one or two pieces ended up in my collection. I mean, it's called Melting Honey - how utterly luxurious does that sound?

The Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream is presented in a cute round tin with a colourful honeycomb design, making it perfectly ornamental and certainly worthy of displaying on your dressing table. Or, you can do what I do and just keep it on the floor next to your bed :/

L'Occitane say: 'By combining a high concentration of nourishing shea butter and softening honey from Provence, this silky smooth, light-textured body cream helps to nourish and protect the skin, while enveloping it in the delicious scent of melting honey.'
They're not wrong!

This super silky moisturiser contains 10% Shea butter to deliver a hefty dose of hydration yet somehow manages to stay exceptionally light in texture. In fact, I'd say that texturally, it's halfway between a cream and a lotion (a crotion?).

And the scent? Don't even get me started on how great this smells. In a nutshell, the cream smells nothing short of marvellous - like real honey- and in turn, makes the skin smell pretty darn good too. If you remember the honey facial moisturiser that L'Occitane used to do (and if you happen to be reading this L'Occitane, please bring it back!) it smells pretty much exactly like that. In other words, it smells utterly divine.

I bought my tin of Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream in store but you can find it at L'Occitane online for a fairly reasonable £18.

L'Erbolario Narciso Sublime Bath Foam & Candle

Italian plant-based beauty brand L'Erbolario have pretty much bottled Spring with the Narciso Sublime collection. As a rule, I'm not much of a florals girl and will usually choose gourmande/ vanilla scents over anything too flowery but I must make an exception with this scent because it is a little bit gorgeous.

The Narciso Sublime range is based around the fragrance of the Narcissus flower ( also known as the daffodil but Narcissus sounds so much better) - a pretty special flower really because it is known to bloom before all the other flowers. With this in mind, this is a lovely fragrance for this time of the year when we're all still walking around with our coats on yet have secretly already started fake tanning as if we're willing the sun to come out.

I have the Narciso Sublime Bath Foam and Perfumed Candle to try and have so far been enjoying both rather a lot!

I've turned into quite the bath dweller recently so the bath foam couldn't have come at a better time to a more willing guinea pig! A couple of glugs added to a running bath produce fluffy, foamy bubbles that leave the skin delicately scented with the narcissus fragrance. Narcissus flowers and Narcissus distilled water combine with almond oil sufactants (basically a natural cleansing agent) and oat amino acids to soften the skin while you soak. The skin softening and toning agents are just a bonus to me really because the scent alone makes the bath foam worth using!

The Narciso Sublime Perfumed Candle is a proper luxury candle with a very decent scent throw considering its compact size. The candle is soy-based and encased in a heavy little glass jar with the prettiest/ cutest/ swooniest (not a word) design featuring illustrations of the Naricissus flowers. As you can see I have burned it a little already but I'm glad I've photographed it now so I can actually start burning it recklessly.

The Narciso Sublime collection also includes an Eau de Parfum, Cream Talc, Soap, Body Oil and Body Cream and can be found online or at the L'Erbolario store in London N1.

This post contains a sample

My Little Box UK Review- the First Box September 2014

Another day, another subscription beauty box right? Wrong! My Little Box is a French beauty and lifestyle subscription (the French version has 80, 000 subscribers) that is available in the UK for the first time this month. I signed up to My Little Box UK a few weeks ago and it arrived today so here's a peak at what's inside:

Every box is themed and it's only fitting that for the UK début it's themed as My Little Parisienne Box

The beauty bits - Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (these are everywhere lately!), a little bottle of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse and the brand's own Stylo Lumiere twist - up highlighter/ concealer

The Lifestyle Bits - A decent sized, thick notebook, some very kitshy stickers and a laptop/ tablet case

I'm writing this up very quickly before I start work today and haven't had a proper play with everything included in the box but I think it's an impressive new monthly subscription offering with contents that I'm actually likely to use (including the oil from Nuxe!) and not a sachet in sight!
What do you think of My Little Box? You can sign up here for £11 a month + 3.95 postage.

The Fake Tan Files: Spray Tan at Artistic Monkey

Growing up in Australia I practically had a permanent tan. While my time in London has seen my skintone adopt a much pastier pallor, I think for now I've had enough of sporting the 'pale and interesting' look and it's high time I get my Aussie kid colouring back.

Throughout spring and summer I'll be testing out a variety of fake tans in an effort to find my perfect, go-to faux glow.

First off the bat is an organic Spray Tan I experienced last Friday at Artistic Monkey salon in Kilburn.

An oasis among the general drabness of Kilburn High Road, Artistic Monkey sticks out like a sore thumb in the best possible way.

The salon is glamorous, modern and clean with really lovely staff and to top it off, there's even a cheeky bowl of miniature cupcakes for snacking on while you wait!

There can be few things as mortifying as stripping off and having a virtual stranger spray every inch of your body with a fine brown mist, but beauty therapist Lili is so friendly that I nearly forgot I was standing there in nothing but a thong and stick on soles (to prevent dying the soles of my feet).

The whole process took under 15 minutes yet it was the most thorough, enjoyable spray tan I've experienced (and I'm from the Gold Coast, the fake tan capital of Australia so that's saying a lot).

Lili made sure it was even and wiped my palms with baby wipes to avoid any tell-tale signs of fakery (not a word but it is now) before leaving me to get dressed.

Immediately after the spray tan - looking a little dirty!

The next day - after the tan has developed (and two showers!)

Tan line day 3

Tan line day 3

When you go for a spray tan, the key is to wear the loosest, darkest clothes you can find and skip the bra if you can. Make sure you exfoliate really well the day/ night before and don't skimp on the moisturiser!

After the tan, wait at least 8 hours before showering, allowing the tan time to develop properly and treat water like the enemy - that means no washing dishes!

The formula they use at Artistic Monkey is top secret but they did tell me a few things about it:

• It's organic
• It's Australian (yay)
• It contains a load of skin loving ingredients
• It contains anti-ageing components
• It's a 'green based' formula, therefore there is 0 chance of looking like a fanta can

This formula is so good in fact that it was given a 5/5 rating by More Magazine :0

I really can't recommend this spray tan enough - even the boys at work thought it looked great and they would be the first to tell me if that wasn't the case!

The spray tan at Artistic Monkey left my skin looking glowy, healthy and naturally tanned - literally like I'd been lazing about in the sun for a few days. The tan lasts about 7 days if you take care of it properly (don't have really hot baths and slather on the moisturiser). I had mine on Friday and it's now Wednesday and I'm still quite tanned! If you're interested in a healthy looking olive tan rather than an orange one I recommend you give this a go.

The spray tan at Artistic Monkey is £28 for full body or £15 for half body (waist up) with packages available for courses of 6.
You can call Artistic Monkey on 020 3638 3616 or check them out here. Make sure you have a browse of their other beauty treatments and hair services while you're at it!

Thanks for reading!

Beauty Obsession: Emilia Clarke

Game of Thrones is back for it's third season and it's already ruining my life again. How does HBO expect me to wait a whole WEEK between episodes of magical, ultra-violent dragon and nudity filled sword-wielding goodness?
I just love this show and I have a crush on virtually all of the male leads and a lady-crush on one white haired  beauty in particular - Daenerys Targaryen, aka Emilia Clarke.

I don't usually go for blondes (or women) but there's something so utterly special about this girl that I wanted to devote an entire blog post to her face.

Whether she's playing ethereal Dragon Princess Daenerys in Game or Thrones...

Or in her natural state as a brunette beauty...

There's no denying that this girl is a bona fide stunner, kicking beauty goals all over the place.
Observe:

The 'Old Hollywood' maekup look is starting to become her beauty signature.This look is super simple to achieve and looks ultra glamorous. All you need is a decent liquid eye liner and a slick of red lipstick.

This look is probably my favourite to date. She looks uber elegant and I'm loving the subtle smoky eye with blue tones blended in to match her dress. This picture is testament to the transformational effect of a good pair of hair straighteners.

Whether she's hanging out with dragons as Daenerys or vamping it up on the red carpet, Emila Clarke is an English Rose indeed.
Do you watch Game of Thrones?

Thanks for reading :)

Snail Cream! What, really?

Anyone for a moisturiser made from snail mucus?

I came across this on Amazon today while browsing Etude House products:

Introducing Snail Code, made on location at a Bulgarian Snail Farm, apparently.

Etude House's Darling Cream, containing 'snail mucin'. Yum!

These creams have been kicking about for a while and are especially popular in Korea, but I only stumbled upon the horror today.
Snails are rather good at using their slimey stuff to repair damage to their shells- it contains hyaluronic acid and antioxidants apparently- so it sort of makes sense for it to have a similarly rejuvenating effect on human skin.
Personally I would never use a face cream made from crushed snails but each to their own I suppose!

x

Shameless Valentine's Wishlist!

Shameless Valentine's Wishlist! by lippyinlondon featuring nars cosmetics

Viktor rolf
lordandtaylor.com

Nars cosmetic
narscosmetics.com

Diptyque Tubéreuse Scented Candle 190g
$63 - liberty.co.uk

Jo Malone™ Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne Intense 100 Ml
bloomingdales.com

Bobbi's Skincare Basics
bobbibrowncosmetics.com